Get your bum on board and check out these Vera filming locations

Photo credit: ITV

After 14 series, Vera, the beloved ITV crime drama set in the North East, is coming to an end! The final episode will air on 2 January 2025. 

Over the past fourteen years, the adventures of DCI Vera Stanhope have shown off our beautiful region to millions of viewers around the country. The series has been filmed all over the North East, from Newcastle city centre to the Northumberland countryside.  

Throughout the series, Brenda Blethyn, who plays Vera, has been full of praise for the North East.  

Back in 2021, she said: “It is all just so lovely, even the inner city locations are so vibrant, I love being out on the moors and seeing the seascapes, it is just breathtaking.” 

As we prepare to say goodbye to Vera for the final time, check out these filming locations from the series that you can visit by bus for just £2.50. 

Whitley Bay 

The seaside town of Whitley Bay has been a popular filming location for the Vera production team.  

The Rendezvous Café on the seafront has appeared in Vera several times. In series nine, the public toilets on the slipway to the beach were transformed into The Seagull nightclub where a skeleton was discovered.  

The Turknaz, a Turkish restaurant near the seafront, St Mary’s Lighthouse and the amusement arcades have also featured in the series.  

Follow this handy map of Whitley Bay to start your own walking tour of Vera.  

Jump onboard our Coaster or Cobalt & Coast 309 to visit Whitley Bay from Newcastle city centre.  

Hexham 

Hexham was renamed Bentham for series 13 when the town centre was featured in the first episode.  

The market square, the Tannery pub (renamed the Old Market Tavern) and restaurant Little Mexico were all used as filming locations.  

There is plenty to do in Hexham after you’ve checked out the Vera filming locations - visit Hexham Abbey, take a trip to Hexham Old Gaol (England’s first purpose-built prison), stroll around Tyne Green Country Park or enjoy coffee and cake in one of the town’s many cafes.  

Our Tynedale Links and Tyne Valley services run to Hexham.

South Shields 

The Vera team are certainly fans of a coastal scene. The cast of Vera were spotted in South Shields near the Grade II listed Town Hall in South Shields whilst filming in May 2024, making it likely it will appear in one of the final episodes. 

It’s not the first time South Shields has been used as a setting for Vera episodes – the distinctive Herd Groyne was spotted in series 10 and an episode of series 11 culminated in a chase around the Ocean Beach theme park. 

Take the Crusader 27 service from Newcastle to South Shields to enjoy a day at the seaside whilst you explore this Vera filming spot.  

Corbridge  

The Rising Tide, the 2022 Vera Christmas special, was set in Corbridge, Northumberland.  

For the episode, the village was transformed into the fictional village of Kimmerston. Corbridge Garden Rooms was renamed Kimmerston Garden Rooms; Baby at the Bank, became a solicitors' office; and Tea and Tipple Coffee Shop became the Bread and Olive Delicatessen. 

There is plenty to do on a day trip to Corbridge, including visit the English Heritage Roman Town and dining in one of the many independent cafés and restaurants.  

Our Tynedale Links services run to Corbridge. 

Dunston Staiths 

Dunston Staiths first opened in the 1800s and were used for loading coal onto ships. More recently, Vera has been filmed there with Dunston Staiths acting as a backdrop for an episode of series 12 and some filming taking place inside the Staiths Cafe.  

Although access to the Staiths is closed at the moment, the area is still worth a visit. You can stroll along the Tyne to see the Staiths and pop into the café where the table used by Vera herself has been commemorated with a plaque.  

Many of our services stop near the Staiths, plan your route here. 

Use our handy journey planner to map out your journey to these Vera filming locations.