The historic mill town that's loved by Michelle Keegan and seen by millions on TV each week

A historic Lancashire town has been used as the backdrop for a number of TV shows and films over the years - and even if you don’t recognise the name, you’ll surely be familiar with the place.

The East Lancashire town of Bacup, near West Yorkshire, currently doubles up for the fictional town of Hawley on popular Sky series Brassic. Having just recently concluded its fifth season, the show, starring Michelle Keegan, follows the lives of Vinnie O'Neill (played by Joe Gilgun) and his friends as they commit various petty crimes to keep money in their pockets.

Since its debut in 2019, it has gone on to become one of Sky’s most popular comedy shows - and it'll be back for a Christmas special later this year and a sixth series in 2024. With Brassic's cast and crew continuing to call Bacup their on-screen home away from home, local businesses and residents have been welcoming them in with open arms.

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“Everyone is so lovely there,” Michelle, 36, said, reports Lancs Live. “And because it's a small community as well, I think as soon as they get wind that we're filming there, everyone just wants to come out and get involved and see it, see the crew and say hello. So it's a really nice place to film.”

Tom Hanson, who plays Cardi, loves that he is “more famous in Bacup than anywhere else in the world". He said: “The north of England is so beautiful - I just love it. Especially if we get a sunny day and we are up the side of a mountain in Lancashire or Yorkshire.”

While the town has also been