Askrigg: Fans are still flocking to the original All Creatures Great and Small village

The heartwarming tales of Yorkshire countryside vets in the 1930s became Britain’s favourite drama series, starring Christopher Timothy as James, Robert Hardy as Siegfried and Peter Davison as Tristan.

James Herriot was the pen-name of Alf Wight, whose practice was in Thirsk.

The dramatisation of his stories brought a whole new tourist trade to Askrigg in search of the filming locations, among them Skeldale House, the vets’ surgery, and The Drovers, the pub they drank in, and despite the series finishing more than 40 years ago, its fans are still coming.

The owner of Sykes’s House village store, bed and breakfast and tea room, on Askrigg’s Main Street, Michael Niklewicz, said: “You wouldn’t believe how many people we get from All Creatures Great and Small, it’s still a real draw. People ask where Skeldale House was and the Drovers was, five or six people a week at least.”

And to visitors’ delight, the locations from all those years ago still evoke fond memories of a show that at its peak was unmissable for more than 17m viewers each week.

One of the village’s three pubs, The King’s Arms, was The Drovers. It still has pictures on display of the cast enjoying a drink during breaks in filming. Skeldale House, now holiday apartments, is close by with a vintage Austin 10 car parked outside to give visitors a flavour of the series.

Villagers were to become very familiar with the cast and crew over the years, as they would spend up to six weeks at a stretch filming in North Yorkshire, even sometimes in the depths of winter.

In addition to Askrigg, locations included Addlebrough fell, Bainbridge, Langthwaite, in Arkengarthdale, Feetham, in Swaledale, Leyburn and Richmond.

All Creatures Great and Small has been good to Askrigg over many years, and its current – and immensely popular - revival on Channel 5 has also done the village a favour.

Though the new series is filmed in and around Grassington, tourists following the Herriot trail through the Dales take in Askrigg as well. The original series is still shown around the world on streaming services.

Those coming to the village quickly discover that there’s much more to enjoy beyond the All Creatures Great and Small connection.

Its setting is among the loveliest anywhere in Yorkshire and visitors arrive from far and wide, even though the wet weather of much of the summer resulted in fewer than usual this year.

“The weather hasn’t been on our side,” said Michael. “The visitors come from around Yorkshire but from further afield as well. It’s been noticeable that we’ve had a lot of German visitors this year. They love the rolling hills and the greenery.”

Even Askrigg’s name evokes the magnificent countryside that embraces it. It is of Old Norse origin, consisting of the combination of askr (ash tree) and hryggr (ridge), meaning “the ridge where ash trees grew”

Its history is among the richest in the Dales, and visitors exploring the main street of 18th and 19th-century buildings, with its market cross, appreciate its long and proud heritage.

Central to that is the 15th century parish church of St Oswald, which is currently undergoing extensive work to safeguard its tower from water damage.

It’s a village with plenty to offer visitors, with its pubs, cafes and craft shops. It is also home to the Yorkshire Dales Brewery.

Askrigg grew prosperous in the 18th century from the textile trade, but it was clockmaking that made the village’s name synonymous with expert craftsmanship.

The earliest mention of Askrigg clockmakers dates from the 17th century, when John Ogden moved to the village in 1680 and plied his trade for the next 40 years.

He was succeeded by Mark Metcalfe (1687–1776) and Christopher Caygill (1747–1803). Another well-known clockmaker was James Pratt (1787–1850). All three had sons who were also clockmakers. Two 19th century clockmakers were John Stancliffe and John Skidmore.

There are several fine examples of Askrigg clocks on display in the Dales Countryside Museum in nearby Hawes.

On the outskirts of the village, overlooking the River Ure, sits Nappa Hall, described by English Heritage as “probably the finest and least-spoilt fortified manor house in the north of England”. Mary, Queen of Scots, was once imprisoned there, possibly before she was moved to Castle Bolton further down the dale.

Many of Askrigg’s visitors use it as a base for walking in the breathtaking Dales countryside.

A favourite route is alongside the Mill Gill stream, which once powered the village’s corn and textile mills, to Mill Gill Falls.

Those wanting to stretch their legs on a longer ramble can head to Aysgarth Falls, to Hawes, or to Carperby, Castle Bolton and Redmire.

Michael said: “We are bang in the centre of walking country. We’ve got the rolling hills north, south east and west of Askrigg, everywhere you look you’ve got the greenery. It is a picture postcard.

“And it is a thriving village, a working village because it is still very well farmed round here, but we’ve also got the tourism and the two mix really well.”