Copyright cambridge-news
Many films and TV shows have been filmed around Cambridgeshire, especially in the city of Cambridge thanks to its old architecture that makes it easy to transport viewers back in time for movies like Oppenheimer and The Theory of Everything. The popular TV show Grantchester, named after the Cambridgeshire village, has often used Cambridge as its backdrop and more recently, the stars of the crime drama, The Chelsea Detective, were spotted walking around the city while on set. However, there is a place in the county that has been referenced in the popular sitcom, I'm Alan Partridge, that was not actually filmed in Cambridgeshire. The Fourwentways is a junction that is equidistant between London and Norwich and was mentioned in first series of the show. The junction has a service area that includes a Travelodge hotel, which is often mistaken for the fictional Linton Travel Tavern from the show. You might remember the hotel being featured in the first series of the show. The Linton Travel Tavern was a hotel that Alan Partridge had lived in for 183 days in 1997. Even though hotel was dull, Alan was impressed by its service, the location of the hotel, and the views of the A11 he could see from his room. The hotel employed four staff members including Susan, the manager, Sophie, a receptionist, and Ben and Michael, general handymen. The hotel offered an "all you can fit on a plate" deal for breakfast, which was exploited by Alan who brought his own large plate to the buffet. As the Travelodge hotel is just a short drive away from the village of Linton and is in the exact same place as the fictional Linton Travel Tavern, it is easy for fans to be tricked into thinking the show was filmed there. However, the show was actually filmed at the Hilton London Watford Hotel on Elton Way. Some fans of the show have stayed at the hotel in Watford but usually for a shorter period of time than Alan. The Linton Travel Tavern has become so popular that you can even buy a range of merchandise relating to it including mugs, T-shirts, and even greeting cards.
