Wales


<p>Say hello to <em>Under Salt Marsh</em> –&nbsp;a gritty new British crime thriller that&#8217;s set to land on Sky Atlantic at the end of the month (30 Jan). Packed with intrigue and a seriously impressive cast – <em>Yellowstone</em>&#8216;s Kelly Reilly, Rafe Spall, plus Welsh legends Jonathan Pryce and Kimberley Nixon, the six part series shows off our beautiful landscapes (if you don’t mind your scenery served with murder).</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2.png" alt="Under Salt Marsh Kelly Reilly" class="wp-image-4067" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2-300x200.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2-1024x683.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Set in the fictional coastal town of Morfa Halen, the gripping <em>Under Salt Marsh</em> drama centres on a former detective turned teacher pulled back into her past when a devastating crime rocks the community. As a once in a generation storm rolls into town, Jackie Ellis (Kelly Reilly) discovers the body of her eight-year-old pupil, Cefin, and the race is on to uncover what really happened before the seas wipe away every last clue.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2b.png" alt="Under Salt Marsh Jonathan Pryce" class="wp-image-4068" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2b.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2b-300x200.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2b-1024x683.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2b-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>With Morfa Halen existing only on screen, the production team went in search of Welsh locations that could deliver moody coastlines, big skies and a sense of something quietly ominous, and found it in Fairbourne and other dramatic spots in North Wales. Here are the locations features and why they&#8217;re worth visiting.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fairbourne">Fairbourne</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2e.png" alt="Under Salt Marsh Fairbourne" class="wp-image-4069" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2e.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2e-300x200.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2e-1024x683.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2e-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Fairbourne takes centre stage as Morfa Halen, sitting prettily in the Mawddach Estuary with Snowdonia National Park looming in the background. Its wide, honey-coloured sands, ever-changing skies and rattling little railway to the shoreline make it a perfect stand-in for the show’s storm-soaked tension – and a joy to visit when the weather behaves.</p>



<p>There’s an added poignancy for those who know the area well. Fairbourne has long been cited as one of the UK’s communities most at risk from rising sea levels, with managed retreat discussed for the coming decades. That said, locals have warmly embraced filming, welcoming the off-season buzz and hopeful that the spotlight will bring future tourism. Fingers crossed this beautiful spot stays centre stage for many years yet.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-aberffraw">Aberffraw</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2c.png" alt="Under Salt Marsh Aberffraw" class="wp-image-4070" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2c.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2c-300x200.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2c-1024x683.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2c-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Filming was reported at Aberffraw back in 2025, but until the show airs, we won’t know exactly how the beautifully sleepy village features on screen. That said, our eagle eyes have already spotted it in the trailer, with its iconic dunes and wind-tousled reeds unmistakable. Home to fewer than a thousand residents, Aberffraw was once the capital of the Kingdom of Gwynedd. Today it offers access to the Anglesey Coastal Path, a peaceful fishing lake, quaint churches and oodles of charm – small but perfectly formed.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-newborough-forest">Newborough Forest</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2f.png" alt="Under Salt Marsh Newborough Forest" class="wp-image-4071" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2f.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2f-300x200.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2f-1024x683.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2f-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Newborough is one of Anglesey’s true gems, boasting one of the largest and finest dune systems in Britain, alongside marshes, sandy and rocky beaches, and lush forestland. Wildlife is plentiful – keep an eye out for red squirrels at Llyn Parc Mawr, seals lounging on the shore, or dolphins and porpoises slicing through choppy waters offshore.</p>



<p>Follow the 1km trail on Ynys Llanddwyn to the ruins of Santes Dwynwen’s chapel, with the Tŵr Mawr lighthouse framing the view. The forest itself is a Narnia-like sweep of pine trees, home to crossbills and regal ravens – and once the site of the world’s second-largest raven roost. We’re still waiting to see exactly how it features in the show, but knowing it makes an appearance is enough to have us excited.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-menai-bridge">Menai Bridge</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2d.png" alt="Under Salt Marsh Menai Bridge" class="wp-image-4072" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2d.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2d-300x200.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2d-1024x683.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/Salt-Marsh-2d-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>This is the gateway to Anglesey, spanning the treacherous waters of the Menai Strait between island and mainland Wales. Designed by Thomas Telford and completed in 1826, it was the world’s first iron suspension bridge – so when that iconic stone-and-iron silhouette appears on screen, you’ll know exactly where you are. There’s a dedicated pedestrian path, so you can cross the full 417 metres on foot, or admire it from Church Island or the Menai Bridge viewpoint – camera very much recommended.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-filming-in-wales">Filming in Wales</h2>



<p>It’s no surprise Wales is a favourite for filmmakers and was chosen for <em>Under Salt Marsh</em> – with the country&#8217;s rugged landscapes have starred in countless TV shows and films. From Anglesey and Gwynedd locations featured in HBO’s <em>House of the Dragon</em>, including the dramatic Dinorwig Quarry, to Snowdonia paying host James Bond classics like <em>From Russia with Love</em>, <em>The World is Not Enough</em> and <em>Quantum of Solace</em>. </p>



<p>In South Wales, Barry and nearby Dinas Powys became the home of <em>Gavin &amp; Stacey</em>, and Cardiff doubled for London in <em>Sherlock</em>. Freshwater West beach in West Wales starred as Shell Cottage in <em>Harry Potter &amp; The Deathly Hallows</em> (rest in peace Dobby) and Caerwent’s MoD training camp hosted the war scenes in <em>Captain America: The First Avenger</em>. Basically? Wales is one giant film set – and we’re very happy about it.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-the-mood-for-more">IN THE MOOD FOR MORE?</h2>



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The must-visit Welsh locations starring in Sky’s ‘Under Salt Marsh’

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