Peaky Blinders: Read up on what went down in Season Three

Here's a full rundown...

Author: Emma DoddsPublished 30th Dec 2020
Last updated 29th Apr 2021

Peaky Blinders has now seen an incredible five seasons of the TV show, each more popular than the last. Starring Cillian Murphy as the brooding Tommy Shelby, it's no wonder that the show is beloved up and down the country.

Now that there's a sixth season in the works, it's time to get up to speed with what's happened so far in Peaky Blinders if you've not already seen it. Prepare yourself for SPOILERS below, as we take you through a Peaky Blinders season three summary...

What happened in Peaky Blinders season 3?

Season three kicks off with Tommy and Grace Shelby's wedding, where a Russian man infiltrates the event and gives a code word to the Shelbys. As it's incorrect, the Shelbys are forced to execute the man, and so Tommy spills blood on his wedding day.

Arch Duke Romanov (Jan Bijvoet), who has fled to England after the Russian revolution, pays Tommy for the man's death with a sapphire, and the pair agree to future business arrangements. He also introduces Tommy to his niece, Grand Duchess Tatiana Petrovna (Gaite Jansen).

Father Hughes (Paddy Considine) is also involved in the deal, and threatens to kill Tommy's son Charlie if he makes contact with his sister Ada due to her communist connections.

Grace wears the gifted sapphire to the Shelby Charity Foundation dinner, and is murdered on the orders of Vicente Changretta (Kenneth Colley) as revenge after John beat up his son, Angel Changretta. Tommy spirals through grief, and begins a volatile relationship with the unhinged Tatiana.

Tommy gets hold of Vicente, and begins to torture him with Arthur and John, but Arthur shoots him out of mercy, leaving Tommy livid. Tommy discovers that Father Hughes is selling out the Russian family to the Soviets, and offers to kill him for free.

He enlists the help of Alfie Solomons, and the pair work together to pull off a heist to get their hands on the real jewels belonging to the Russians, who were planning to double-cross Tommy and give him fakes - and have him killed.

It turns out that Tatiana was in on the jewellery heist all along, and takes her share to Vienna. Tommy distributes the remaining loot out to his family - but moments later, reveals that the police are arriving to arrest them all for their parts in a train explosion that Tommy headed up.

Ada becomes head of the family business in America, and Linda and Arthur welcome a child together. Michael reveals he was once abused by Father Hughes, and he is the one to kill him in the end.

When did season three of Peaky Blinders air?

The third series aired on BBC Two on 5th May 2016, and the finale aired on 9th June 2016.

How many episodes were in Peaky Blinders season 3?

Just like the other seasons, series three was made up of six episodes.

Who was in the Peaky Blinders series 3 cast?

Read up on the actors in Peaky Blinders here.

Sadly, the talented Helen McCrory, who famously played Polly Gray in the show, passed away in April at the age of 52, with many friends and family sharing touching tributes to the star.

How can I watch Peaky Blinders series 3?

It's all available to watch on Netflix and BBC iPlayer.

Scroll through to see all the Peaky Blinders filming locations...

The Black Country Living Museum

The Black Country museum is home to many of the filming locations for Peaky Blinders, and if you take a trip around the museum for a day you'll be sure to recognise some past scenes of the show.


Pictured here is Uncle Charlie's dockyard, home to many dodgy dealings between the Shelby brothers as well as allowing safe passage for who or whatever they need to get out of the Midlands. Read up on the museum here.

Powis Street, Liverpool

Much of the filming for Peaky Blinders is done in and around Liverpool, and different companies host many tours in the city so that fans of the show can see where the magic happens. This particular street is used for the Shelby families homes in the first season, named Watery Lane on the show.

Formby Beach, Liverpool

Many heartbroken viewers will spot that Formby Beach in Liverpool was the spot where Alfie Solomons (played by Tom Hardy) admitted his betrayal to Tommy, and basically forced Tommy into shooting him dead after confessing that he had cancer. It was very emotional.

Port Sunlight, Wirral

Port Sunlight is a model village in the Wirral, Merseyside. Although the village and the homes within it were originally built for workers at the Lever Brothers Factory, it's now a tourist attraction. Eagle-eyed Peaky fans will recognise the timbered housing as Aunt Polly's home, which is 'in' Sutton Coldfield in the show.

