Crossroads on Location

We're always on the lookout for more information on series locations, if you have any further details we'd love to hear from you by email, thanks!

Above: Kings Oak Village in 1988 and 2006 (Tanworth)

Kings Oak was filmed in and around Tanworth-in-Arden, it became the main village location the early 1970s. Prior to 'Tanworth' villages near Birmingham City Centre were occasionally used for location shots, such as Bournville, Yardley, Sutton Coldfield and Handsworth. For most of the 1960s, the outside of the village was often no more than an 'in-studio' set or a still photograph of one of the above villages, the same as Coronation Street at that time too.

The first motel was located according to original director on the soap Alan Coleman "all of the exterior shots for the motel were actually filmed at the Longshoot Motel in Oxford." At the time of Crossroads launching there were only three motel's in the UK, all original outside shots were recorded here. Although most of the 'outside' shots of the motel were kept in-studio.

The 1975-1981 motel was the Cherrytrees Motel located in Alcester, Warwickshire. The motel was demolished in 2001 and now the Cherrytrees Care Home stands on the former motel site. The idea for Crossroads came from a sign advertising one of the first UK motels - 'The Open Country Motel' at North Gorley, Fordingbridge.

Below: Crossroads Motel 1970 and 2006 (Longshoot)

Above: Crossroads Motel 1985 and 2006 (Penns Hall)

In 1982 the Golden Valley Hotel in Cheltenham was used for outdoor shots. This hotel is practically the same as it was when Crossroads was filmed there.

From 1985 to 1988 the most fondly remembered location appeared. The Golden Valley became the "back entrance" to the motel and the frontage (supposedly in the script the same building with just the reception area moved) was now the Penns Hall Hotel in Sutton Coldfield. The TV crew actually used the fire exit of the Penns Hall as the main entrance to "Crossroads" to avoid disruption to the real hotel. In 2006 the canopy was “revamped” and now looks more like something out of the third spin-off series of Crossroads.

Penns Hall was also used in 1984 as the 'Heathbury Manor Hotel' - however the real entrance to the building (With an entirely different style canopy) was used for that exterior.

Below: Crossroads Motel 1985 rear and 2006

Above: Birmingham Registry Office 1971 and 2005

Motel Extras

The Crossroads Motel boasted the fact it had its own runway, why? No one knows! However we do know that the location for the runway was the now demolished Penderford airfield in Wolverhampton. The motel fire episode of 1981 was filmed at Half Penny Green Airport (Now Wolverhampton Airport) when the entire reception set was taken onto land adjacent to the runway and set alight. This airport was also used to build a fake graveyard, where Meg’s funeral was filmed - however the funeral was never broadcast.

The Crossroads Garage was mainly studio based, but the actual garage floor was in the 1980s filmed at a real City-Centre car repair service centre. The Crossroads Leisure Centre appeared in 1985, it was The House Of Robin Leisure Centre in Bournville.

Ed Lawton's farm was filmed at a College and Farm Institute in Shropshire. This location actually was used because of its size and various buildings, as numerous farms in the programme over the years. (The actual name of the Farming College is unknown.)

The Barnhurst Farmhouse also appeared in the programme when countryside scenes were called for. This was the "Penn Manson" in Crossroads.

Hagley Hall was the setting for the wedding reception of Jill and Adam Chance in 1983. We have not located the church that was used. Can you help?

The Kings Oak Canal, which housed Jill Harvey's longboat was the Worcester-Birmingham Canal, which runs through the City Centre of Birmingham - very close to the former ATV studios. They also used parts of Cannock for Kings Oak's surrounding area, including the cannal at Cannock.

In the 1971 photo, "Jill" and "Stan" are standing on a area which is no longer accessible. A bridge has been built onto that part of the ground (the 2006 photo is taken from the bridge) and the path along the side has been totally changed. We can however seen ATV Centre in both shots. The buildings either side have since been replaced since the 1971 photo was taken.

A canal-side cottage near here was used as the home of Wilf Harvey. (see photos lower down)

Below: Kings Oak Canal 1971 and 2006

Fairlawns was spoken of during the entire run of the series as the rival hotel near Crossroads. It had a bigger role in the early years, but during the course of the 1970s and 1980s it was simply spoke of as a place to send guests if Crossroads was fully booked. Also in the 1980s Valerie Pollard often "escaped" from Crossroads to stay at Fairlawns to avoid her husband - motel part owner - J. Henry. But back in the early 1960s the hotel was part of a number of major storylines, including the management trying to close Crossroads down. It was seen rarely from the outside.

The building that was used as Fairlawns is now the "Liberty" club on Hadley Road, Birmingham. Numerous changes have taken place to the area directly outside of the building. This include an entry road being closed off, and a bus stop build directly outside. Fairlawns was supposed to be on the same road as Crossroads, leading to the town of Heathbury.

The Droitwich Hotel featured from 'time to time' in the programme, famously when Hugh gave Meg an engagement ring there in 1973 and of course they held their wedding reception in the hotel two years later. This location is still open and remains practically unchanged from the days when Crossroads filmed there. Although it looks like its set in miles and miles of countryside, the real-life Droitwich Hotel is the Chateau Impney Hotel, just a few miles south of Birmingham City Centre.

Whenever a wedding took place that wasn't a church affair the Birmingham Registry Office was more often than not used, it was first featured in 1965 for the wedding of Tom Yorke and Ruth Bailey in the series and then appeared many times after including for Diane and Vince Parker's ceremony and of course Meg and Hugh Mortimer's too. The office closed down in 2006. Birmingham City Centre rarely featured, although in 1975, the City’s Cathedral played host to the highest rating episode, when Meg and Hugh’s marriage was blessed there. St Philips is the smallest Cathedral in the UK. Work to build it took place between 1705 and 1725. It became a Cathedral in the early 1900s. The stained glass windows are world famous, designed by Edward Burne-Jones.

Other Locations used in the series, were the Speedway Track in Wolverhampton which featured in a storyline in the late 1960s. The Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School in Bournville was used as one of the Kings Oak schools in the late 1980s. Coventry City Centre and the Cathedrals featured in a 1972 story. Two pubs, which had their exteriors altered for Crossroads were the Tanworth Arms and The Bell Inn, both becoming pubs of Kings Oak.

Bristol Road in Selly Oak was also used as part of Kings Oak, it was - due to the buildings being similar to the ones at Tanworth-in-Arden - used as the main shopping street.

Above: The Droitwich Hotel 1975 and again in 2006 (Chateau Impney Hotel)

Below: The 'Harvey' House at the canalside 1970 and lower more recently in 2008

There were many other locations used over the years, and we haven't been able to locate them all. So if you have any information on Crossroads locations missing from this page then we'd be grateful for any details. Also any photographs you think may be of use are also welcome.

With thanks to Peter Raven for the Harvey House photograph of 2008 and Johnathon LF for the Penns Hall 2006 image.