9 Historic Buildings Featured in ‘New Era’ Doctor Who

From the first episode in November 1963, The Doctor has been on our TV screens travelling through time and space in a little blue box, often landing in far flung corners of the universe meeting alien races, but sometimes closer to home here on Earth. Since Russell T Davies re-booted the show in 2005, Doctor Who has featured a number of England’s most prominent heritage locations as backdrops for some of the show’s most memorable moments. So, here are 9 historic buildings featured in modern revival Doctor Who… Westminster Bridge (Grade II*) and Palace of Westminster (Grade I), London. Featured in various episodes with the Ninth Doctor Where else to begin but where it all started for new Who? After a 16-year absence, ‘Rose’ burst onto our screens in March 2005. The sight of Westminster Bridge and the Palace of Westminster became a recurring image of the series, appearing in later episodes such as ‘Boom Town’, World War Three’ and ‘The Empty Child’. Westminster Bridge even lent its name to a surf-rock song from the original soundtrack for the series that reappears in multiple episodes of revival Doctor Who. Stonehenge, Wiltshire (scheduled monument). Featured in the ‘Pandorica Opens’ and ‘The Big Bang’ episodes with the Eleventh Doctor One of the most blockbuster double episodes of New-Who, the conclusion of series 5 features a plethora of monsters including Daleks, Cybermen, Judoon, Sontarans, Autons, Sycorax and more, who form an alliance to imprison The Doctor underneath the ancient stones of Stonehenge. It was filmed in part on site in February 2010, with the rest filmed on a set dubbed ‘Foamhenge’. Showrunner Steven Moffat chose Stonehenge as the pivotal location for the series finale as he felt it was significant enough to be suitable for the fall of someone as powerful as The Doctor. Park Hill, Sheffield (Grade II*). Featured in the ‘Arachnids in the UK’ epsiode, with the Thirteenth Doctor As The Doctor and her companions return to Sheffield in this series 11 episode, terror stalks the streets in the form of giant spiders. Park Hill flats feature prominently in the backdrop, as they do in real-world Sheffield, streets stacked on the skyline. Opened in 1961 by Labour Leader of the Opposition Hugh Gaitskell, and inspired by Le Corbusier’s Unité d’Habitation in Marseille, the building was designed in the brutalist style by Jack Lynn and Ivor Smith. Award-winning renovations by Urban Splash began in 2009 and are ongoing in 2026. Battersea Power Station, London (Grade II*). Featured in the ‘Rise of the Cybermen’ and ‘Age of Steel’ episodes, with the Tenth Doctor The iconic return of the Cybermen required an imposing backdrop, and (although yes, technically, it was in an alternate universe) Battersea Power Station played a central role in these series 2 episodes. Acting as home of the Cyber Controller and the primary factory for ‘upgrading’ the human race, Giles Gilbert Scott’s brick masterpiece is a monumental example of an inter-war utilities building, that briefly was given a new, disturbing, use in the ‘Whoniverse’. That’s one example of adapting a historic building that we don’t condone! Globe Theatre, London (scheduled monument). Featured in ‘The Shakespeare Code’ episode, with the Tenth Doctor Staying in London but travelling back in time to 1599, series 3 saw the Doctor and Martha visit the south bank and meet one William Shakespeare as he is being bewitched by evil Carrionites. The original Globe opened in 1599 but tragically burnt down in 1613. It was rebuilt on the same site, only to be closed in 1642 by the Long Parliament during the First English Civil War and destroyed in 1644. A modern recreation opened nearby in 1997, and the original site remains a scheduled monument. Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol (Grade I). Featured in the ‘Revolution of the Daleks’ episode, with the Thirteenth Doctor Aired on New Year’s Day 2021, this special episode saw the return of The Doctor’s arch nemesis, the Daleks. The Clifton Suspension Bridge, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and opened in 1864, has also witnessed other historic cultural events such as the first modern bungee jump in 1979, the last Concorde flight in 2003 which flew over the bridge, and a handover of the Olympic Torch relay in 2012. Wells Cathedral, Wells (Grade I). Featured in the ‘Lazarus Experiment’ episode, with the Tenth Doctor A classic mad scientist story, in this series 3 story The Doctor and Martha fight the vain Doctor Lazarus at what looks to be Southwark Cathedral; whilst the exterior shots of Southwark Cathedral are the cathedral itself, the interiors were filmed in Wells Cathedral. There has been a cathedral in Wells since 909AD, with the present building begun in 1176 and consecrated in 1239. It was first English Cathedral to be built in the French Gothic style. Buckingham Palace, London (Grade I). Featured in the ‘Voyage of the Damned’ episode, with the Tenth Doctor In real life begun in 1826 and designed by John Nash, Buckingham Palace was almost fictitiously ‘destroyed’ in the 2007 Christmas special. The palace replaced the original Buckingham House as a residence for George IV and has served as the official London residence of the UK’s monarch since 1837. ‘Voyage of the Damned’ was watched by 13.31 million viewers, still the highest viewing figure for Doctor Who of any episode since the show’s revival as of 2026. Ragley Hall, Worcestershire (Grade I). Featured in ‘The Girl in The Fireplace’ episode with the Tenth Doctor One of the most heart-breaking episodes of Doctor Who, this fleeting love story involves Ragley Hall standing in for the Palace of Versailles in the 18th century. The Doctor, Rose, and Mickey fight to save the life of Madame Du Pompadour, culminating in a showdown in the ballroom, which according to the list description is considered to be one of England’s ‘finest mid-18th century interiors’. The grounds were landscaped by Capability Brown. That’s our roundup of heritage in revival-era Doctor Who. Let us know in the comments if we have we missed any? And if you want to read about historic places in classic Who, check out our blog here. I love this picture Well Done!!! The now demolished International Press Centre at 76 Shoe Lane, London, designed by Richard Seifert, was a filming location for the Doctor Who Christmas special episode “The Runaway Bride” (2006). It was also used in Torchwood. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2583946 SPACE HOUSE on Kingsway is well worth a visit. https://www.wallpaper.com/architecture/richard-seifert-brutalist-architecture-guide