Waterloo Road logo and new set hallways
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Waterloo Road returns to BBC, filming in Greater Manchester

The new series will be set in Manchester...

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Waterloo Road is returning to the BBC next year. The new series will be based in the Greater Manchester area.

But what happened to the old sets in Rochdale and Greenock, Scotland?

Here’s everything we know…

What happened to the old Waterloo Road set in Rochdale?

The first seven series of the show were set in a comprehensive school in Rochdale, before it moved to become an independent school in Scotland.

Waterloo Road was filmed at Hill Top primary school on Hill Top Drive in Rochdale for six years.

Waterloo Road started in Rochdale (Credit: BBC)

In series seven, when the filming and school moved to Scotland, the set of Waterloo Road was demolished.

New houses were later built on the site.

The Waterloo Road school in Scotland
Waterloo Road filmed both in Rochdale and Scotland (Credit: BBC)

What happened to the Waterloo Road set in Scotland?

In series seven, an old pupil of headteacher Michael Byrne arrived named Lorraine Donnegan.

Now a millionaire, she wanted Michael to come work at a school she was planning to set up in Scotland – his home.

However, he was unable to part with the school.

But when the L.E.A made the decision to close the school, Lorraine proposed the school relocated to Scotland with her as the school’s benefactor.

Michael accepted this offer and told students that the school would be moving to Scotland and they could join and live in a schoolhouse, which was being set up.

The filming of the show moved to Greenock, Scotland, at the former Greenock Academy site.

When the show finished with its tenth series, the set was demolished.

Waterloo Road has a new set in the Greater Manchester Area (Credit: BBC)

Where is the BBC show filming now?

BBC announced last year that Waterloo Road would be returning in 2022.

Filming started in February of this year, with Adam Thomas, Katie Griffiths and Angela Griffin all reprising their roles.

The new series is set and made in Greater Manchester.

A sneak peak of the new set was given during an episode of Strictly Come Dancing (Credit: BBC)

The BBC said: “The revival of Waterloo Road will boost drama production skills in the North of England and help to reshape the BBC’s drama slate to better reflect, represent and serve all parts of the country.

“The series will provide a training ground for new and diverse writers, which is of significant importance to the BBC.”

The exact location of the new set has been kept secret for now and not many pictures have been released of the new set.

Strictly viewers got a glimpse of the new Waterloo Road set (Credit: BBC)

However last month Strictly Come Dancing viewers got a sneak peak of the set as professional Graziano Di Prima went to visit his dance partner Kym Marsh on the set of Waterloo Road.

Kym is set to play dinner lady Nicky Walters in the new series of the BBC school drama.

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Waterloo Road will return to the BBC next year. All previous series are currently available on BBC iPlayer.

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