Coronation Street funeral filmed at Arley Hall

FUNERAL scenes from Coronation Street were filmed at Arley Hall’s 166-year-old chapel in Cheshire recently.

Viewers saw the character Joy Fishwick laid to rest on Friday (February 4) after she died in Britain’s favourite soap.

Arley staff arrived for work on the day of the filming to find the area around the chapel transformed as programme makers went to great lengths to create the right setting for the emotional scenes.

"They had even dug graves and put in gravestones, which are not normally there,” said Hall Manager Simon Wilson, from Crewe.

"There was great secrecy around the storyline so we were not able to get too close to the filming.”

Coronation Street fans have been gripped by the storyline of murderer John Stape and further drama unfolded in the scenes filmed at Arley Hall near Northwich.

The scenes showed John Stape’s wife Fiz attending Joy’s funeral – but did any of Joy’s relatives realise Fiz’s deception?

Arley’s chapel is unusually large for a private place of worship. It was designed by Anthony Salvin and consecrated in 1845.

It retains original features and has an amazing amount of character that can be experienced by visitors to Arley Hall.

General Manager Garry Fortune said: "Arley’s beauty attracts thousands of visitors every year and is also popular with television producers who regularly use the estate for various programmes.

"It was great to see the chapel play a part in such a key storyline in Britain’s biggest soap.”