All Creatures Great and Small Series 6: Filming on location as Nicholas Ralph, Callum Woodhouse, Anna Madeley and Samuel West share jokes with fans

Nicholas Ralph (James Herriot) and Callum Woodhouse (Tristan Farnon) seemed relaxed and happy in the sunshine as they chatted with fans and posed for photographs in-between takes.

The pair delighted a visiting group of primary school children (and their teachers) by stopping to say hello. Later, as Nicholas made his way down the village square to take a break, he continued to stop for chats, admitting to onlookers that his 1940s costume was indeed very hot to wear on such a warm day, and thanking fans for turning out to see All Creatures Great and Small being filmed.

Meanwhile, keen bird watcher Samuel West took time out to discuss his local bird sightings with fans, while Anna Madeley smiled and joked as she rehearsed, before an audience of sightseers, buying vegetables from Endleby Grocers, which was transformed earlier in the week from The Stripey Badger Bookshop on Grassington square.

The actors have clearly been enjoying the warm weather, with Callum Woodhouse later posting a picture of Nicholas Ralph and Samuel West dining al fresco outside a restaurant in Harrogate.

This latest round of filming also saw a large troupe of supporting artists milling around and rehearsing in the village square, plus the presence of vintage vehicles and horses, which meant that it could almost have been mistaken for the annual Grassington Vintage Weekend, which takes place in September.

Only one main cast member was missing for the filming, Rachel Shenton (Helen Herriot), who gave birth to her first child earlier than expected on April 9.

Posting on her Instagram, she said: “Welcome to the world Orson Wilde Shenton Overton … our hearts are yours.” She also thanked staff at the Royal Stoke Maternity Unit.

Fan suggestions and speculation that All Creatures Great and Small series six will jump forward in time to the end of the war seems to be confirmed by the presence around the square of notices advertising events taking place in 1945.

Earlier this year, an acting agency published casting adverts for identical twin girls - aged two and three - for “an iconic North Yorkshire TV production”, adding that they “must have really good availability between Feb and June” - the exact filming window for most previous series of All Creatures.

This will mean that little Jimmy Herriot will be a young boy of four or five, and a sister would be two or three years old. The real James Herriot, Thirsk vet Alf Wight, had two children, Jim and Rosie. The Channel 5 series, made by Playground, has their blessing and they help advise on the scripts.

The leap forward in time theory has now been backed up by several eagle-eyed fans taking note of noticeboards, props and window-dressing in Grassington.

Back to 2025, and it really does seem that All Creatures Great and Small continues to bring the sunshine in more ways than one. Nicholas Ralph has joked several times that they have to film Christmas scenes on the hottest day of the year in June. Series six will air this autumn in the UK.