The Star
21 November 2012

Hayfield, one of the Peak District locations where the major BBC 1 drama The Village is currently being filmed

TELEVISION viewers will be seeing some familiar landscapes when a new drama set in the stunning countryside around Sheffield reaches screens next year.

The Village, which charts the history of an English community over 100 years, is being filmed in the Peak District and stars actors Maxine Peake and John Simm.

Cameras will be in the area until Christmas, and local residents have also been invited to get involved as extras in the rural period drama.

Officials on the Peak tourist board hope the programme will boost the profile of the area and bring in visitors.

Films such as Pride and Prejudice and The Duchess have previously brought fans flocking to locations including Chatsworth and Haddon Hall.

David James, chief executive of Visit Peak District and Derbyshire, said:

“We’re delighted the Peak District will once again star in a prime-time BBC drama, and were very happy to help when the production company approached us to discuss possible locations.

“Over the years the area’s superb and varied landscapes have been much in demand.

“Not only does filming bring in income while film crews are here, by supporting local accommodation providers and a range of other enterprises, it also attracts further business and a higher profile for the area after a TV series or film is transmitted.

“Tourists are always keen to see where their favourite programme or movie was made, and we hope The Village will bring more visitors to the area in the future.”

John Griffin, The Village’s executive producer, said the Peaks were ‘the perfect backdrop’ for the six-part BBC1 series, penned by Peter Moffat.

“The spectacular landscape truly is the star of the series,” he said. “The beautiful countryside and the villages we are filming in are unspoilt and work perfectly.”

One of the villages, Hayfield near Kinder Scout, was decked out in period style, with the tea shop becoming a draper’s shop, John added.