Brand new Netflix drama Toxic Town features locations in Salford, eagle-eyed viewers have spotted.
Swinton Precinct is the background for one of the scenes in the new mini-series starring Jodie Whittaker, which is based on the true story of three mothers involved in the Corby toxic waste case in Northamptonshire.
Residents spotted filming over a year ago. Kay Carsley commented on Facebook: “According to my friend, they’re filming this in Swinton Precinct.”
Tracie Burroughs also spotted the filming, and said: “Some was filmed where I live in Swinton. They used my friend’s flower shop when she had it on Swinton Precinct.”
They spotted the square being used in the back of episode two, as lead character Susan McIntyre discovers a newspaper article about a birth defect cluster near a toxic dump.
Over the years, Salford has been the star of stage and screen as the setting for many award-winning films and TV shows.
There have been multiple Netflix shows alongside Toxic Town that have used Salford as a filming location. Monton Sports Club has appeared twice, in The Stranger in 2020, and Harlan Coben’s Fool Me Once in 2024.
Coronation Street has had a home in Salford since 2013, with the set residing in MediaCityUK following it’s move from Manchester city centre. However, the show has also filmed scenes outside of the studios, including around Irlam and Patricroft.
On Monday, March10, the ITV soap was spotted filming on Turner Avenue by residents. The scene is set in 2007, and neighbours looked on as the crew filmed at number 18.
A police chase scene was also filmed at Higher Irlam Social Club, with the filming taking place in the beer garden and side alley towards the private car park.
Max and Paddy’s Road to Nowhere sitcom featured Salford in episode four, when the main characters get released from jail. Peter Kay and Paddy McGuinness were filmed outside of Swinton Civic Centre on Chorley Road, which doubled as the Magistrates Court in the comedy series.
Sky comedy-drama Brassic has notably featured many Salford locations across the four series. Frederick Road Campus of The University of Salford was used for a doctor appointment, and ‘Ashley’s traveller site’ was filmed near to the Salford Community Stadium.
The BBC drama Four Lives was also partially filmed in Salford, with St Peter’s Church in Swinton acting as the backdrop in episode two, as a dog walker finds a dead body propped up in the cemetery.
BAFTA winning drama series The Street was filmed on Rock Street, Higher Broughton, becoming the home of The McEvoys in late 2006.
Diane Lee, who was an extra in the series, said: “It was an early start most days, having to be there at 6am and sometimes up to 10.30 at night.
“I learned a lot and made a few new friends of the other extras, of which there were around 15 of us.
“It was interesting and I can’t say it isn’t something I wouldn’t do again if I had the opportunity.”
Further back in history is Hobson’s Choice, a romantic comedy released in 1954. Peel Park served as the courting place for two of the main characters, Maggie Hobson and William Mossop, played by Brenda de Banzie and John Mills respectively.
Salford has also been the backdrop for documentaries across its time. Brexitannia, a documentary following the UK after the 2016 Brexit referendum, was partially filmed in the Ship Hotel, Irlam.
Additionally, Dean Sullivan, who played Jimmy Corkhill in Liverpool based soap Brookside, was spotted filming part of a documentary surrounding men’s mental health in The White Horse pub, Irlam, in 2023.
Kevin Coen, an Irlam resident who saw the crew and Dean filming, said: “He poured a mean pint.”
The documentary was never finished, as Sullivan died a few months later in August 2023 following a battle with prostate cancer.
Irlam pub Tiger Moth has frequently been the host of TV shows and documentaries. Landlord Seamus McCalliom said: “We had a series called Drop Dead Gorgeous. I didn’t realise that it was so intricate, in how they do the the scenes. It was early mornings that was all, at six in the morning, but it was great.”
The pub was also the filming location for Three Bull-mastiffs in a Corner Kitchen in 2021, which is a short film about addiction and recovery on the road to becoming a photographer. Seamus said: “It’s very hard-hitting, about a lad battling his demons with drugs and alcohol.”
It isn’t just TV that Salford has been a host for. The film 24 Hour Party People was shot across Manchester, as it featured the music community from 1976 to 1992. Starring Steve Coogan, the main characters were mobbed by Joy Division fans outside a funeral home, which was filmed at 143 Cross Lane in 2002.
The city has also been host to music videos. Leigh-born band The Lottery Winners filmed their music video for their single Dirt and Gold at Salford Lads’ Club. Featuring Frank Turner, the band used the club’s facilities to have a boxing match and were filmed entering the iconic green doors.
There is more to Salford than MediaCityUK, as proven by Swinton’s starring Netflix role, and the array of filming locations across the city in local pubs, parks and churches.
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