Arley Hall, Cheshire

Once Tommy became as 'legit' as he could in season three, he and Grace moved themselves into an incredible country house. Sadly, Grace was shot dead at a party they hosted there, but Tommy continued to live there with their son Charlie as well as their staff.


Arley Hall is situated in Northwich, Cheshire, and is often used as a wedding venue. Other shows to be filmed there include Coronation Street, Antiques Roadshow and Cold Feet.


General Manager Steve Hamilton said, "It's been incredible to see the effort and attention to detail that goes into a production such as Peaky Blinders. There was a real buzz around Arley during the filming and it was great to work with the BBC on such a popular and critically acclaimed drama. The great thing now is that people will be able to visit us this summer and walk in the rooms where these amazing stars have filmed their scenes."

Manchester Town Hall

The town hall in Manchester was apparently used as a building front in a scene in one of the first two seasons where Sam Neill's character, Major Campbell, visits Winston Churchill, but Peaky Blinders' Production Designer Grant Montgomery told i News that "the interiors were done in another location." So cryptic!

Victoria Baths, Manchester

The Victoria Baths in Manchester were used for scenes in season two. After Polly's son Michael returned, having been raised in the countryside by adoptive parents, the Shelby brothers took him along to a horse fair where Tommy bought a filly and also met May Carleton. Of course, in true Peaky style, the day ends in a fight, but the filming for the fair took place at the baths.


Montgomery told i, "I remember thinking Victoria Baths could give it a really good look. One of the baths had timber over it, so we put sawdust down on top."

Bolton

The centre of Bolton was used for various scenes in the show, but Le Mans crescent in Bolton was used for shots to capture the Shelby brothers' trip to London, and specifically the exterior of the Eden Club - the jazz den owned by Sabini, who becomes a nemesis to the family.


Montgomery told i, "We were thinking how to do London in the 1920s, and Bolton has that wonderful crescent. So I said, 'Well, this is our London.' And the exterior to the Eden Club was all done in Bolton."

Brooke’s Mill, Huddersfield

Producers used Brooke's Mill in Huddersfield as the location for the gypsy campsite, using traditional caravans and carts, as well as horses.

Leeds Town Hall

Many fans of the show were convinced that the scenes in which Campbell and Grace share information about the Shelby family in the art gallery were filmed at the Town Hall in Birmingham. However, the front was actually shot at the Town Hall in Leeds.

Newby Hall & Gardens, Ripon

However, the scenes on the inside of the art gallery where Campbell and Grace surreptitiously pass notes to each other were filmed at the Newby Hall & Gardens in Ripon, North Yorkshire.

Keighley and Worth Valley Steam Railway

Most of the Peaky moments that take place on a train or at a station happen on the Keighley and Worth Valley railway line. It's a 5-mile long rail line that runs through a small part of West Yorkshire, and many will recognise Keighley as the station where Grace shot Major Campbell in season one.

Undercliffe Cemetery, Bradford

The shots in season one where Polly pays her respects at the cemetery and meets Freddie Thorne laying flowers for his mum is thought to have been shot in Bradford at the Undercliffe Cemetery.

Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, Yorkshire

If it's a scene involving a train station, this historic Yorkshire station is likely to be the filming location, boasting gorgeous old platforms and carriages, picturesque walking paths and eye-catching backdrops.

Chatsworth House, Derbyshire

If you're looking for May Carleton's mansion, featured in season two of Peaky Blinders, then Chatsworth House, in Bakewell, Derbyshire, is the place! The stunning historic building is perfect for aristocratic horse-trainer May Carleton.
Episodes shot at Chatsworth include huge stars of the show, including Cillian Murphy (as Thomas Shelby), Charlotte Riley (as May Carleton) and Annabelle Wallis (as Grace Burgess).

READ MORE:

Peaky Blinders recap: What happened in season one?

Peaky Blinders recap: What happened in season two?

Peaky Blinders recap: What happened in season four?

Peaky Blinders recap: What happened in season five?