Eyebrows were raised in a sea-threatened Gwynedd village when TV crews moved, followed by a stellar cast. They were in Fairbourne to film a drama series about a “fast-encroaching sea that threatens its very existence”.
Production of Sky’s Under Salt Marsh is now underway and, as well as Fairbourne, filming locations will include others sites in Gwynedd and Anglesey. But the plot initially caused a sharp intake of breath in a village seemingly destined to become Britain’s first community to be abandoned to the sea.
In the 11 years since the announcement was made, a shadow has hung over Fairbourne and its 700 residents, billed as the UK’s first “climate refugees”. More recently, the community’s defiance has hardened and they are determined to cast off their unwanted reputation in the belief the village still has a future beyond 2054.
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According to Cyngor Gwynedd, that’s when its sea wall is due to be abandoned, the village decommissioned and its homes, roads and shops returned to marshland. To some people, even the title of the new Sky series appeared a provocative forewarning of the village’s fate.
Under Salt Marsh stars Rafe Spall (The English) and Kelly Reilly (Yellowstone). Also joining the cast are Jonathan Pryce (The Crown), Naomi Yang (Nightsleeper) and Harry Lawtey (Industry).
A fake sea wall has been built in Embankment car park, which sits atop the villages’s existing sea defences. Support vehicles arrived last weekend and houses on Llewelyn Drive were dressed for filming, which is now underway. On Friday (October 11), filming switched to Fairbourne Golf Club, which will host two more filming days later this month. The village hall has also been booked up by Sky Studios.
In the six-part drama Spall plays Detective Ball, who returns to the fictional Welsh village of Morfa Halen (Salt Marsh) to lead an investigation into the death of a child. Urgent casting calls this week included roles of police officers, a primary school teacher, a labourer, a “Mum” and “locals”, all paid £105 per 10-hour day. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now
“Filming it before it’s underwater!” was one snidey remark on social media. In fact, since the initial surprise, Fairbourne has embraced the filming: not only is generating out-of-season income, it may create future tourism opportunities.
Even the threat of a one-off sea deluge belies the village’s reputation for being one of the most secure in Gwynedd: while other coastal communities have flooded, often repeatedly, Fairbourne has stayed resolutely dry. “The real crime is picking on Fairbourne once again,” said one local online. Another added: “It could be set anywhere on the UK coastline.”
Sky says the series is set in a tight-knit community “precariously” nestled between towering mountains and the sea. The group added: “As a once-in-a-generation storm begins to gather far out at sea, former detective-turned-teacher Jackie Ellis (Reilly) discovers the body of her eight-year-old pupil, Cefin, seemingly drowned.
“The discovery sends shockwaves through the community, reviving the ghost of an unsolved cold case that rocked the town three years prior. Convinced the two cases are connected, Ellis and Ball have to reconcile and race to uncover long-buried secrets inside Morfa before the storm breaks and the evidence disappears for good.”
During the shoot, the film crew will move to locations including Shell Island, Llanbedr and Barmouth – thought to be Sylfaen Farm at nearby Cutiau. Filming has taken place already in Tremadog. At the end of October, the crew moves to an undisclosed location on Anglesey for three days.
On December 2-3, the production will be back on the island for two days of filming at Newborough Forest. More locations are being organised in South Wales for early 2025.
A release date has yet to be confirmed but some residents in Fairbourne are excited to see the resulting production. “It looks like a great opportunity for the village,” said one local man. “The place is abuzz with film and production crew – it seems to be great chance for some local businesses to make some money out of the usual tourist season.
"As a village that is heavily reliant on tourism, hopefully once the series has aired this will also generate extra interest and attract new visitors, which can only be a good thing.” Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
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