Case file · Series 24, Episode 4 · Season 24, Episode 4
A Climate of Death
Midsomer's self-declared greenest village is bought by a Texan oilman, reopening arguments about land, identity and who belongs there.
Verified filming locations
Every filming site currently documented in this Casebook file is listed here. The published evidence does not establish a complete production itinerary.
- The Barn · Turville Heath, Buckinghamshire
The barn provides the setting for Goodman's Land's chilli competition.
Location guide → Filming source ↗
Map lookup by place name. A private house’s exact address is not marked.
Selected episode credits
A Climate of Death cast
These selected cast entries link to their published profiles. They do not include every name shown in the end credits.
Julie Graham
Nathaniel Parker
Melissa Johns
Eve Austin
Corey Johnson
Helen Lederer
Takayuki Suzuki
Tim Cullingworth-Hudson
Nigel Betts
Robert Akodoto
Tony Jayawardena
The 60-second case card
Should I watch this one?
A topical village dispute works best when the environmental slogans give way to a much older argument about ownership.
- Best for
- Green village · Climate policy · Land ownership
- Mood
- Eccentric
- Team
- DCI John Barnaby with DS Jamie Winter
- Spoiler guidance
- Read the premise freely; open the marked sections only after watching. Check the linked provider advisory for further viewing information.
Why it matters
A topical village dispute works best when the environmental slogans give way to a much older argument about ownership.
Goodman's Land has rebuilt its public identity around climate-conscious living, but the sale of the entire village to American oilman Rooster Harlin divides residents over whether its principles can survive new ownership. The deaths of two members of a farming family move that argument from protest into homicide.
A chilli competition, local food businesses and the history of the Havergal family all become part of the evidence. Barnaby and Winter discover that the apparent clash between green campaigners and an outsider conceals a competing claim to the village itself.
Break the seal: reveal the finding
The killings lead past the public environmental dispute to hidden parentage, overlapping relationships and a concealed claim to Goodman's Land.
More episode detailsProduction, cast, deaths and filming information
Credits, context and checked facts
Production and cast
- TV series
- Series 24
- Episode number
- Episode 4
- Written by
- Maria Ward
- Directed by
- Leon Lopez
- Listed transmission date(s)
- 25 December 2023
- Reported filming period
- June–July 2023
- Detective
- DCI John Barnaby
- Partner
- DS Jamie Winter
- Pathologist
- Dr Fleur Perkins · Annette Badland
- Principal setting
- Goodman's Land
- Casebook tone
- Eccentric
Check the credits, then follow the source trail for production and filming details. Counts below describe this archive’s records.
The fictional setting and the real filming sites are separate pieces of information. The location desk currently connects it to 1 broader filming area and 1 exact on-screen site identity.
Credits and archive connections
- Writer credits4 episodes credited to Maria Ward
- Director credits2 episodes directed by Leon Lopez
- Release positionCase 140 of 144
- Story characterEccentric · Green village · Climate policy
- Location evidence1 exact screen-use match
Goodman's Land previously appeared in the Tom Barnaby case Dark Autumn, although this story gives it a markedly different public identity.
The Barn at Turville Heath supplies the setting for the chilli competition around which part of the investigation unfolds.
Sources for the production file
Published episode chronology and credits ↗Official ITV programme page ↗Filming-location reference index ↗The chronology is the reference for the credits shown here. A programme homepage does not independently verify a filming date or every production detail. Where multiple transmission dates are listed, territory attribution needs checking. Story, teleplay and adaptation distinctions require the original credit wording; links to external synopses may reveal plot details.
The performers behind this case
Core cast
Actor profiles for the detective, investigating partner and pathologist credited to this episode.
Neil Dudgeon
John Barnaby · Detective Chief InspectorAn English actor whose television work before Causton included Piece of Cake, The Mrs Bradley Mysteries, Messiah and the sitcom Life of Riley. He also appeared in Midsomer Murders years earlier as a different character in Garden of Death.
- Messiah
- Life of Riley
- The Mrs Bradley Mysteries
Nick Hendrix
Jamie Winter · Detective SergeantAn English actor trained at the University of Exeter and RADA. His theatre work includes the National Theatre, Old Vic and West End, while his screen credits include Black Mirror, Marcella, The Crown, Legend and Suffragette.
- Black Mirror
- Marcella
- The Crown
Annette Badland
Dr Fleur Perkins · Police pathologistAn award-winning English actor with an extensive career in theatre, television, film and radio. Her many recognisable roles include Doctor Who, EastEnders, Outlander, Bergerac and pub landlady Mae in Ted Lasso.
- Ted Lasso
- Doctor Who
- EastEnders
Portraits are used only where a reusable licence or public-domain release has been verified. Publicity stills and stock photographs are not copied into this independent guide.
Forensic desk
Dr Fleur Perkins
- Credit
- Resident pathologist
- Played by
- Annette Badland
Fleur pairs forensic certainty with dry humour and a magnificently low tolerance for Midsomer nonsense.
Meet the Casebook pathologists →Spoiler-controlled deaths desk
Deaths recorded in this case
3 people die in this case, according to the linked death record.
Break the seal: reveal the death ledger
- Danny Tarleton
Murder · Other recorded death
Performer check- Danny Tarleton: Tim Cullingworth-Hudson
- Liam Tarleton
Murder · Other recorded death
Performer check- Liam Tarleton: Nigel Betts
- Aldo McLean
Murder · Poisoning
Performer check- Aldo McLean: Tony Jayawardena
Break a second seal: reveal the verified killer
Verified killer
Harper HavergalHarper killed Dougie 'Duke' Harlin years earlier and concealed his body, then killed Danny and Liam to prevent the racetrack excavation and competing title claim exposing her. Aldo ate poisoned chilli intended for Rooster and was an unintended victim; Brian Havergal falsely confessed to protect his daughter.
Verified motive
Harper killed Dougie after her first love rejected her for Lana and revealed that the Harlins—not the Havergals—owned the village, destroying the future and status she wanted. She later killed Danny to prevent his racetrack exposing Dougie's buried body, killed Liam when his title research threatened the same secret and tried to poison Rooster before he could investigate; Aldo was the unintended victim.
Real place → fictional identity
What was filmed where?
The Barn
Used as: The barn provides the setting for Goodman's Land's chilli competition.
Representative photograph of the real filming location; the exact camera angle or building may differ.Sources support the listed site uses; they do not establish every filming location in an episode.
Wider filming areas