Shining a light on North Yorkshire's top filming locations from Bridgerton to Harry Potter and All Creatures Great and Small

Now, from the filming of the latest Indiana Jones movie to old favourites such as Harry Potter, they are to be at the heart of a new tourism campaign.

Bridgerton was part filmed in the county, as was Calendar Girls. Even Tom Cruise was caught on camera here, for his role in Mission Impossible. Visit North Yorkshire, the county's tourism organisation, is to shine a light on these locations and more in a new campaign.

Coun Mark Crane, executive member for business on North Yorkshire Council (NYC), said tourism brings in £4bn a year to the county’s economy.

"So many people are fascinated by the locations which have been used in leading television and film productions, and are keen to see these places firsthand," he said. "The chance to highlight our links to film and TV is a prime example of how we can expand the market for visitors."

North Yorkshire is home to Herriot Country, linked to Alf Wight’s novels and television series All Creatures Great and Small.

Then Fountains Abbey and Plumpton Rocks, used as locations for Netflix drama The Witcher, while Yorkshire's coastline features in Phantom Thread starring Daniel Day Lewis.

Both the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) and Malham Cove have featured in the Harry Potter films based on author JK Rowling’s novels about the young wizard.

The railway was also used to shoot scenes for the movies Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny along with Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One.

Calendar Girls, starring Julie Walters and Helen Mirren, was filmed in the Yorkshire Dales, while the Castle Howard estate is a favourite of period dramas from Brideshead Revisited to Bridgerton - which is drawing a wave of interest since its first season screened in 2020.

Visitor attraction director, Abbigail Ollive, said people were visiting just to see the site of the fictional Duke of Hasting’s home, and they have set up exhibitions, concerts and tours.

"It’s fair to say that screen tourism continues to be incredibly important to the visitor attraction today," she added.

Data from Visit England has shown that more than nine in 10 of inbound visitors would be interested in visiting a film or TV location. The new campaign, called Starring North Yorkshire, will complement Visit England’s own international marketing drive, Starring Great Britain.

The chief executive officer of Screen Yorkshire, Caroline Cooper Charles, said: "The impact of these productions creates a ripple effect from increased visitor numbers to filming locations, boosting tourism revenue, to job creation across hospitality, retail, and the arts.

"Screen Tourism offers a unique opportunity to showcase Yorkshire to the world while directly contributing to the region’s economy and cultural pride. It’s a powerful example of how the creative industries can drive meaningful growth and deliver lasting value to our region.”

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