Here's Where Netflix's Adolescence Got Filmed: Locations & Towns In the UK

Netflix's new limited series, Adolescence, manages to showcase the beauty of the United Kingdom in its filming locations as the gripping drama delivers a powerful story about family. 

Adolescence is a unique drama series that is filmed in one continuous take, showcasing the story of a 13-year-old boy named Jamie Miller who unexpectedly murdered Katie Leonard. 

The four-part limited series premiered on Netflix on March 13. 

Adolescence's Filming Locations in the United Kingdom Explained

Pontefract - City of Wakefield (West Yorkshire, England) 

A good chunk of Adolescence was filmed in Pontefract in the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. 

The city serves as the main site of the house of the Millers, where Jamie was arrested by Detective Inspector Bascombe at the beginning of Episode 1. 

Pontefract also serves as the backdrop for almost the entirety of Episode 4 since the main focus was the Millers as they deal with the ramifications of Jamie's actions. 

In an interview with TUDUM, Adolescence director Philip Barantini shared that casting Owen Cooper in the role of Jamie Miller played a role in picking Pontefract as the main setting of Episodes 1 and 4: 

"We knew it was going to be set somewhere in the North of England, and we also knew it would be from somewhere around wherever our Jamie was from — in this case near Warrington — because it would have been unfair to make him do an accent.”

Pontefract is imbued with milestones since it serves as a historic market town in Wakefield. Other projects that were filmed in the city are Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Emmerdale, and All Creatures Great and Small. 

The police station featured in Episodes 1 and 3 was filmed in a studio named Production Park near Pontefract, which is a facility used as a practice space for bands. 

According to Adolescence director Philip Barintini, it was executive producer Mark Herbert who suggested the location (read more about Adolescence's full cast here). 

The studio (as a police station) served as the backdrop of some of the tense-filled moments during Jamie's processing, which includes the interrogation of the two detectives, the medical examination, and the eventual reveal of the CCTV footage showing Jamie stabbing Katie in a parking lot. 

The final session (or chess match) between Jamie Miller and Dr. Briony Ariston that took up a good chunk of Episode 3 is also filmed in the same studio. 

Adolescence director Philip Barantini said that the studio near Pontefract became "the nerve center of the entire production:"

"It was a massive, brilliant space, one of the best I’ve worked in, and we were able to build our police station there and also our interview room for Episode 3. It became the nerve center of the entire production."

The interview room is where it became clear why Jamie killed Katie Leonard. 

Given the one-take approach of Adolescence's filmmakers, the fact that the studios were near to the real locations (such as the Miller's house) means that the camera can easily travel between them in real time. 

Minsthorpe Community College

Adolescence Episode 2 revolves around Detective Inspector Bascombe (played by Missing You star Ashley Walters) and Detective Sergeant Misha Frank's investigation at Bruntwood Academy to find out what the students know about Jamie Miller, Katie Leonard, and the potential whereabouts of the murder weapon. 

Minsthorpe Community College from Minsthorpe, South Elmsall, United Kingdom serves as the real-life college used by the production to serve as the show's Bruntwood Academy. 

The location is also quite convenient for the camera crew doing the long continuous shot since it is only a half-hour drive from Production Park (the site posing as the police station and interview room). 

Parking lot of Minsthorpe Leisure Centre

At the end of Episode 2, Eddie Miller is seen visiting the crime scene where Jamie stabbed Katie Leonard seven times to pay his respects to the fallen victim.

The production used the parking lot of Minsthorpe Leisure Centre as the location of the emotional sequence. 

Minsthorpe Leisure Centre is a state-of-the-art facility for guests with an active lifestyle. It has a 25-meter swimming pool, a 60-station gym, and a wide space where visitors can participate in several fitness classes.

All episodes of Adolescence are streaming on Netflix.