Where Was Coronation Street Filmed?

The Short Answer

Coronation Street is filmed at the purpose-built ITV Studios backlot and soundstages at MediaCityUK in Trafford Park, Greater Manchester, where production has been based since 2013 and 2014. Before that, the show spent 53 years at Granada Studios on Quay Street in central Manchester. The original inspiration was Archie Street in Ordsall, Salford.

Coronation Street first aired in 1960 and has run continuously since, which makes its production history unusually layered. The fictional town of Weatherfield lives on a working studio lot in Trafford Park today, but two earlier sites in central Manchester and Salford shaped the show just as much.

The good news for visitors is that the current set can actually be visited. Weekend guided tours run through the Coronation Street Experience, and the other locations in this guide range from a redeveloped city block to a street where a few original cobbles still survive.

Every Location At A Glance

Location	Where	What was filmed	Access
ITV Studios Coronation Street Set	Trafford Park	All exterior scenes on the purpose-built Weatherfield set including Coronation Street cobbles, Rovers Return, Roy's Rolls, The Kabin; interiors in adjacent studios	Ticketed
Former Granada Studios backlot (Quay Street)	Manchester	Exterior set from 1982-2013 including cobbles and buildings; opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1982	Closed
Archie Street site (original inspiration)	Ordsall	Design inspiration and 1960 title sequence/end credits shots; demolished 1971	Free to see
St Clement's Church, Ordsall	Ordsall	Featured in early title sequences and end credits; near Archie Street inspiration site	Free to see

Filming Locations Map

4 locations. The map loads when it scrolls into view.

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Location By Location

This is where every exterior scene is shot: the cobbles, the Rovers Return, Roy's Rolls and The Kabin, plus interior scenes in the adjacent studios. The 7.7-acre site opened in 2013 and 2014 and the set is built to 9/10 scale with 54,000 cobbles, larger than the old Quay Street set. Access is by ticket only. Guided 90-minute tours run on weekends and select dates and should be booked in advance. The nearest tram stop is Imperial War Museum North, postcode M17 1FZ.

For 53 years this central Manchester site was home to Coronation Street. The exterior set built here in 1982, opened by Queen Elizabeth II, stood until the show relocated. The backlot was demolished in 2017 and the land has since been redeveloped, so there is nothing to tour today. Fans walking central Manchester can still pass the block where the cobbles once sat, but the location no longer functions as a filming site or visitor attraction in any form.

Creator Tony Warren visited Archie Street in Ordsall, Salford, with designer Denis Parkin in 1960, and the terraced street became the design template for the show. It appeared in the 1960 title sequence and end credits before being demolished in 1971. The site sits near St Clement's Church in what is now the Salford Quays area. A small remnant of cobbles and a street sign survive off Trafford Road, and access is free at any time.

This historic church appears in early title sequences and end credits of Coronation Street, sitting a stone's throw from the Archie Street site that inspired the show's look. Unlike most of the programme's early locations, it still stands. Visitors can combine it easily with the Archie Street remnant cobbles for a short walking stop in Ordsall. Access is public, and it remains a working landmark of the neighborhood visible in early footage.

Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed

Coronation Street is set in the fictional town of Weatherfield in Greater Manchester but filmed primarily at the ITV Studios MediaCityUK backlot in Trafford and Salford. The look of Weatherfield was inspired by the terraced streets of Ordsall in Salford, and early episodes took this to an extreme: between 1960 and 1968 all exteriors were shot indoors with cobbles painted onto the studio floor.

The Studio Side

The current production home is ITV Studios Trafford Wharf in Trafford Park, part of the MediaCityUK complex. Filming moved to this 7.7-acre purpose-built site in 2013 and 2014 after more than five decades at Granada Studios on Quay Street. The studio offers the Coronation Street Experience, the only official way for the public to walk the working set on days when filming allows.

Tours That Visit These Locations

Only one tour currently takes visitors onto the actual Coronation Street set, and it is the official one.

Official 90-Minute Set Tour

Manchester: The Coronation Street Experience

A guided 90-minute walk through the working Trafford Park set, covering the cobbles, the Rovers Return exterior and other Weatherfield landmarks. Tours run on weekends and select dates only, and dates sell out, so booking ahead matters. Rated 4.8 from 617 reviews at $52.96 per person.

4.8 out of 5 · 617 reviews

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Visit The Coronation Street Set?

Yes, but only on a guided tour. The Coronation Street Experience runs 90-minute tours on weekends and select dates, and the set is otherwise closed to the public. Advance booking is strongly recommended.

When Did Coronation Street Move From Granada Studios?

The show relocated to the purpose-built ITV Studios site in Trafford Park in 2013 and 2014, leaving Granada Studios on Quay Street after 53 years. The old backlot was demolished in 2017.

What Is The Real Coronation Street?

The show's look was based on Archie Street in Ordsall, Salford, which creator Tony Warren visited in 1960 with designer Denis Parkin. The street appeared in early title sequences and was demolished in 1971.

How Big Is The Current Set?

The Trafford Park site covers 7.7 acres, and the exterior set is built to 9/10 scale with 54,000 cobbles. The previous Granada Studios set was smaller, at 7/10 scale.

How Do I Get To The Coronation Street Tour?

The set is in Trafford Park, Greater Manchester, postcode M17 1FZ, near the Imperial War Museum North tram stop. Guided tours last 90 minutes and run on weekends and select dates.

Were Early Episodes Really Filmed Indoors?

Yes. Between 1960 and 1968 all exterior scenes were filmed inside the studio, with cobbles painted onto the floor to create the illusion of a street.

For most visitors the decision is simple: the official tour at Trafford Park is the only way to stand on the cobbles, and pairing it with the free Archie Street remnant and St Clement's Church in Ordsall makes a full day of Coronation Street history across Salford and Manchester.