AS far as the soap world is concerned it's set to be the wedding of the year - but the mystery surrounding whether it actually goes ahead lies much closer to home.

Coronation Street crews were at Arley Hall, near Northwich, last week to film the proposed marriage of Mike Baldwin to scheming Linda Sykes.

But whether the truth will finally be revealed that she has been having an affair with her future stepson Mark remains behind closed doors at the 100-acre estate.

Viewers will be able to see Mike, played by Johnny Briggs and 25-year-old Linda, played by Jacqueline Pirie, joining invited wedding guests in the grounds of Arley during a one-hour special on September 10.

A Coronation Street spokesman said: "Arley Hall is the type of location which lends itself to filming and it also has a lavish reception area.

"With Linda organising the wedding this is certainly the type of venue she would have chosen herself.

"During the programme, viewers will see a large amount of Arley Hall both the outside and inside as all the guests arrive and the high drama unfolds."

He added: "We can confirm that Mark does turn up on the day but we are not prepared to say at this stage if the wedding does go ahead."

It isn't the first time however, that Arley Hall has featured on our TV screens.

The Victorian and Jacobean-style building was used for the filming of the BBC's Holiday programme and also featured in the war drama In Suspicious Circumstances and murder mystery series Cluedo.

Arley's estate manager, Colonel Mike Sims, said: "You will appreciate that a diverse estate such as this one needs extra forms of income to keep it open, particularly in times of a crisis in farming.

"So we were quite happy to allow Granada to film here as it fitted in with the character of the estate."

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