From Skeldale House in Darrowby to Mrs Pumphrey’s stately home, this is the All Creatures Great and Small Christmas special 2021 Yorkshire locations guide

The Christmas special 2021 episode of All Creatures Great and Small celebrates the magnificence of the Yorkshire Dales, this time decorated with a festive sprinkling of snow.

Broughton Hall, near Skipton, has a starring role, used for Mrs Pumphrey’s not-so-humble abode, the perfect choice as a Grade 1 listed stately home in the Georgian style of architecture.

Production designer Jackie Smith says: “We spent some time filming at Broughton Hall for the Christmas special, the location we use for Pumphrey Manor. Mrs Pumphrey features heavily in the Christmas special and her take was an important part of the design of this episode. We also managed to get a dusting of the white stuff for that extra Christmas magic. Turns out that even a hot June day can feel chilly when you have snow and frost covering the set.”

Darrowby, for which the Yorkshire Dales village of Grassington is used, is seen dressed for Christmas with the market square loaded with Christmas trees and holly as Mrs Hall does her shopping for the big day. The Christmas Eve party at Skeldale House has become an eagerly awaited annual event, and this year is no exception.

Series Two ended with the engagement of young vet James Herriot (Nicolas Ralph) and young farmer Helen Alderson (Rachel Shenton), who now face a timeless and highly recognisable festive dilemma - where to spend Christmas Day and eat their Christmas dinner. Mrs Hall (Anna Madeley) is expecting them at Skeldale House and Helen’s sister Jenny (played by Harrogate Grammar School student Imogen Clawson) is planning a feast at the family farm, Heston Grange.

“We used several well-known Yorkshire locations for series two, including Studley Deer Park, Ripley Castle, Birstwith Hall and Sawley Hall. We broadened our use of farms to include farms in and around Pateley Bridge, as well as farms further into the Dales near Kettlewell,” says Jackie.

For the Christmas episode, Scow Hall Farm in Norwood was used as the farm of Mr Kitson, where James treats a dying sheep. Jackie says: “Part of the skill of the job is working with the location manager, Gary Barnes, to select locations which work for our scripts, and then thinking of how we can add value by use of colour, building additional lean-tos, adding gates and vehicles, plus period props and farming detail, but also being meticulous about covering things which may not be right for period. This isn’t always possible, in which case we rely on VFX to take items out.”

Grassington is used for Darrowby, both for the market square and the exterior of Skeldale House, while Arncliffe, is used for the back of Skeldale House. Yockenthwaite Farm in Langstrothdale, near Hawes, is used for the exterior of Heston Grange and a special kitchen set has also been built for the interior at the studio in Summerbridge in Nidderdale, where the Skeldale House set also is.

“We added two windows to the kitchen at Skeldale, which the eagle-eyed viewer may have spotted,” Jackie says.

Darrowby pub The Drovers is The Devonshire in Grassington for the exterior, but its interior is shot in the Green Dragon Inn in Hardraw, near Hawes, where its original flagstone floors, fireplace and oak panelling make the perfect backdrop for the vets to sink their pints.

Jackie says that the period look is achieved without it feeling too "past times” by adding layers of detail which helps the realism of the scenes. “We are meticulous about ensuring the correctness of all props for the period,” she says. “It is largely the writers that keep the dialogue fresh and the performances of our amazing cast which make sure the show is fresh and relatable.”

* The All Creatures Great and Small Christmas special 2021 airs on Channel 5 at 9pm on Christmas Eve. The repeat is on December 30 at 5:40pm on Channel 5.