Adam (James Nesbitt) scatters Rachel's ashes

Following the death of lead character Rachel - played by Helen Baxendale - last week, her partner Adam (James Nesbitt) will scatter her ashes into the sea.

The north Wales beauty spot was chosen for the scenes because the characters had previously enjoyed happier times there.

Portmeirion has been immortalised on film before, as the setting for the 1960s cult programme The Prisoner.

More than nine million people watched Helen Baxendale's character die in intensive care after a car crash in last Sunday's episode.

This weekend's show, which focuses on her funeral, will be the final episode of the long-running comedy drama series.

Granada's Natalie Cheary said the village was selected because the characters had visited there before.

"It is because it was featured in an earlier series," she said.

"It is the place Adam and Rachel say they conceived their baby Matthew.

"This is why he wanted to go back - it is full of happy memories," she added.

No comparison

Robin Llewellyn, the managing director of Portmeirion Ltd, said he had welcomed the series.

"We were delighted to be involved," he said.

Mr Llewellyn revealed that the crews had filmed the scenes towards the end of 2002.

The characters visited Portmeirion in an earlier series

"I think they stayed for two nights around September or October," he said.

However, he said that Cold Feet had a long way to go before it replaced The Prisoner as Portmeirion's most famous show.

"It doesn't really bear comparison - one was a 17-part series based on the village - this is a programme with one element of one episode," he said.

The picturesque village of Portmeirion, was built by William Clough-Ellis between 1925 and 1975 on a private site on the Gwynedd coastline.

The cult TV show The Prisoner, starring Patrick McGoohan as Number Six, was filmed at Portmeirion from 1966 to 1967.