All Creatures Great and Small locations: History behind some popular Yorkshire Dales villages used to filming the Channel 5 show starring Nicholas Ralph, Samuel West and Rachel Shenton

Filming of season four started earlier this year and fans have been glued to their screens since the first episode aired in October. The show stars Nicholas Ralph and Samuel West as veterinary surgeons James Herriot and Siegfried Farnon respectively, Anna Madeley as Mrs Audrey Hall, Callum Woodhouse as Tristan Farnon and Rachel Shenton as Helen Alderson.

The TV series is set in 1937 and has been filmed in various locations in the Yorkshire Dales including Grassington and Malham. Grassington was used for the fictional village of Darrowby and parts of the scenes in the first episode were filmed at Janet’s Foss near Malham.

Mrs Pumphrey’s home on the show was filmed at Broughton Hall in Broughton, Craven and other locations included the Barden Bridge at the Bolton Abbey estate and the Ripon Racecourse. The third season of the show was partly filmed in Arncliffe, Grassington, Harrogate, Summerbridge and Pateley Bridge.

History of Yorkshire Dales villages used to film All Creatures Great and Small

Broughton Hall

The majestic Broughton Hall was used as a filming location for the show.

The Georgian country house is located in Broughton, Craven, and is a Grade I listed building which has been the seat of the Tempest Baronets for 900 years.

Whilst the baronetcy no longer exists, it is still run by a direct descendant of the Tempest family.

The house dates back to the 14th century when a document records the acquisition of a house, watermill and part of the manor of Broughton by Sir John Tempest. The main structure of the house was designed by William Atkinson and Sir Charles Tempest refaced the north front in golden Kendal stone and added a portico, designed by George Webster.

Malham

The 1086 Domesday Book refers to Malham as ‘Malgun’ which means ‘settlement by the gravelly places’.

During the 18th and 19th centuries there was huge demand in lead, copper and zinc ores, which were drug from mines in the hills above the village.

For a brief time, the Malham area became an industrial hub and zinc ore, used in producing brass, was stored in the village before transport to Gargrave.

However, the limestone formations at Malham Cove date back 12,000 years, when a waterfall carrying meltwater from glaciers at the end of the last Ice Age formed them.

Bolton Abbey

The monastery was established at Embsay in 1120 and was led by a prior. Bolton Abbey was a priory, despite its name and the Abbey was founded in 1154 by the Augustinian order, on the banks of the River Wharfe.

Scottish raiders resulted in the temporary abandonment of the site and serious structural damage to the priory in the 14th century.

Bolton Abbey was described in the Domesday Book as the caput manor of a multiple estate including 77 carucates of ploughland which belonged to Edwin, Earl of Mercia.

At that time the estate comprised Bolton Abbey, Halton East, Embsay, Draughton, Skipton, Low Snaygill, Thorlby, Beamsley, Holme, Gargrave, Otterburn, Scosthrop, Malham, Anley, Hellifield and Hanlith.

From 1748 when Baroness Clifford married William Cavendish, Bolton Abbey Estate belonged to the Dukes of Devonshire, until a trust was set up by the 11th Duke of Devonshire.

Today, the estate consists of six areas designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest, including Strid Wood, an ancient woodland and a marine fossil quarry.

Summerbridge

This village lies in Nidderdale in the Harrogate district.

The village has one public house, the Flying Dutchman, owned and operated by Samuel Smiths Old Brewery, tea rooms and various other shops.

A large flax mill, known as New York Mill, was built at the western end of the village in 1825 which enhanced the settlement.

Arncliffe

Arncliffe was also mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 and the name comes from Old English meaning ‘eagles’ cliff’.

The ancient parish of Arncliffe was part of Staincliffe Wapentake in West Yorkshire and was transferred to the new county (at the time) North Yorkshire in 1974.