Aldbury, where 'Midsomer Murders' is filmed

Even if the famous crime television series takes place in the nonexistent county of Midsomer it has to be filmed somewhere. Its location is actually Albury in Hertsfordshire. A place worth visiting.

Aldbury is in the middle of Ashridge Estate of the National Trust and is surrounded by beautiful countryside with many trails and paths to explore. At the heart of the estate is Ashridge Home, a former royal residence of King Henry VII and Elizabeth I.

Photo: © Copyright Rob Farrow and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

This picturesque village has a pond, shops, the half-timbered buildings and the parish church that dates back to the Saxon era. There is a legend that says that there was a castle here that belonged to Sir Guy de Gravade who had made a pact with the devil to turn metals into pure gold. One night a servant decided to try too and the castle was engulfed by lightning and disappeared.

The Ashridge estate is still there with land and woodland extending to the border between Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. This s is a beautiful place to stroll and also find the wide range of plants. You can see the Bridgewater Monolith, a tower that was erected honoring the Duke of Bridgewater, renowned for his pioneering work in canal development.

East of Aldbury, one mile south of Little Gaddesdon is Ashridge Yard created by Humphry Repton. You will see an Italian garden and also a water fountain, a huge oak tree planted by Princess Victoria who later became queen and a submerged courtyard. You can visit it in the summer.

From London you can take the train from Euston station to Milton Keynes and get off at Tring, from here you can walk to the village in approx. 20 minutes.