Where was Under Salt Marsh filmed?

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I live in Under Salt Marsh, and it’s been awful since they found a little boy’s body in a ditch. It really hit me hard because it reminded me of my niece, who’s been missing for three years now. I’m a teacher here, and I can’t help but feel like there’s a connection – that this poor boy’s case might somehow lead us to answers about what happened to her.

Jackie used to be a detective, but lost her job and her close friendship with fellow detective Eric Bull when Nessa disappeared. Bull returns to their small Welsh town, still haunted by the unsolved case.

They’ll have to work together and forget their disagreements if they want to discover the truth about what’s happening in this close community. And with a huge storm approaching, they’re in a race against time – the storm could destroy any clues they uncover.

These challenges feel unavoidable, and everyone is understandably worried about how to cope and support each other through this difficult time.

The team is facing pressure on two fronts: an investigation into a child’s death within their group, and a relentless attack from the harsh weather and the sea itself.

Though the town of Morfa Halen in Under Salt Marsh is made up, the show was actually filmed on location in Wales. The filmmakers chose landscapes where the weather and natural environment strongly influence how people live.

So, where was it filmed in reality? Find out below.

Where was Under Salt Marsh filmed?

The series was largely filmed in Barmouth and Fairbourne, in north-west Wales.

The team filmed in both Anglesey and Cardiff, and even constructed a marsh set for the climactic scene, according to Oakley. However, they also shot extensively on location in actual marshes.

Harry Lawtey, who plays Dylan Rees – a character whose nephew was close friends with the person who was murdered – explained that although the town depicted in the show is made up, it was heavily inspired by the real location where they filmed.

We filmed mostly on beautiful, historic marshland. It’s an incredibly stunning and powerful place, and it’s hard not to feel connected to nature while you’re there, and how it impacts everyday life.

The town is central to the lives of everyone in the show and really feels like a character itself. We discussed this extensively with Claire – it’s deeply woven into the heart of these communities.

Naomi Yang (who plays Jess Deng) said the setting was crucial to the story, and she immediately knew from the scripts that it would be visually beautiful.

She explained that a lot of the footage consists of aerial views of the location. She emphasized how important the setting is, saying it feels like a character itself.

Since her home in London was so far from the filming location – a seven or eight-hour drive – Yang chose to live in Wales for the entire five-week shoot.

She explained it perfectly – you instantly feel tiny because the landscape is just so immense. When I walked in, I was met with the ocean and mountains, and there was this incredible feeling, a real energy in the air. It was breathtaking.

Filming during the winter really made the setting feel powerful. When you’re living somewhere like that, you can’t ignore the environment around you – it constantly affects how you feel and what you do. In a city like London, it’s easy to tune that out and just go about your day, but here, the environment is unavoidable and much more present.

This is by far the most isolated location I’ve ever worked in, and it really affects you deeply – I imagine it has the same effect on the residents of Morfa Halen.

Claire Oakley’s novel, Under Salt Marsh, was first inspired by the coastal salt marshes of north Wales.

I envisioned the story taking place in the landscapes of north Wales, and that’s how the idea for a police investigation developed. I wanted the investigation to be deeply connected to the environment – examining the plants, water salinity, and everything around it – almost as if the landscape itself was a forensic subject.

Shell Island, in north Wales, near Porthmadog, also provided a key part of the inspiration.

I envisioned a small town located at the end of a long causeway, similar to the campsite on Shell Island. The idea came to me because that campsite is only accessible when the tide is low, and I thought it would be interesting to build a town connected to the mainland by a causeway crossing a salt marsh.

These coastal salt marshes are vital natural defenses for our island. They shield us from the sea by absorbing large amounts of water and, importantly, they capture carbon at a rate ten times higher than forests. These are incredibly valuable environments, yet many have been lost to farming and construction, leaving coastal communities exposed and vulnerable.

I really like how this story centers around a community that’s in a fragile situation, and the urgency of them needing to solve the crime quickly, before any evidence is lost.

The first two episodes of Under Salt Marsh will debut on Sky Atlantic and NOW on January 30th, and then a new episode will air each Friday for the following four weeks.

Don’t forget to add ‘Add Under Salt Marsh’ to your watchlist on the TopMob app! Download TopMob now to get daily TV recommendations, features, and more.

Authors

Abby RobinsonDrama Editor

Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor at TopMob, where she writes about TV dramas and comedies. Before that, she was a TV writer for Digital Spy and a content writer for Mumsnet. She has a degree and a postgraduate diploma in English Studies.

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2026-01-30 11:42