Join us as we explore the charming villages and picturesque landscapes that brought James Herriot’s stories to life.
The television series All Creatures Great and Small is about possibly the world’s most famous vet James Herriot.
The real James Herriot, Alf Wight, started writing the semi-autobiographical books in 1969 and they soon became a hit across the world.
A film followed and then a TV series, starring Christopher Timothy as James Herriot, Robert Hardy as Siegfried Farnon and Peter Davidson as Tristan Farnon, started in 1978 and ran for seven series.
In 2020 Channel Five brought it back with a new cast. You can also watch it on PBS in the United States.
Where is All Creatures Great and Small filmed?
Unsurprisingly All Creatures Great and Small is filmed predominantly in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. Although Alf Wight actually worked from the Yorkshire town of Thirsk he set the books in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales and that is where both the original and new series have been filmed.
Where is fictional village Darrowby filmed?
The beautiful cobbled town of Grassington doubles up as the fictional ‘Darrowby’ while Grassington’s The Devonshire became The Drover’s Arms and a private residence in the village is transformed into Skeldale House. Even the Darrowby Show episode is filmed in Grassington’s market square. For all intents and purposes Grassington is Darrowby.
Where are other scenes filmed?
But where is the bridge James just can’t seem to get over? This is Barden Bridge, on the Bolton Abbey Estate on the eastern edge of the Dales.
For wealthy Mrs Pumphrey and her adored Pekingese, Tricki Woo a palatial pad was needed and there’s not much more opulent than the Grade I listed Broughton Hall (above) near Skipton, the gateway to the Dales. Broughton is no stranger to filming crews as it was also used in Netflix’s The English Game.
Throughout the series James Herriot picks up a few characters from Darrowby railway station and for those occasions we have to leave the Dales for Oakworth Station on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. The KWVR provides one of the best steam train experiences in UK and has also been used for The Railway Children.
Scenes at the family farm of James’ love interest and future wife Helen Alderson was filmed at Yockenthwaite, located in the Langstrothdale Valley in the Yorkshire Dales.
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