The city took a starring role

09:40, 05 May 2025Updated 14:53, 05 May 2025

(Image: (Image: BBC))

Only Fools and Horses and Peckham are as synonymous as British fish and chips and the seaside – you can’t have one without the other.

However, despite the show being forever associated with the high-rise estates of south-east London, the long-running series, was actually filmed hundreds of miles away – in the heart of Bristol.

The legendary sitcom, starring Sir David Jason as Derek ‘Del Boy’ Trotter and his brother Rodney, played by Nicholas Lyndhurst, has become a national treasure over the years and is still hugely popular despite the series ending almost 23 years ago, as reports the Express.

Set in Peckham, the show was first broadcast in 1981 and while some scenes were filmed in London, much of the production was shot far away from the capital where the show’s creator found the perfect backdrop for the Trotters’ misadventures. In fact, from the late 1980s and particularly the 1990s, the show was made in Bristol until it ended in 2003.

Bristol has long been considered one of the UK’s most stunning areas of natural beauty, packed with beautiful buildings, iconic colourful houses and street art.

Residents remember the cast filming there(Image: (Image: Google Maps))

The most iconic location – Whitemead House in Bedminster – a real-life tower block that doubled as Nelson Mandela House, the Trotters’ fictional home from season six onwards. Before that it was Harlech Tower in Acton, west London.

Fans visiting the area are often amazed to discover that the iconic view from the estate’s balconies, frequently featured in the show’s opening sequences, is actually set against a Bristol backdrop.

The River Avon and the notably absent London landmarks hint at the true filming locations, which keen viewers might have spotted despite the series being set elsewhere.

Locals fondly remember the buzz when stars David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst came to film on location during the peak 80s and 90s period of the show. Up to this day, Whitemead House remains a draw for snap-happy tourists, standing as an unsung piece of pop culture heritage.

Mary James, who has lived in the tower block since 1985, recalls David Jason being a ‘sweetheart’ and the lengths the cast and crew took to ensure the comfort of the residents.

Speaking to the Daily Express, she reminisced: “I was quite young back then, but I remember my mum and dad being very excited about the filming.

“My mum had a bit of a crush on Del Boy and would get a bit giggly when he turned up. He was such a sweetheart, always waving and chatting to everyone. They really made a lot of effort with the residents.”

Yuppy Love was filmed in Bristol(Image: (Image: Unknown))

A stone’s throw from Whitemead House, or Nelson Mandela House as it’s known on screen, were the cluttered garages harbouring the Trotter duo’s mix of antiques, risqué inflatables, bottled spring water, and all manner of items. It was here, in these onsite storages, that the fictional brothers discovered the Harrison watch catapulting them to their fortune overnight.

Also in close proximity was the Miles Motor Company, which featured as the car showroom of Del Boy’s rival, Boycie. This is also where he purchased his Rolls Royce once he had a few million in the bank.

Bristol’s Harbourside and Ashton Gate areas also made cameo appearances throughout the show’s run, and the notorious Peckham market was actually filmed in and around Bristol. The show utilised locations like Ashton Gate Stadium, the White Horse pub in Bedminster, and the Broadwalk Shopping Centre as stand-ins for the area.

Del Boy and Rodney were masked heroes(Image: (Image: BBC))

Park Avenue in Bristol was the filming location for the popular episode called Heroes and Villains, where Del Boy’s Batman and Rodney’s Robin scare off some muggers who were trying to rob a woman.

Last but not least is the bar in which Del Boy famously fell through the counter in the hilarious fan favourite episode, Yuppy Love. The Queen Charlotte Street entrance of the basement bar was part of luxe restaurant Belgo, which became Loch Fyne seafood eatery until it closed during the pandemic.

Housed in The Granary, the Grade II-listed red-brick building was built in 1869, and is regarded as one of the finest examples of the Bristol Byzantine style of Victorian architecture.