Creator: Julie Wassmer
Starring: Kerry Godliman, Howard Charles, Sophia Del Pizzo, Frances Barber
Production Company: Buccaneer Media
Kent Locations Used: Whitstable, Canterbury, Faversham, Herne Bay, Margate, Ramsgate, Detling, Dover, Sevenoaks, Rochester, Reculver

Based on the much loved series of novels ‘The Whitstable Pearl Mysteries’ by Kent resident Julie Wassmer (EastEnders, London’s Burning), Whitstable Pearl (2021-2022) is a detective series for Acorn TV. The story follows big-hearted local restaurant owner Pearl Nolan (Kerry Godliman) who sets up a local detective agency after undergoing police training in an earlier career. She is soon embroiled in her first case when she discovers the body of close friend, Vinnie. Pearl forms an unlikely partnership with DCI Mike McGuire (Howard Charles) and finds herself pulled into the dark underbelly of the picturesque town she calls home.

Whitstable Pearl was adapted for screen by Norwegian filmmaker Øystein Karlsen (One Night, Dag). Kerry Godliman (After Life, Call the Midwife (2012-2023)) headlines the show as Pearl Nolan alongside Howard Charles as DCI Mike McGuire (Shadow and Bone, Liar Series 2 (2020)) and Frances Barber (Cold Feet, Queens of Mystery (2020-2021)) as Pearl’s mum Dolly.

For both Series 1, 2 and 3, most of the filming took place in and around Whitstable itself, including scenes filmed by the coast at Whitstable Harbour, Whitstable West Beach, Whitstable Yacht Club and Tankerton Beach. Several private residences were used for filming including Beacon House as Pearl’s House located on Tankerton Beach in Series 1. Filming took place at The Old Neptune pub, which doubled as the Pearson’s Arms in both series 1 and 2.

The Citadel in Dover also appears in both series 1 and 2, doubling as a police station and a children’s home.

Series 1

In Series 1, Whitstable High Street features and local shops were filmed including Iain’s Plaice (fish and chip restaurant) and art gallery Chappell Contemporary as Houlihan’s Hardware store. Other Whitstable businesses filmed for Series 1 include the Cemetery, Football Ground, MFA Bowl and Seaview Holiday Park, which features as the trailer park where Vinnie lives.

The Kent Events Centre was used as a studio build location in Series 1 for interiors of Pearl’s seafood restaurant.

Margate beach and The Walpole Hotel double for Whitstable seaside scenes in Series 1. Production also filmed at Mathers Church and Canterbury Road in nearby Westgate-on-Sea. The Port of Ramsgate and Royal Harbour Marina double for the Port of Dover cruise terminal and Dover Marina in Series 1.

Interior scenes for Series 1 were filmed at the former St Martin’s Hospital in Canterbury doubling as a police station and a hospital. Other filming locations include a field near Faversham at Belmont Park and private residences in Herne Bay.

Series 2

Dover features throughout Series 2 Episode 1, as Kruz (Yaw Nimako-Asamoah) goes on the run and hides in various abandoned forms. Locations featured include The White Cliffs, Port of Dover, and Lydden Spout Battery, along with various nearby roads.

Sevenoaks features in Episodes 4 and 5 – the St Clere Estate doubles for Zelda’s (Stephanie Beacham) mansion in Episode 4, and in Episode 5 a private residence doubles for Dolly’s (Frances Barber) cottage and Stonepitts PYO Farm features as the fruit-picking farm where Bill (Geoff Bell) works.

Rochester High Street in Medway appears in Series 2 Episodes 1 and 3. Production filmed inside various businesses along the road, including Kiss the Bride, Baggins Book Bazaar and the Wolfe & Castle pub – which was an estate agents at the time of filming and doubles as one in the show.

The Nayland Rock Hotel in Margate features in Episode 3 as The Bradford Hotel where Pearl and Mike questions Sammy Grady (Ben Bishop). Dreamland is the main location in Episode 6, as the theme park where a wedding (and a murder) takes place.

Series 3

As well as returning to their usual Whitstable locations, for Series 3 production visited various private businesses including The Harbour Garden Café, Jane at Graham Greener florist, Harbour News, Harbour Gallery, VC Jones of Whitstable fish & chip shop, Whitstable Castle, Whitstable Bowling Club and Marine Hotel. Filming also took place at All Saints Church, as well as various private residences including a privately-owned beach hut on Tankerton beach, a residence on Cliff Road which doubles for the exterior of a nursing home, and a residence on Beach Walk which was renovated into the Whitts-tables Furniture Store. Two dramatic chase scenes were filmed along many Whitstable roads and alleyways, including the famous Squeezegut Alley.

