Where is The Larkins filmed and is it the same location as the original The Darling Buds of May?

The question of where is The Larkins filmed has been on our minds ever since we glimpsed the sweeping landscapes in the ITV drama, but are they the same locations as in The Darling Buds of May?

After the challenging past year, there’s nothing quite like a touch of nostalgia to brighten these autumn days and so news of The Darling Buds of May’s return in the form of a new ITV reboot, The Larkins, was very welcome indeed! Many fans of the original show might have initially been intrigued by The Larkins cast now vs then and saddened that familiar faces like Catherine Zeta-Jones weren’t returning. Though after the first few episodes it seems that Bradley Walsh and Joanna Scanlan as Pop and Ma bring all the laughter, love and warmth many people were hoping for. 

For those who enjoy mixing up the intensity of crime dramas such as Hollington Drive and Angela Black with a little light-heartedness, the countryside-set show is the perfect choice. Set in the 1950s in Kent, the beautiful scenery of The Larkins locations is enough to transport you back in time. 

But where is The Larkins filmed and is it the same location as The Darling Buds of May?

Where is The Larkins filmed 2021?

For those still wondering where is The Larkins filmed, there really could only be one perfect answer for the ITV show. Given that The Larkins 2021 is set in Kent, just like The Darling Buds of May, it seems only right that they chose to return to The Garden of England to film the new show. The stunning county would surely make one of the best UK staycations and it’s understood that the villages of Underriver, Eynsford and West Peckham were used for specific scenes in The Larkins, as was Faversham. The town’s Market Place reportedly underwent a complete 1950s makeover to have it ready to be one of The Larkins locations.

And that’s not all, as The Larkins star Bradley Walsh, perhaps best known for his role as host of hit ITV quiz show, The Chase, was also spotted at the Walpole Bay Hotel in Broadstairs, complete with retro 50s costume. Crews are also said to have been spotted in parts of London and Surrey.

The importance of filming the Kent-set show in the county itself did not go unappreciated by the cast and crew, with Bradley previously discussing his “joy” at being able to shoot in such an authentic location.

As reported by Radio Times, he disclosed, “The joy of shooting here in Kent is the fact that this is where the books took place, so you get an infinity with it and you get a real feel for it. I think the farm we’re working on has a good couple of hundred, three hundred acres maybe, it’s beautiful. The interiors are the true inside of the farmhouse, it’s so lovely.”

Executive producer Sophie Clarke-Jervoise also revealed how when it came to where The Larkins was to be filmed they were committed to using Kent as a location, again reflecting on how H.E. Bates’ novels were originally set there.

“We wanted it to be in Kent because the novels are set in Kent. We wanted these lovely rolling hills, farms in the background, it’s just gorgeous, we’ve been so lucky,” she said. “We did look at other locations options but we just kept coming back to Kent because it has that authenticity of the novels.”

However, despite the focus on staying true to both the original The Darling Buds of May show and H.E. Bates' book of the same name, it seems the filming location for The Larkins did pose a few challenges due to a “nightmare” factor.

Opening up to Express.co.uk, The Larkins’ director Andy De Emmony explained, "The only challenge we really had was the weather, which was a nightmare. Despite everything looking fine on camera we were in and out of rain.”

He added, “I hadn't really spent much time in Kent. Which, as it turns out, is beautiful. I normally just travel through. But we made the most of it. We got drones out, the area we were in was particularly beautiful, it went well with the period.

"With a big ensemble cast we wanted to make the camera a part of that process, so it was very much personal camera work, working amongst the cast. It's very much a character piece in that way so I wanted to take the audience on that journey with them."

Having seen the cast and filming locations brought together in perfect harmony in The Larkins, who could imagine the hilarious and heart-warming antics of Pop, Ma and the kids against a better backdrop?

Where was The Darling Buds of May filmed and is it the same location as The Larkins? 

As many long-time fans of The Darling Buds of May will already know, the nostalgic 90s show was filmed in beautiful Kent. And though The Larkins viewers have got to see the reboot return to film in this picturesque county, there was one major change when it comes to The Larkins filming locations vs The Darling Buds of May. 

As reported by the Radio Times, The Larkins was not filmed at Buss Farm in Pluckley, which was the original iconic location used in The Darling Buds of May for Home Farm, the Larkin family home. Instead, they are understood to have opted for a different location—an as-yet-unidentified farm in Kent. In contrast, The Darling Buds of May was filmed primarily in and around Pluckley.

But whilst The Larkins and The Darling Buds of May might not have had the exact same filming locations, fans will likely have been delighted to see the reboot focus on the beautiful Kent countryside once again. 

The Larkins continues on Sundays at 8pm on ITV and is also available to catch-up on via the ITV Hub. Or why not try out another nostalgic drama, Endeavour, or even delve into the historic show Ridley Road as you look forward to returning to the transporting landscapes of Kent again in the next The Larkins episode?