Norfolk on screen

The real places behind Kingdom

Market Shipborough is fictional, but its streets, harbour and beach belong to Norfolk. This evidence-led directory separates confirmed locations from promising leads.

Interactive field map

Explore Kingdom’s Norfolk

Move between a real street map and the programme’s assembled screen geography. Select a place for evidence, visitor notes and episode links.

TypeEpisode Confirmed only11 locations

Market town · Confirmed

Swaffham

The principal inland town used to create Market Shipborough, including its market-place geography and recurring street scenes.

Visitor note

Explore the working town centre on foot and combine it with the Museum of Swaffham’s heritage trail.

Episode connection

Series 1, episode 1 · Production-area link
The opening episode establishes the town geography, although individual shots are not yet timecoded.

Full location guide →Directions and larger map ↗

How the fictional town fits togetherSwaffham → town centreWells → harbourHolkham → beachHappisburgh → lighthouse story

On footSwaffham screen-locations walkSix stops · town-centre route →By roadNorfolk town-and-coast itineraryOne or two-day route →

Street mapping © OpenStreetMap contributors. Marker coordinates are approximate visitor orientation points, not camera positions.

Confirmed

Swaffham

The market-town heart of Market Shipborough

Explore location →

Confirmed

Oakleigh House

Kingdom & Kingdom exterior and principal building

Explore location →

Confirmed

The Greyhound

The Startled Duck public house

Explore location →

Confirmed

Wells-next-the-Sea

Harbour and quayside for the fictional town

Explore location →

Confirmed

Holkham Bay

Beach, coastal and driving imagery

Explore location →

Corroboration pending

Cockley Cley Hall

Reported as Aunt Auriel’s residence

Explore location →

Confirmed

Swaffham Buttercross

Recurring landmark passed by Peter’s Alvis

Explore location →

Confirmed

Wells lifeboat station

The fictional town’s lifeboat setting

Explore location →

Strongly corroborated

Hunstanton

Additional coastal filming

Explore location →

Published identification

Happisburgh Lighthouse

Episode location

Explore location →

Strongly corroborated

King’s Lynn and Halifax

Locations doubling for Stockport in series three

Explore location →

Location photographs: John Salmon and Evelyn Simak via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA.

Ten new screen-and-visitor notes

These compact observations connect production technique with responsible visits.

SwaffhamLook for the repeated movement between Market Place façades: editing makes a real inland centre feel like the compact heart of a fictional coastal town.Oakleigh HouseThe exterior establishes professional tradition before each case begins. It is a real building, not a permanent visitor set, so viewing should remain from public space.The GreyhoundThe real pub frontage becomes the Startled Duck, demonstrating how a change of signage and screen context can turn a working business into fictional social geography.Wells-next-the-SeaHarbour images provide the sea that Swaffham does not have. The geographical jump is a central production technique, not a continuity mistake.Holkham BayThe scale of the beach and sky gives Peter’s private troubles room to feel both dramatic and small; current nature-reserve rules matter more than recreating a shot.Cockley Cley HallTreat the Aunt Auriel identification as a research lead until stronger independent evidence or a scene comparison confirms the exact use.Swaffham ButtercrossThe Grade I-listed 1781–83 Market Cross instantly supplies Market Shipborough with civic history and a recognisable centre.Wells lifeboat stationThe lifeboat setting extends the fictional town’s relationship with danger and public service; check RNLI information before visiting operational areas.HunstantonWest Norfolk’s tourism authority confirms that the resort appeared, but exact episode and shot matching remains a screen-log task.Happisburgh LighthouseThe lighthouse is independently operated and opens on selected dates. Its real visitor conditions should be checked separately from its dramatic role.

The essential explainer

Market Shipborough was assembled, not found.

Swaffham supplies the inland market square. Wells-next-the-Sea and Holkham supply the coast.

How Market Shipborough was created →