SECURITY was tight at an Edwardian manor house near Bradford on Avon last Friday as a film crew shot scenes for a television detective drama series.

The activity was taking place at the 19th century Granby House at Elms Cross where a police vehicle was being used as part of the contemporary drama.

Bright fluorescent signs posted the way for the film crews working on the ITV production and their back up vehicles were parked on the Innox Mills site in Trowbridge.

The one-day shoot was for a Mammoth Screen television production of the popular TV detective series McDonald & Dodds for ITV.

The owner of Granby House, who did not give his name, said: "I'm not allowed to talk about it."

The filming at Granby House is for the third series of McDonald & Dodds, which is being shot in Bath and the surrounding area.

The series stars Tala Gouveia as Detective Chief Inspector McDonald and BAFTA award-winning actor Jason Watkins as Detective Sergeant Dodds.

Creator Robert Murphy said: “It’s a real privilege to for me to return to Bath to re-engage with the world of McDonald & Dodds and our other regular characters.

“I’m delighted to be cooking up more mystery puzzles as well as exploring the deepening and fun relationship between our two leads.”

The third series of McDonald & Dodds will comprise of three new murder mysteries for the pair to solve. The first two films of series two achieved consolidated ratings of 6.7 million.

Mammoth Screen is a television production company based in London and Belfast. It makes high-quality, writer-led dramas and comedies for British and international broadcasters.

Part of ITV Studios, the company’s current shows include The Serpent, Noughts and Crosses Series 2, World On Fire Series 2 and Grime Kids for the BBC.

It is also producing Endeavour Series 8 and The Tower for ITV and Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? for BritBox.

Granby House is an imposing Edwardian detached country house situated in 11 acres of secluded gardens and grounds at Elms Cross.

The property has seven bedrooms, an orangery, wine cellar and vault, as well as a self-contained two-bedroomed cottage, swimming pool, pool house and summer house in the grounds.

Wiltshire is a favourite with filmmakers, taking centre stage in a whole range of productions from swashbuckling adventures such as Poldark to Jane Austen classics.

The county continues to be popular with television and film crews, making an ideal location for anything from traditional period dramas to gothic horror films featuring Hollywood stars.

Bridgerton, Wolf Hall, Doctor Who, Downton Abbey, Poldark, Pride and Prejudice, The Crown, Harry Potter, War Horse, Stardust, Lark Rise to Candelford, Chocolat, The Secret Garden, The Other Boleyn Girl, Dr Dolittle, Sense and Sensibility, Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, The Young Victoria, and more were all filmed here.