Doctor Who is celebrating its 60th anniversary with three special episodes this November – it first began back in 1963 on BBC One and originally ran for 26 series until 1989.
Since then, the ‘Whoniverse’ has taken over our TV screens over the years, with a total of 14 (soon to be 15) Doctors entering the TARDIS.
With many famous scenes being filmed in the UK, mega fans of the Time Lord franchise will be pleased to know you can visit some locations in real life, from the iconic Tredegar House to the National Museum Cardiff.
Ahead of Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa making his debut as the fifteenth Doctor around Christmas time, here are some of the most used Doctor Who filming locations you can check out, according to a study by Leonardo Hotels.
David Tennant returns for the special 60th anniversary episodes (Image: BBC)
12 of the UK's most popular Doctor Who filming locations to visit in real life
Tredegar House
Located in Newport, South Wales, Tredegar House appears in twelve different Doctor Who episodes, making it the most used Doctor Who filming location in the UK.
Some highlights include season three episodes eight “Human Nature” and nine “The Family of Blood” where the house featured as the Farringham School for Boys.
It also featured as Torchwood House in season two episode two “Tooth and Claw” where The Doctor and Rose save Queen Victoria from a werewolf as well as in season four episode seven “The Unicorn and the Wasp” where The Doctor investigates a murder with Agatha Christie.
National Museum Cardiff
Located in central Cardiff, the National Museum of Wales has hosted eleven Doctor Who episodes where it’s mostly used as a museum – surprise.
Two of the most notable occasions include season five episode ten “Vincent and The Doctor” where The Doctor brings Amy Pond and Vincent Van Gogh to look at his artwork in an exhibition, as well as season ten episode one “The Pilot” where it doubles as St. Luke’s University where The Doctor is working as a lecturer.
Southerndown Beach
Southerndown otherwise known Dunraven Bay or as Bad Wolf Bay in Doctor Who, has been used to film six episodes of the TV show.
Most famously, the beach was the location where The Doctor says his multiple goodbyes to Rose Tyler in season two episode thirteen “Doomsday” and again in season four episode thirteen “Journey’s End”.
Do you remember Peter Capaldi as Doctor Who? (Image: BBC)
Dyffryn House & Gardens
Located just outside of Cardiff, Dyffyn House and Gardens appears in five different Doctor Who episodes as well as in Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures. This makes it the most popular cross-show filming location.
Most notably, it was used as the Palace of Versailles in season two episode four “The Girl in the Fireplace” as well as season six episode ten “The Girl Who Waited”, when Amy Pond finds sanctuary in a virtual reality garden.
Doctor Who: All Fifteen Doctors in Order
Clearwell Caves
Located between Newport and Cheltham, the Clearwell Caves has featured in five different Doctor Who episodes.
From featuring as the Sycorax Spaceship in season two’s Christmas special “The Christmas Invasion”, to tunnels under the Vesuvius volcano in season four episode two “The Fires of Pompeii”.
Most notably though it hosted the Weeping Angles in season five episode four “The Time of Angles” where The Doctor, Amy Pond, and River Song are chased through the Maze of the Dead.
Brandon Estate
Located in Southwalk, London, the Brandon Estate otherwise known as the Powell Estate is where companion Rose Tyler along with her mother Jackie Tyler and boyfriend Mickey Smith lived.
60 years on from the first #DoctorWho episode, two of the show's iconic companions Wendy Padbury and @thenicolabryant revisit their time filming at the Television Centre!#ThisMorning pic.twitter.com/pgGEZikIO6
— This Morning (@thismorning) November 24, 2023
The estate was featured in four different episodes with the most notable being season one episode one “Rose” and season one episode four “Aliens in London” where a Slitheen attacks Jackie and Mickey at home.
Park Hill Flats
Located in the heart of Sheffield, Park Hill Flats is home to companion Yasmin Khan and her family and is featured three times throughout Doctor Who.
The flats were featured in season eleven episode four “Arachnids in the UK”, season eleven episode six “Demons of the Punjab” and finally in season twelve episode one “Spyfall – Part One”.
Roald Dahl Plass
This public plaza in the centre of Cardiff Bay has played host to several key Doctor Who moments.
Who is your favourite Doctor Who? (Image: BBC/Natalie Seery/Bad Wolf/BBC Studios)
In both season one episode eleven “Boom Town” and season three episode eleven “Utopia” the TARDIS lands here to recharge its engines on the space-time rift.
The plaza also makes an appearance in season three episode thirteen “Last of the Time Lords” and is also home to the Torchwood base beneath the water tower.
Battersea Power Station
An iconic London landmark that doubled up as a Cyberman factory in season two episodes five and six “Rise of the Cybermen” and “The Age of Steel”.
It however doesn’t fare so well from the inclusion as when The Doctor defeats the cybermen Battersea is destroyed in the aftermath.
Adventure awaits for Rose Noble... 🌹#DoctorWho: The Star Beast, arriving Saturday 25th November on @BBCOne and @BBCiPlayer in the UK and @DisneyPlus in the rest of the world. pic.twitter.com/OixraCp7Ms
— Doctor Who (@bbcdoctorwho) November 24, 2023
Canary Wharf
Home to Torchwood Tower (One Canada Square), the battle of Canary Wharf occurs in season two episodes thirteen “Army of Ghosts” and fourteen “Doomsday” where The Doctor and Rose take on the Cybermen and Daleks.
National Botanical Garden of Wales
Located in Llanarthney, Carmarthenshire, Wales, the world’s largest single-span glasshouse featured as the inside of Bowie Base One (humanity's first Mars colony) in the season four special “The Waters of Mars”.
Rhossili Bay
Located along the coast from Cardiff, the bay played host to the city of New New York in season two episode one “New Earth”.
Here The Doctor and Rose land on New Earth and have a picnic overlooking the towering skyscrapers of New New York across the horizon that were digitally added in post-filming.
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