EAGLE-eyed fans of one of BBC One's popular day-time tv shows may have spotted a familiar mediaeval landmark in an episode broadcasted yesterday.

Berkeley Castle was used as the backdrop for an episode of the new series of Father Brown, which was shown on Wednesday, January 8.

Filming for the detective show took place in June and included scenes such as one character falling from the battlements and another finding themselves in the picturesque Lily Pond in the Castle grounds, originally built as a swimming pool for the eighth Earl of Berkeley.

Filming also took place on the Lower Lawn, which was filled with mediaeval tents and ladies in period costume accompanied by their hunting dogs.

The most gruesome visitor to the Castle during filming was a realistic ‘corpse’, driven in as a passenger in the film crew’s van.

Created by author GK Chesterton, the Father Brown series features a Catholic priest with an uncanny insight into human evil, shaped by his experience as a priest and confessor, who gets involved in criminal investigations based in the 1950s.

It stars British actor Mark Williams, who is also known for his appearances as Arthur Weasley in the Harry Potter movies and a starring role in comedy sketch series The Fast Show.

The Castle's backdrop has previously been used for other TV dramas such as The Other Boleyn Girl, Nostradamus and Robin of Sherwood and it has featured in documentaries including Princes in Waiting, Great Country Houses, Dead Famous and Horse & Country TV’s Berkeley – An English Country Estate.

Berkeley Castle’s House manager David Bowd-Exmouth said the team was delighted to welcome the cast and crew for an exciting two days of filming.

"Berkeley Castle provides a unique filming location and it is always a pleasure for us to share this beautiful family home and its stunning gardens with TV viewers, as well as our visitors." he said.

"We hope that seeing the Castle and gardens will inspire viewers to come and pay a visit and walk in the footsteps of the Father Brown cast, when the Castle re-opens to the public in April."