Black Doves is the latest contribution to a long history of spy dramas with wonderful interiors. Set in London at Christmas, the newly released Netflix series follows Helen Webb (Keira Knightley), a spy who works for the Black Doves, a shadowy organisation that sells secrets to the highest bidder. Her identity is threatened when a new lover Jason (Andrew Koji) gets embroiled in the action. Enter: Sam (Ben Whishaw), persuaded out of retirement to join Helen as they undercover a web of lies and secrets running through the city and across the world. The plot is meaty and dramatic, and all underscored by some fittingly captivating locations and interiors.
Spy dramas and mysteries often have spectacular settings, from the grand mansions, manors and train carriages in the many Agatha Christie or Steven King adaptations, to the sprawling family seat in Knives Out. It was perhaps Killing Eve that set the style bar so high for British sleuth dramas, where Villanelle's Haussmann-style Paris apartment and Carolyn Martens' Notting Hill townhouse (designed by House & Garden's Top 100 alumna Sarah Delaney Design) entertained audiences almost as much as that pink tuille Molly Goddard dress and Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh's chemistry.
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Black Doves filming locations
Made by Joe Barton, the mind behind the similarly aesthetic Giri/Haji, Black Doves is a true ode to London, and was reportedly shot in almost 100 locations across the capital city. We've taken a closer look and funnily enough, eagle-eyed viewers might recognise an apartment from our archive…
Helen's house in Crystal Palace
One of the jewels of the series' sets is Helen's elegant six-bedroom house in Crystal Palace, which stood in for Highgate in the series. The house has that ‘lived in’ feel that we always like to see in the pages of House & Garden. The show’s production designer Laura Ellis Cricks told Netflix: ‘It would be aspirational for most people, but also had to feel very lived in and messy, with kids’ stuff everywhere[…] We tried to show a beautiful, bespoke kitchen with crap stuck all over it. It needed to be believable.’
Reed's apartment: Jeffrey Archer's penthouse
Played by Sarah Lancashire, Reed is a big boss in the Black Doves organisation. Her apartment is a striking penthouse overlooking the Houses of Parliament, which actually graced the pages of House & Garden back in 1995. At the time of the article's release, the apartment belonged to politician and novelist Jeffrey Archer and his wife Mary, (otherwise known as Lord and Lady Archer of Weston-Super-Mare). Writer Nonie Niesewand describes it here: “Floor to ceiling measures some twenty feet, and the wrap-around glass façade gives an endlessly fascinating view of the Thames far below. The flat is on an astonishing scale. Imperial eagles flap gigantic, gilded wings beneath console tables. A Busby Berkeley staircase swoops to the eyrie where Jeffrey Archer displays, in his study, the trophies awarded to his best-selling novels.”
London pubs
There are appearances by much loved pubs The Coal Hole, The Westminster Arms and The Palm Tree (one of London's greatest watering holes, all jazzed up here with fairy lights), Pines and Needles in Victoria Park plus a secret meeting at Pines and Needles in Victoria Park and scenes in Liberty in all its festive glory.
The wood-panelled Market Coffee House & Bar in Spitalfields and the traditional chippy Quality Fish Restaurant in Richmond (named Poseidon's in the show) also provide attractive settings with fittingly ‘London’ interiors.
South Bank
Coated in a layer of snow, central London's South Bank plays a big part in the show, particularly for Helen's ill-fated lover Jason. And whilst you wouldn't call it a ‘landmark’, no gritty drama would be complete without a meeting under an underpass, and this show selected Boston Manor Park and the M4 flyover into Hounslow to take on the job. We recommend selecting some of the festive shopping spots or pubs around London rather than the underpass if you're looking to capture some of the show's spirit, though.
Leadenhall Market
You may also recognise a certain shop featured in episode five from the similarly festive Harry Potter films. Leadenhall Market in EC3, London, was used as a jewellery shop in Black Doves, but was also used for the approach to The Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley in the first Harry Potter film.
Somerset House, Covent Garden
Somerset House on the Strand also features as the party location of Helen and Wallace in episode one. The Georgian building is a gallery and art space with cafes and bars, as well as a very festive ice-skating rink in the courtyard at Christmas, but Black Doves featured only their Navy Board Rooms and the theatrical Nelson Staircase.
This location deserves it's own section. The Grade I listed Buzz Bingo Hall in Tooting is a mecca for Bingo-loving dabbers in London (and beyond!) Starting its life as the Granada theatre and cinema in 1931, the vaulted building was designed to look like a Russian Orthodox church and is filled with Art-Deco inspired interiors. This, combined with the neon fruit machines makes for a surreal and bold location, perfect as a dramatic backdrop for an important tête-à-tête between Reed and Sam.
St Augustine's Church, Kilburn
Helen and Reed's final showdown of the series takes place at the neo-gothic St Augustine's Church in Kilburn, which has been dubbed the ‘Cathedral of North London’ because of its dramatic scale, 77-foot spire and stained glass rose West Window. Our protagonists meet on the upper gallery of the church, overlooking the spectacular holy building.
Royal Lancaster Hotel
In episode one, Sam checks into the Royal Lancaster Hotel, located on Lancaster Terrace near Hyde Park, though his journey there includes an apparent stop in Soho and the famed Windmill Theatre. He is shown enjoying his trademark glass of champagne in the bar and meeting Reed in the Royal Suite. The hotel also serves as the setting for a flashback where Helen encounters Wallace during a conference, filmed in the Nine Kings Suite.
