Where Was Midsomer Murders Filmed?

The Short Answer

Midsomer Murders is mainly filmed in rural Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, with extra locations in Surrey, Berkshire, and Hertfordshire. Wallingford in Oxfordshire frequently doubles as the fictional town of Causton, while villages such as Warborough, Thame, Dorchester-on-Thames, and Amersham supply the series' picture-perfect settings. The show has used over 180 distinct UK locations since 1997.

Few television series are as closely tied to a landscape as Midsomer Murders. Since 1997 the programme has roamed the chalk streams, market squares, and thatched cottages of the Home Counties, turning ordinary English villages into the deadliest fictional county in the country.

The good news for fans is that almost all of it is real and freely visitable. Most locations sit within an hour or two of London, and several towns, Thame in particular, have embraced their television fame with dedicated walking tours.

Every Location At A Glance

Location	Where	What was filmed	Access
Wallingford Market Square and Town Centre	Wallingford	Causton town centre, market square, and various streets as Causton	Free to see
The Six Bells	Warborough	Black Swan pub in Badger's Drift	Free to see
Thame Town Hall	Thame	Causton Town Hall and Causton Arts Centre	Free to see
Beaconsfield Railway Station	Beaconsfield	Causton railway station	Free to see
Amersham Old Town and High Street	Amersham	Various village and town scenes including funeral directors and shops	Free to see
Henley-on-Thames Bridge and River	Henley-on-Thames	Midsomer Regatta and riverside scenes	Free to see
Dorchester-on-Thames	Dorchester-on-Thames	Various village scenes	Free to see
Waverley Abbey	Farnham	Causton Abbey ruins	Free to see

Filming Locations Map

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

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Location By Location

Wallingford is the closest thing Midsomer Murders has to a leading location, regularly standing in for Causton's town centre, market square, and surrounding streets. The Corn Exchange here often doubles as Causton's local theatre. Visitors can wander the historic market town on foot using local walking trails, and the tourist information point keeps details of Midsomer-related sights. It remains a working town rather than a film set, so cafes and shops make an afternoon easy.

This thatched pub overlooking Warborough's village green serves as the Black Swan in Badger's Drift, one of the series' most recognisable interiors. It has featured in many episodes and, unlike most filming locations, can be enjoyed properly: the pub is open for drinks and meals. Fans often combine a lunch stop here with a stroll around the green, which appears on screen almost as often as the pub itself.

Thame's Grade II listed town hall has played Causton Town Hall and the Causton Arts Centre in episodes including Days of Misrule, Shot at Dawn, and The Maid in Splendour. Thame packs in more than 21 Midsomer filming locations in total, and the town hall itself hosts seasonal Midsomer walking tours. An information centre inside the building can point visitors toward the trail of locations scattered through the streets.

This operational station in Buckinghamshire doubles as Causton railway station across multiple episodes, with signage changed for filming. It is one of the easier locations to tick off, sitting on a working rail line, though there is little to linger over beyond recognising the platform and forecourt. Nearby Bekonscot Model Village in Beaconsfield has also appeared in episodes, which makes the town a two-stop visit for completists.

Amersham's picturesque old town has appeared in Death of a Hollow Man, Death in Disguise, and The Killings at Badgers Drift, providing various village and town scenes including funeral directors and shops. The broad high street of historic buildings makes it one of the more photogenic locations on the trail. Specific buildings used sit along the main stretch, so a slow walk up and down the high street covers most of what appears on screen.

The bridge and river at Henley-on-Thames have featured in multiple episodes, most memorably in regatta scenes standing in for the Midsomer Regatta. The scenic riverside stretch appears repeatedly as a backdrop for bodies, boats, and suspicious rowers. Visiting is straightforward: the town is a pleasant destination in its own right, and a walk across the bridge with views along the river covers the key filming spots.

This historic Oxfordshire village, anchored by its abbey, has supplied village scenes for multiple episodes over the years. Dorchester-on-Thames sits a short drive from Wallingford and Warborough, which makes it a natural addition to a Midsomer day out in the county. The abbey and surrounding historic buildings are those used most frequently on screen, and the village is compact enough to explore in an hour or two.

For The Ghost of Causton Abbey, the production used the atmospheric ruins of Waverley Abbey near Farnham in Surrey as Causton Abbey. The site is managed by English Heritage and open to the public, with the ruined monastery walls sitting in riverside meadows. It lies further from the Oxfordshire cluster of locations, so suits a separate trip, but the ruins are among the most evocative settings the series has used.

Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed

Midsomer Murders is set in the fictional Midsomer County, which does not exist on any map. Filming, however, takes place primarily in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, with additional locations in Surrey, Berkshire, and Hertfordshire. The fictional county town of Causton is most often portrayed by Wallingford, though Thame and Beaconsfield have stood in for parts of it too.

Tours That Visit These Locations

Independent visits work well for most of these locations, but a guided tour takes the guesswork out of finding specific buildings and adds episode-by-episode context that is easy to miss on your own.

Guided Day Trip From London

Midsomer Murders Tour from London

A full-day guided tour from London that bundles the key Midsomer villages and filming locations into one trip, rated 4.8 from 160 reviews, and ideal for fans without a car.

4.8 out of 5 · 160 reviews

PriceLive on listingCheck availability

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Midsomer Murders filmed?

The series is mainly filmed in rural Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, with further locations in Surrey, Berkshire, and Hertfordshire. Wallingford in Oxfordshire frequently doubles as the fictional town of Causton.

Can you visit Causton?

Causton does not exist, but Wallingford is the town most often used for its streets, market square, and theatre. Thame and Beaconsfield have also stood in for parts of Causton.

Which pub is the Black Swan in Badger's Drift?

The Six Bells in Warborough, Oxfordshire, a thatched pub overlooking the village green. It is open to the public for drinks and meals and has appeared in many episodes.

How many filming locations has the series used?

Midsomer Murders has used over 180 distinct locations across the UK since 1997.

Are there Midsomer Murders walking tours?

Yes. Thame, which has more than 21 filming locations, runs dedicated Midsomer walking tours seasonally, often starting from the town hall. Guided day tours from London are also available.

Where is Causton Police Station in real life?

Ramslade House in Bracknell, Berkshire, stands in for Causton Police Station.

Midsomer Country turns out to be a cluster of very real, very visitable English towns and villages, mostly within easy reach of London. A car opens up the full trail, but a guided tour from London covers the highlights comfortably, and towns like Wallingford and Thame reward a slower visit on foot.