CORONATION Street will be forever inextricably linked with the Weatherfield cobbles.
But Saddleworth is rapidly becoming a second home for the ITV soap’s cast, crew and cameras.
As teased in the February edition, the Independent revealed how the former Fletcher’s paper mill in Greenfield had been used again as a filming location.
Now the reason for Corrie’s return to the derelict industrial site has become clear. And in keeping with past dramas, the remote location was the scene of high drama.
Millions of Corrie fans witnessed mechanic Abi Franklin, played by actress Sally Carman, go into premature labour after a drugs binge with dealer Dean.
The pair had high tailed it out of Weatherfield after Dean stole a car from Kevin Webster’s garage.
Eagle eyed views realised the moortop scenes were shot on Wessenden Head Road on the way down from Meltham to the A635 Isle of Skye road.
Suddenly Abi was wracked in pain and brought their joyride to an end-on Fletcher’s mill road that connects the Clarence roundabout to Dovestone Reservoir.
Realising she was having her baby but dumped on the road by her dealer, Abi called 999 but her phone battery died.
Normally, a tranquil route to the much-visited beauty spot, the mill road has become a murder hotspot in soap land.
In 2018, it was the setting for the death of mechanic Luke Britton at the hands of ‘psycho’ Pat Phelan.
The area echoed to the sound of gun shots and explosions as Phelan (actor Connor McIntyre) shot Luke (played by Dean Fagan) before firing again to engulf the victim – trapped in his car – in a huge fireball.
Later, Michelle Connor (Kym Marsh) and her two sons, Ali Neeson (Jamie Burrows) and Ryan Connor (Ryan Prescott) were pursued by baddie Ronan Truman, implicating the trio in the death of his son, Cormac.
A taxi carrying Leanne Battersby (actress Jane Danson) also travelled to the secluded location.
Ryan was left fighting for his life after being mown down by Truman and as Leanne arrived Truman reverses into the eldest Battersby sister who is subsequently left fighting for her life.
Drugs lord Truman makes off quickly only to crash his car into a tree.
And as the Independent went to press was there about to be another Fletcher’s victim?
