Why Looe Really Is Beyond Paradise

Famed for is wide sandy beach, shark fishing, narrow streets and its beautiful harbour; Looe, in South East Cornwall, has been a popular Cornish holiday destination for centuries.

The growth of tourism in the Town owes much to the wonderful Looe Valley Line, linking Looe to the main Paddington to Penzance at Liskeard. Part of Devon & Cornwall’s Great Scenic Railways, the Looe Valley Line brought Victorian visitors to the Town’s hotels & guest houses, and it remains as popular today as it did in the 19th century.

Looe’s greatest asset is it's beautiful location. The Looe River flowing either side of ancient woodlands towards the sea and the iconic Banjo Pier separating the harbour from the main beach. Looe (St. Georges) Island the jewel in Looe Bay, now a sanctuary for both grey & Atlantic seals.

Formerly two independent towns of East Looe & West Looe; both sides of the river are joined by the 1850’s 7-arch bridge. The harbour & medieval streets are lined with a great variety of places to shop, eat & drink with the harbour as its central & focal point.

A thriving and diverse range of fishing, water sports & boat trips, have positioned Looe as one of the very best places in the South West to get on, in & under the water.

Despite being set in the fictional south Devon town of ‘Shipton Abbott’ – it soon became apparent to viewers, when the show launched on BBC 1 in February 2023, that Shipton Abbott was in fact Looe… in Cornwall!

Looe’s ‘Guildhall’ is the setting for Shipton Abbott’s police station - with much of the action taking place around the harbour and streets of East & West Looe. A number of local organisations, including Looe’s RNLI, have been involved in the plotlines and the Sardine Factory Restaurant is now home to Martha’s café, the ‘Ten Mile Kitchen’.

Over the three series, eagle eyed viewers will have recognised on-air cameos for Charlestown, Fowey, Liskeard, Pentille Castle Estate (Saltash) and Launceston, to name but a few. The impact of the beautiful cinematography and drone shots of the south Cornish coast & countryside have had a very positive impact. With viewing figures of around 8 million per episode, Beyond Paradise has helped to showcase Looe & South East Cornwall to a new & wide audience.

With series three drawing to a close in early May 2025, the Christmas special and series 4 are already in the planning – cementing Looe as yet another great Cornish filming location for TV & Film.

Beyond Paradise, by Red Planet Pictures, is available on BBC iPlayer and, for international lovers of Cornwall, BritBox. Learn more about the REAL Shipton Abbott at www.welcometoshiptonabbott.com. Beyond Paradise guided walks are available from Lucy Daniel Guide.