No show delves as deeply into London’s gritty corners as Slow Horses when it comes to espionage dramas. The Apple TV series, which is based on Mick Herron’s popular novels, centers on a resilient group of MI5 outcasts known as the “slow horses” who are exiled to Slough House, a depressing, dilapidated building. Gary Oldman’s portrayal of their discredited leader, Jackson Lamb, unwillingly leads them through mundane tasks that eventually devolve into high-stakes mayhem. This show revels in London’s shady lanes, filthy launderettes, and forgotten landmarks—forget glitzy espionage gear and slick headquarters.

Here’s a deeper look at the main locations used for filming the program, along with the memorable moments that made them come to life.

Aldersgate Road

The exterior of Slough House is filmed at 126 Aldersgate Street, which is located at the intersection of Aldersgate and Carthusian Streets, above the Vecchio Parioli Italian restaurant. This modest structure serves as the show’s focal point and is included in almost all of the episodes. The series’ shabby fire escape was filmed on St. John’s Street, which is close by.

Barbados

All four seasons of the show rely heavily on the brutalist design of the Barbican, particularly in season three when River Cartwright and James Webb engage in a heated altercation on Barbican Bridge. The region’s bleak concrete buildings and dim sections add to the suspense and flawlessly convey the series’ grim tone.

This is one of the most accessible and cost-free Slow Horses filming spots in London!

Rooms at Rheidol

In Season 1, the nervous journalist Robert Hobden frequently visits this real-life, little café, which brings some coziness to the otherwise stressful setting of the program.

The Stansted Airport

A dramatic sequence at Stansted Airport opens the series, laying the groundwork for River’s abrupt career choice and the difficulties that ensue.

Hill & Truefitt

The renowned Truefitt & Hill barbershop in St. James’s is a major setting for a humorous scenario involving James “Spider” Webb in the second episode of the first season, “Work Drinks.” Webb’s appreciation of the better things in life is highlighted by the shop’s opulent, vintage beauty, which stands in stark contrast to Slough House’s grim, gloomy environment.

Burial and Gardens at Bunhill Fields

Bunhill Fields, often referred to as Blake’s Grave in the show, is a quiet, covert location for the crew to gather during Season 1.

The King’s Cross Tunnel and St Pancras Station

In Season 4, Episodes 5 and 6, exciting chase scenes take place at key locales, including St Pancras Station and the vibrant King’s Cross Tunnel. In a desperate attempt to both escape and apprehend his assailants, River Cartwright dashes through the colorful, rainbow-lit tunnel and the imposing station architecture.

The Gresham Street

Gresham Street is the scene of a vicious ambush in Season 4, Episode 5, “Grave Danger,” which has fatal results for The Park’s Dogs. An important turning point in the series.

Square Granary and The Lighterman

During the exciting final confrontation between River and a significant antagonist in Season 4, Episode 6 (“Hello, Goodbye”), Granary Square and the adjoining Lighterman tavern take center stage.

Market on Leather Lane

In the opening sequence of Season 4, this bustling market makes a dramatic introduction when Roddy Ho emerges from a chicken shop and is instantly taken aback by a huge explosion that initiates the chaotic events of the season.

The Canal of Regent

This old canal frequently serves as the covert location where Jackson Lamb and Diana Taverner meet, trade information, and participate in their intense power conflicts. The floating Chinese restaurant, St. Mark’s Church, and the prominent attractions close to Macclesfield Bridge are all conveniently accessible.

The Church of St. Michael

The burial of senior MI5 officials who have died while performing their duties is performed with the proper honors at St. Michael’s Church. This place is used by Jackson Lamb’s crew to covertly bury a deceased coworker who was not given the credit they merited at the end of Season 2.

Marylebone Train Station

In Season 2, Episode 1 (Last Stop), Marylebone Station is the focus of a tense chase sequence that quickly escalates into a nefarious plot involving former spy Dickie Bow and an enigmatic guy.

One Cornhill

In “Boardroom Politics,” the fifth episode of Season 2, 1 Cornhill is the focal point of a disorderly demonstration that Slough House has planned. The famous Bank neighborhood, with its imposing buildings, provides the ideal setting for a scheme that, in typical Slow Horses fashion, goes horribly wrong.

Launderette Barbican

Throughout the series, Jackson Lamb secretly meets an old informant at the Barbican Launderette on several occasions. The show’s ability to transform the ordinary into something rich in mystery is reflected in this modest location, which is tucked away in London’s brutalist Barbican Estate.

Great Guildford Street, 30

In the “Hard Lessons” episode of season three, Catherine Standish is shockingly kidnapped from this restaurant and viaduct.

Other places used for filming Slow Horses in London and other cities

In Slow Horses, where is Upshott Village?

The setting for Upshott, particularly in the appropriately named Season 2 episode “From Upshott with Love,” was the charming Castle Combe in Wiltshire. It’s a simple day trip from London and is regarded as one of the most picturesque settlements in the Cotswolds.

Where was the fourth season of Slow Horses filmed in France?

on the suspenseful Season 4, Episode 2, “A Stranger Comes to Town,” the fictional village of Lavande was set on the commune of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte, which is situated in the Val d’Oise Department northwest of Paris. Domaine de Seraincourt, an 18th-century castle, used as the location for exterior shots of the ominous Les Arbres.

What are the Slow Horses castle ruins?

They date back to the middle of the 1770s and are known as Wimpole’s Folly. The National Trust is in charge of the site, which has a four-story Gothic tower. Open to the public, it is situated in Cambridgeshire and makes an appearance in the exciting Season 1 finale, appropriately named “Follies.”