Black Doves season 2’s filming locations – including a lavish estate from an iconic '90s thriller

While primarily set in London, season 2 of Black Doves whisks off viewers to a sleepy village in Italy and a beautiful country estate for some crucial scenes of the new chapter.

After season one made the most of Christmassy locations in and around the capital, the second instalment of the near-perfect spy series kicks off while autumn is in full swing.

Keira Knightley reprises her role as Helen Webb, a Black Doves spy who juggles her undercover duties and family life with Wallace (Andrew Buchan), who has just become Prime Minister.

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Wallace's appointment means that 10 Downing Street, home to the UK's Prime Minister, is the first big change of scenery for the new season, though obviously the scenes where he and Helen pose for the photographers weren't really filmed at the iconic address.

Tudum revealed that the exterior scenes for both 10 Downing Street and Whitehall were filmed at Gray's Inn in Holborn, while Downing Street's extremely chintzy interiors were shot at Harefield Grove in Uxbridge.

Meanwhile, other London locations include St Mary Le Strand and Somerset House, where Helen and hotheaded agent Laila (Ambika Mod) are attacked by unknown assailants.

Cue an adrenaline-filled race through the real gallery, with the unlikely duo resorting to some pretty unconventional weapons to neutralise their attackers.

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London's Chinatown is the lively area in which Laila lives, with the new assassin's stylish, loft-like abode's surroundings filmed both in the real Chinatown and around Truman Brewery in Brick Lane.

Other London locations include Trafalgar Square, Battersea Park and the National Theatre, with Soho's jazz speakeasy Jack Solomons Club providing a safe, atmospheric haven for the band of assassins in multiple episodes.

Helen and her pals also take a little field trip this season, namely to a lavish country estate where Black Doves boss Elizabeth Reed (Sarah Lancashire) has been squirrelled away to after an unauthorised mission.

Central to episode 5, 'Murder Mix', are the Luton Hoo Hotel in Hertfordshire as well as a private Luton estate that provide the idyllic backdrop to a relentless shootout while Helen searches for her kidnapped handler.

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This isn't the first time that Luton Hoo has been featured onscreen as some Stanley Kubrick fans will recognise it as one of the key locations for the 1999 movie Eyes Wide Shut.

"It's the same house where they filmed all the orgy scenes for Eyes Wide Shut," Black Doves showrunner, writer, and executive producer Joe Barton confirmed to Tudum.

Finally, season 2 of Netflix thriller also digs deeper into Sam's (Ben Whishaw) past by offering a look at where he ended up after fleeing London in 2017.

The flashback scenes reveal that the hitman fled to a village north of Rome, Nazzano, where he befriended local bar owner Matteo (Francesco Acquaroli).

Matteo's bar scenes were filmed at the Bar Punto di Riferimento in Nazzano, while the exterior shots for the village church – which holds a special significance for Sam – were filmed at Via Della Chiesa in Nazzano.

Black Doves season 2 is streaming on Netflix now. Season 1 is available on the same platform.

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Reporter, Digital Spy

Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy. 

Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).