Other locations featured in Series 3 include Reculver Towers and a caravan site behind the King Ethelbert Inn which feature in Episode 2 and a private residence in Halstead in the Sevenoaks district, which doubles for Anthony Corella’s (Nick Moran) home in Episode 6.

Whitstable is a 16th century thriving seaside resort in Kent. Known for its native oysters, Whitstable boasts a working fishing harbour, shingle beach and busy high street. Recent productions to film in the town include Series 4 of Catastrophe (2019) and Still Life (2013).

Beacon House is a colonial clapboard wooden turn of the century Beach House.  Set above beach on a private sea road, the grounds include wild woodland gardens and views out to sea and lines of beach huts. Catastrophe Series 4 (2019) filmed at this location.

The Kent Events Centre based in Detling is the largest, most flexible conference and exhibition venue in Kent, offering 7,000 sqm of indoor space available to film productions as studio space and 200 acres of outdoor space.

Margate is a traditional seaside town complete with sandy beach, harbour, amusement park, period housing and ultra-modern art gallery Turner Contemporary. The Walpole Hotel was built for discerning guests in 1914 and extended in 1927.  Built over 5 floors it has 42 Bedrooms, 2 flats and a newly added small museum space. Dreamland is considered to be the oldest-surviving amusement park in Great Britain, and has played host to a variety of productions, including Killing Eve (2018-2022), Two Weeks to Live (2020) and Jellyfish (2018). Located nearby, The Nayland Rock Hotel also featured in Killing Eve (2018-2022), as well as King of Thieves (2018).

Westgate-on-Sea is a charming Victorian town, steeped in Heritage with quaint shops and two fantastic blue flag beaches. Margate is popular as a film locations with recent productions including Two Weeks to Live (2020), Pandemonium (2020) and Top Boy – Series 3 (2019).

The Port of Ramsgate offers 32 acres of dedicated Port Land including 3 modern Ro-Ro bridges and Water and bunker facilities on all berths. It is often used as ‘stand-in’ for the Port of Dover. Royal Harbour Marina offers 700 finger moorings set in a picturesque and historic harbour setting. Crime dramas to previously film at the Port of Ramsgate include The Tunnel: Vengeance (2017) and Baptiste (2019).

Dover houses the major port, connecting the UK with the European mainland. Dover Castle towers above the town, signalling Dover’s strategic importance in the defence of the country and the White Cliffs are one of the most recognised landmarks in Britain. Recent productions to have filmed in Dover include Pistol (2022), Rogue Agent (2022), and The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016).

The Citadel, located on Dover‘s Western Heights was constructed in the late 1700’s as a port of defence during the Napoleonic war. Most recently it has been used as a borstal, prison, and immigration detention centre up until its closure in 2015. It is now becoming popular as a filming location and has welcomed several productions over the past year – soon to broadcast.

The town of Sevenoaks has a varied landscape, featuring a bustling high street, stately homes and castles as well as beautiful countryside. Located in that countryside is the St Clere Estate, which offers stunning views of the North Downs, formal gardens, paddocks, a kitchen garden, orangery, green houses, and a temple by the lake. Built in 1630, it has some fine architectural examples of the Caroline era. It has recently played host to a variety of productions including The Great (2020-2021), Gangs of London (2020) and The Third Day (2020).

Rochester is a city with the feel of a medieval market town, including a cathedral, castle ruin and unspoilt high street by the River Medway. Other productions to have filmed in Rochester include Unforgotten (2021), Jekyll and Hyde (2015) and The Mystery of Edwin Drood (2012).

Herne Bay is a coastal resort popular for filming along the Kent coast. Kate & Koji (2020) is a recent production to film here. Faversham is a beautiful historic market town set on Faversham Creek. Hetty Feather Series 1 – 6 (2015 – 2020) also filmed in the area.

St Martin’s Hospital is a large building on the outskirts of busy Canterbury town centre. It has hosted filming for crime drama The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016) and The Tunnel: Vengeance (2017).

Reculver is a popular destination, comprising the atmospheric Reculver Towers and Roman Fort ruins and the surrounding country park and has previously featured in The Tunnel: Vengeance (2017-2020) and Pandemonium (2020).

Series 1 of Whitstable Pearl was released on Acorn TV on Monday 24^th May 2021.

Whitstable Pearl Series 2 was released on Acorn TV on Monday 28^th November 2022.

Series 3 of Whitstable Pearl will be released weekly on Acorn TV from Monday 21^st October 2024.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.