Top Boy: A Guide to the Real London Locations

The Show's Inspiration and Filming Locations

Top Boy, the acclaimed crime drama series, is set in Hackney, East London, and is filmed across various parts of the city. The majority of the filming takes place in the borough of Hackney, in areas such as Haggerston.

The original location for the Summerhouse Estate, the show's central setting, was the Heygate Estate in central London. This location was used for the exteriors during the first two seasons on Channel 4 in 2011.

The Samuda Estate: The Real Summerhouse

In subsequent seasons, the production moved to the Samuda Estate in Poplar, East London. This estate became the real-life Summerhouse, offering a more authentic backdrop for the show's gritty and realistic portrayal of life in East London.

However, it's important to note that while the inspiration and physical locations used for filming are real, the Summerhouse Estate itself is fictional. The De Beauvoir estate in Hackney, believed to be the inspiration for Summerhouse, has also been used as a filming location, along with other areas in East London.