The stars were seen performing a scene on the sands yesterday [Monday], dressed in outdoor gear and surrounded by film crews.
It is understood that the pair are filming scenes from the new BBC and Starz drama You Are Here, an adaptation of David Nicholls’ bestselling novel of the same name.
They were announced as the lead cast in July, with filming of the eight-part drama – scripted by Nicholls – taking place in the Lake District and other locations across northern England.
David Nicholls’ You Are Here is a bestselling 2024 romantic novel that follows Marnie Walsh, a divorced copy editor, and Michael Bradshaw, a recently separated geography teacher, who are brought together on a long-distance walk across northern England.
Set against the backdrop of the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors, the story explores loneliness, middle-aged love and second chances as the pair gradually form an unexpected connection.
Claire Foy and Matthew Macfadyen spotted filming at St Bees (Image: Craig Smith)
Claire Foy and Matthew Macfadyen spotted filming at St Bees (Image: Craig Smith)
Matthew Macfadyen spotted filming at St Bees (Image: Craig Smith)
Matthew Macfadyen spotted filming at St Bees (Image: Craig Smith)
Claire Foy and Matthew Macfadyen spotted filming at St Bees (Image: Craig Smith)
Claire Foy and Matthew Macfadyen spotted filming at St Bees (Image: Craig Smith)
Claire Foy and Matthew Macfadyen spotted filming at St Bees (Image: Craig Smith)
Claire Foy spotted filming at St Bees (Image: Craig Smith)
Critics praised the novel for its warmth, humour and emotional honesty, and it went on to win the Fiction category at the 2024 Books Are My Bag Readers’ Awards.
Nicholls is best known for One Day, his hugely successful 2009 novel about Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew, whose lives are revisited on the same date each year over two decades. The book was previously adapted into a 2011 film starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess, before being turned into a critically acclaimed Netflix series in 2024.
Claire Foy is the BAFTA and Emmy-winning English actress best known for playing Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown, while Matthew Macfadyen is the Emmy-winning English actor known for Succession, Spooks and his portrayal of Mr Darcy in Pride & Prejudice.
West Cumbria has become an increasingly popular filming location thanks to its dramatic coastline, rugged fells and unspoilt landscapes.
Most recently, the region featured in the filming of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, the sequel to Danny Boyle’s zombie thriller 28 Years Later, which used locations in and around the Lake District alongside sites across northern England.