Brassic is filmed primarily in Bacup, Lancashire, with additional locations across Greater Manchester and the wider North West of England. That straightforward fact explains why the series feels so grounded from the first episode. What it does not explain is why the setting resonates so strongly with viewers across Manchester and Lancashire.
To properly answer where is Brassic filmed, you have to look at how real Northern towns are brought together to create a fictional place that feels entirely authentic.
So, where is Brassic filmed?
Rather than relying heavily on studios, Brassic is shot in real locations. Streets, pubs, housing estates and countryside are used as they are, with minimal dressing. The main filming areas include:
- Bacup, Lancashire
- The Rossendale Valley
- Bolton and surrounding parts of Greater Manchester
- Select locations within Manchester
These places collectively form the fictional town of Hawley, a town that does not exist on a map but feels familiar to anyone from the North West.
Bacup, Lancashire: the heart of Hawley
For most viewers asking where is Brassic filmed, the real answer starts with Bacup. This former mill town in the Rossendale Valley provides the backbone of the show’s setting.
Union Street and Market Street appear frequently throughout the series. They are recognisable, unpolished and unmistakably Northern. Bacup works on screen because it has not been smoothed out for television. What you see is what the town already is.
From a local perspective, Bacup represents dozens of Lancashire towns shaped by the same history. Industrial growth, economic decline and close knit communities that carried on regardless. That history adds weight to every scene without the show ever needing to explain it.
Is Brassic filmed in Manchester?
This is one of the most common questions. The answer is yes, but in a very specific way.
Manchester city centre is not used as a visual backdrop for the show. Brassic avoids glossy urban imagery and instead focuses on edge of city locations and post industrial towns. However, one Manchester location is central to the series.
The Star and Garter, Manchester
Opposite Piccadilly Station on Fairfield Street sits The Star and Garter, a Grade II listed Victorian pub. Every interior scene set in the Crow’s Nest is filmed here.
It is a real pub and live music venue, still in daily use. The worn floors, tight layout and atmosphere are genuine, not constructed. That authenticity is obvious on screen and immediately recognisable to Manchester viewers who know the building.
It is one of the few locations where Brassic connects directly with Manchester city centre, and it does so without losing the show’s grounded feel.
Greater Manchester beyond the city centre
Outside central Manchester, Brassic makes extensive use of Greater Manchester towns where urban life meets open countryside.
- Bolton has been used for multiple exterior scenes, including early woodland locations for Vinnie’s shack
- Ashton-under-Lyne appears in residential scenes, including Erin’s home
- Salford locations have doubled for institutional buildings such as Dr Cox’s surgery
These areas blend naturally with Lancashire locations, reflecting how closely connected the region really is.
Lancashire beyond Bacup
While Bacup anchors the series, much of Brassic’s identity comes from the surrounding landscape. The Rossendale Valley and nearby moorland appear throughout the show, often just minutes from terraced streets.
This closeness between town and countryside is a familiar Northern reality. Characters can move from a high street to open hillsides almost immediately, something viewers from Lancashire and Greater Manchester instantly recognise.
Farms, old mills and isolated roads across east Lancashire are used repeatedly, reinforcing the sense that this is a working landscape rather than a curated one.
Why these locations matter
Brassic would not work if it were filmed somewhere else. The show’s humour and emotional weight rely on real working class environments.
The filming locations provide:
- Authentic surroundings that do not feel staged
- Cultural accuracy rooted in Northern life
- Visual honesty where hardship and warmth exist side by side
From a Manchester reporter’s perspective, the most impressive thing is what the show does not do. It does not romanticise the North West, and it does not look down on it. That balance comes directly from filming in real places with real histories.
Can fans visit the Brassic filming locations?
Yes, as long as it is done respectfully.
Bacup town centre is fully accessible, as is The Star and Garter in Manchester. The Rossendale Valley offers walking routes and viewpoints that appear throughout the series. These are working towns and venues, not preserved sets.
Visitors should remember that people live and work here. The locations exist first as communities, not filming backdrops.
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Final word
So, where is Brassic filmed? In real Northern towns shaped by real history. By filming in Bacup, across Rossendale and around Greater Manchester, the series avoids feeling artificial or generic.
That is why Brassic connects so strongly with audiences. It does not just look Northern. It feels Northern. For viewers across Manchester, Lancashire and beyond, that authenticity is impossible to fake.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Brassic filmed most often?
Bacup in Lancashire is the primary filming location, supported by locations across the Rossendale Valley and Greater Manchester.
Is Brassic filmed in Manchester city centre?
Only partially. The Star and Garter near Piccadilly Station is used extensively, but most exterior scenes are filmed outside the city centre.
Is Hawley a real town?
No. Hawley is fictional, but it is created from real towns in Lancashire and Greater Manchester.
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