Last Tango in Halifax (2012-2020)

The world's only surviving Georgian cloth trading hall, built in 1779 as a marketplace for handwoven wool 'pieces.' The courtyard is a vast rectangular space roughly 80 by 60 metres, surrounded on all four sides by colonnaded galleries of 315 rooms over three tiers. The architecture is robust Yorkshire gritstone with classical proportions, arched colonnades at ground level, and uniform sash windows above. It reads as a Roman forum or Italian piazza transplanted to northern England — precisely why it doubles convincingly as period locations on screen. The enclosed walls create a controlled, almost studio-like environment outdoors, useful for continuity. North-facing galleries get soft diffused light; south-facing catch direct sun. The courtyard floor is Yorkshire stone flags and modern paving following the 2014-2017 restoration. Ground-floor colonnades now house independent shops and cafes. Free to enter, open daily. Large-scale productions have closed sections for filming. Secret Invasion (Marvel) filmed here with Samuel L Jackson.