As the second series of James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small broadcasts on Channel 5, Catherine Turnbull looks at the latest North Yorkshire locations to star.
IT’S not just the starry cast of actors that shine in the latest heart-warming adventures of young country vet James Herriot – the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales landscape and stone-built villages dazzled the 4.7 million viewers of the last series of the timeless classic.
“Herriot country” has come to personify the dales since Thirsk vet Alf Wight wrote his bestselling books under the Herriot pen name that have never been out of print since the 1970s.
As series two of the latest adaptation for television airs on Channel 5, production designer Jackie Smith of Ripon reveals the locations used to recreate dales life in the 1930s.
Grassington
Grassington stars again as the fictional Darrowby, where James Herriot works for Siegfried Farnon.
“We use Grassington for shooting most of our Darrowby exteriors including the outside of the Drovers (The Devonshire) and the market square,” says Jackie.
Arncliffe village
All Creatures Great and Small: Series 2. The Darrowby Village set
“The beautiful village of Arncliffe also features as a part of Darrowby. We use a farm there as the back of Skeldale house where Siegfried and James keep their cars and larger animals are looked after post-surgery.
Read more: All Creatures Great and Small: How to watch Series 2
Ripley, Harrogate and Skipton
"This season the production filmed at Ripley Castle for the Renniston Hotel, grand Sawley Hall in Nidderdale for The Seabright Saunders estate, St Wilfred’s church hall in Harrogate was fictitious Brawton village hall.
"Broughton Hall, near Skipton returns as Mrs Pumphrey’s house and Birstwith Hall, near Harrogate, for Colonel Merrick’s home.
Hawes
"The interior of the Drovers is shot in the Green Dragon Inn in Hardraw, near Hawes.
Yockenthwaite Farm in Langstrothdale, near Hawes was filmed for character Helen’s farm Heston Grange exterior and a set was built for the interior in the studio in Summerbridge in Nidderdale.
All Creatures Great and Small: Series 2. The Alderson farm
Thirsk
“The Ritz cinema in Thirsk was a favourite location as this was the cinema that Alf Wight (James Herriot) would have gone to,” says Jackie.
“We transformed the surrounding shops and the interior of the cinema to help make it work for 1938.
Read more: Bilsdale transmitter: You can get a refund on your TV licence – here’s how
"It was lovely to see all the positive reactions we had from local people who enjoyed reminiscing, as I used archive photographs to quite faithfully reinstate original signage and posters.
“We also loved working with the team at Studley cricket club and the National Trust at Studley Royal deer park to recreate Mrs Pumphrey’s annual cricket match at the small cricket ground tucked away in the park.”
All Creatures Great and Small: Series 2. The Darrowby Village set
The six new episodes will be broadcast from Thursday, September 16 at 9pm on Channel 5, followed by a second Christmas special.
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