Mansfield’s iconic viaduct is to feature in scenes shot for a major new television drama about a notorious Forest Town murder.

The Sky/ HBO production -— called Landscapers -— will centre on Susan and Christopher Edwards, a seemingly ordinary couple who became the focus of an extraordinary murder investigation when two bodies were discovered in the back garden of a house in Mansfield.

Filming in Mansfield took place recently and the drama is due to air in 2021. 

The four-part programme will detail how the couple murdered her elderly parents, William and Patricia Wycherley in 1998, buried their bodies in the garden and then kept up a pretence of them being alive. The Edwards sent postcards seemingly from the Wycherleys on their travels and also responded to letters from council officials and doctors.

At the same time the Edwards stole the couple’s life savings, took out loans in their names and sold the property on Blenheim Close — a fraud worth more than £250,000.

The Edwards later fled to France before eventually admitting that the bodies of the Wycherleys were buried under the lawn.

Landscapers will star Olivia Colman and David Thewlis, and has been written by the famous actress’s husband, Ed Sinclair.

Mansfield District Council, supported by Mansfield BID, helped to ensure filming of scenes in the town for the four-part limited series went smoothly.

Although much of the series is filmed in London, producers wanted to set some of the scenes in Mansfield to give authenticity to the series.

Roads were closed while actors drove from Dame Flogan Street down White Hart Street, alongside the iconic railway arches. Filming also took place in White Hart Street car park.

To support the filming, Mansfield District Council provided a green room for crew inside the newly-renovated Old Town Hall, as well as parking at the rear and front of the building. The council also provided support with a road closure application and street lighting requests, reviewed safety documents and helped put crews in contact with the owners of specific landmarks.

Students from Vision West Nottinghamshire College, Mansfield, were invited to do paid work experience on the set, being the first point of contact with the public between takes.

Mariam Amos, strategic director at the district council, said: “We are keen to welcome film crews to Mansfield as part of our efforts to raise the profile of the district on a national scale, as we have done successfully in the past with Top Gear and Tour of Britain. 

“This very much fits in with our plans to put Mansfield on the map and make it a destination for living, working, visiting and investing.

“It’s lovely to hear positive feedback from producers about their experiences in Mansfield. We hope this will encourage them and other film companies to consider filming in the district in the future.”

Nikki Rolls, chief executive of Mansfield BID, added: “The court case around the murders gripped the nation and it’s no surprise that books have been written about the events and that now a star-studded series is being filmed.

“The BID has been happy to play a key part in helping to facilitate the filming so that the producers can add authenticity to the scenes. We look forward to sitting down and watching the series and seeing our iconic street scenes when it airs.”

Michael Rhodes, media tutor at West Nottinghamshire College, said: “For the students to have an opportunity like this is amazing. It has the potential to be the first step on the way to eventually getting a career in the industry.

“By being on set and rubbing shoulders with current professionals, they’ll hopefully pick up some hints and tips on how they could get started in what is a very competitive industry.

“There’s no better chance than this to impress and demonstrate that they are more than capable of forging a career for themselves.”