‘I’ve been to the Beyond Paradise sets – there's one location bosses are dying use next'

As one of the most popular BBC crime dramas on the airwaves, it is fitting that the Beyond Paradise’s various sets are just as impressive and detailed as the heartwarming show. The TV show reinvents Death In Paradise’s successful premise in the heart of a fictional costal village in Devon. After reintroducing fan-favourite Humphrey Goodman (played by Kris Marhsall) now teamed up with DS Esther Williams (Zara Ahmadi), the programme follows his adventures in a new precinct but has all the hallmarks of a classic crime drama.

As a fan of the show, I was delighted to take a trip to spend the day in some of the most picturesque towns featured in the TV series. After making the six-hour trek down to sunny Buckfastleigh, I wasted no time in taking a stroll down the quaint village which often appears on screen under the fictional name Shipton Abbott.

It was such a pinch-me moment to walk through the streets so often depicted on the small screen and reliving some of my favourite moments. The town was decorated with summer bunting strung up between the shops and cafes along the main street.

The high street was absolute packed with people who made the most of the glorious heatwave to come out in waves to enjoy a weekend wander through the thriving independent shops.

The locals were full of stories of when they met some of the stars from the show and proudly displayed some snaps they took with the stellar cast in their shops.

One thing loyal fans may not know is that many of the shops on the high street were completely transformed for the show.

A local wine bar named Dough became the face of a humble chocolate shop on the show, a coffee bar was repurposed as a fudge shop and a hair salon usually known as Plum was renamed ‘Snip and Style’ for the day.

We also made sure to pay a visit to the South Devon Railway station in the small village which became home for a chilling murder on the show back in 2024.

Loyal fans may remember how the Devon railway took centre stage in the opening episode of the second series in an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery play rehearsal which took a deadly turn.

TV sleuths can even channel their inner detective as the trainline has launched a new murder mystery experience after the episode hit the airwaves. Staged by Murder by Appointment, the Train to Nowhere experience is a 1950s themed evening of suspense and suspicion.

Guests are invited to attend a party on a train thrown by an eccentric and successful film director, where he will re-make the famous 1945 film Brief Encounter.

But jealousy and corruption quickly divide the cast, leading to an unexpected murder which attendees will need to solve before the end of the train journey.

Another delight that fans can enjoy on a fun-filled day out to Buckfastleigh is a trip around the town’s spectacular abbey – a location that is just calling out to be used in a future episode.

The grand abbey fell into disrepair following the dissolution of the monasteries during the reign of King Henry VII. But in 1882, a group of French mons came to live on the site and painstakingly rebuilt the grand building brick by brick.

After 25 years of labour, the Abbey church was consecrated and is now a thriving monastery, with monks openly spotted following their practices across the site.

The building itself is a thing of beauty and is surrounded by well decorated but practical gardens and oak trees that date back thousands of years.

It also boasts a medicinal garden full of plants and fruit trees used to treat a wide range of issues as well as a decorative garden full of an abundance of flowers and water features.

But one surprising feature the monastery features is a dramatic stained-glass instillation of Jesus Christ at the back of the church which paints the room in rainbows.

The art feature was installed by artist Charles Norris back in 1968 alongside a stained-glass studio on site where he completed his eight-metre wide window before he devoted his life to the church as a monk.

The abbey is free for tourists to visit and also boasts a delicious cafe which overlooks the grounds and a gift shop filled with handmade items and herbs and plants grown in house.

The stunning architecture is just crying out to become a future set for the BBC crime drama and with filming for the fourth series set to begin any week now it very well could be. Fans will have to keep their eyes peeled for their favourite Devon and Cornwall locations to pop up in the evening show which is set to launch in Spring 2026.