Where is Waterloo Road 2023 filmed? Greater Manchester filming locations for new series - where is the school

Popular high school drama Waterloo Road is back with a rebooted show this month which will see some of the original show’s cast return. Adam Thomas, Katie Griffiths and Angela Griffin will reprise their roles in the revised series. The original show ran for 200 episodes from 2006 to 2015 before being taken off air.

The reboot, which will fill the slot left by medical drama Holby City which came to an end in March 2022, follows the chaotic lives of students and staff at Waterloo Road High School in Greater Manchester following the Covid-19 pandemic.

The series will explore the effects of the pandemic on a generation of students who missed out on a year of in-person education. Other themes tackled in the series include homelessness and the cost of living crisis, LGBTQ issues, the refugee experience, and mental health. Previously, the series was filmed on location at former UK schools and it appears that this is also the case with the latest season. This is everything we know about the filming locations of the new series of Waterloo Road:

Where is Waterloo Road 2023 filmed?

Waterloo Road returns to its roots in Greater Manchester for a rebooted series airing this year. From series 1 to 7, the show was shot at the former Top Hill School in Rochdale, Greater Manchester - the school was demolished when filming was completed. The final three seasons were filmed at Greenock Academy, a school several miles west of Glasgow, after the characters relocated to Scotland.

Eight years after the show was last on air, Waterloo Road returns and will once again be shot entirely in Greater Manchester. The new series will focus on students and teachers in the fictional Waterloo Estate. Piers Wenger, Director of BBC Drama, said: "Waterloo Road is the perfect lens through which to explore post-Covid Britain, from the perspective of those who have arguably been affected most: young people in education.”

Where is the school in Waterloo Road 2023?

The new season of Waterloo Road is set at the fictional Waterloo Road High School and will be filmed on location in Greater Manchester. The exact filming location of the latest season has not yet been revealed by the BBC, however, production images have been released.

The shots suggest that the new season was filmed at a real school - although it’s not clear if the school is still operating or if it is no longer in use. Filming for the new season began in February 2022, so it is unlikely that the school where it was filmed is still running as it would make production during term time very difficult.  Watch this space for more information on where Waterloo Road is filmed.

When is Waterloo Road on TV?

Waterloo Road will air on BBC One on Tuesday 3 January at 8pm - there will be seven episodes in the first season and they will be released at the same time weekly. Episodes will also be available to watch on BBC iPlayer shortly after they are first broadcast.