Yorkshire Dales history: Origins of Yorkshire villages where popular TV shows and soaps were filmed including Emmerdale, Chimera and All Creatures Great and Small

The ITV 1980s series Emmerdale and 2020 TV series All Creatures Great and Small were filmed in Arncliffe.

The 2019 Netflix fantasy drama The Witcher and BBC’s Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell were filmed in Malham.

For the last four years Grassington has been transformed into the fictional town of Darrowby for the 2020 adaptation of All Creatures Great and Small.

History of Yorkshire villages where popular TV shows and soaps were filmed

Grassington

The village dates back more than 1,000 years and the Domesday Book lists Grassington as part of the estate of Gamal Barn.

The Norman conquest of England made it part of the lands of Gilbert Tison, however, by 1118, Gilbert had suffered a demotion and his lands returned to the king before being given to Lord Percy.

The settlement’s original name was spelt Gherinstone and it was also documented as Garsington or Gersington and the name derives from the Scandinavian, Anglo-Saxon and Gothic languages. It either means the town of the grassy ings or a farmstead surrounded by grass.

Grassington was historically a township in the parish of Linton in the West Riding of Yorkshire before it became a separate civil parish in 1866 and was transferred to North Yorkshire in the 1970s.

Grassington Hall is considered the oldest house in Yorkshire, dating back to the late 13th or early 14th century.

Malham

Archaeological evidence suggests that the first people in Malham existed around 10,000 years ago, at the end of the last Ice Age and they were most likely nomadic people from Europe, who came over the land bridge.

The first settlements likely increased on the fell tops around 5,000 years ago, when the valleys were heavily wooded. There are still remains of Iron Age settlements in use from 2,500 years ago, potentially older, just outside of Malham on the hillside near Gordale. They are visible on the west side of the path to Malham Cove.

During the 8th century, the Angles settled in the Malham area from northern Europe and the village was named after ‘Malca’s Clan’.

They built their homes around a green and farmed the land outside of the village and in the present-day, their fields, referred to as strip lynchets, look like steps on the hillside.

Between the 12th and 16th centuries, the land was owned by monasteries and monks were skilled farmers who turned wool production into a very profitable business.

We’re in a new year, but still love Yorkshire’s history - sign up for our heritage newsletter

Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536, farmers bought their own land and as the farmers got richer, they built homes out of stone, some of which are still used today. For a brief period after the introduction of copper, lead and zinc ores, Malham became a small industrial hub.

During the 18th century, Malham became a tourist attraction and a boom in tourism took place in the 20th century. Many residents now make their living from tourism, through village shops, cafes, hotels, holiday homes and B&Bs.

Askrigg

The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book as ‘Ascric’ and dates back to the Saxon period.

It flourished in the 18th century, when it was a centre for clockmaking and textile trade.

The name of the village is of Old Norse origin, combining ‘askr’ (ash tree) and hryggr (ridge), which means the ridge where ash trees grew. This symbolises the existence of Viking settlers and their farming.

During the Norman invasion, the manor at Askrigg was held by Arnketil and after the invasion, it was owned on behalf of the Crown by Count Alan of Brittany, who granted then lordship of the manor to Gospatric, son or Arnketil.

By the year of 1251, the manor was owned by the Fitz Hugh family who were also lords of Ravenworth and stayed with them until the 16th century.

Throughout the 13th and 14th centuries, the village remained of little commercial significance when Wensleydale was extensively used for sheep grazing by the Cistercian monks, who became prosperous on the profits of the wool trade.

Secular wealth became vital in the dale following border conflicts in the north and the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 15th and 16th centuries.

The manor was passed onto the Crown in 1571 and in 1664 the manorial rights were leased from the Crown by the Metcalfe family.

Arncliffe

The houses, cottages and various other buildings in Arncliffe are positioned in front of a large green space with green hillsides etched with limestone scars.

Just like with the previous villages, Arncliffe was first mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 and the name is of Old English origin, meaning ‘eagles cliff’ from ‘earn’ which means eagle.

Many of the buildings still standing date back to the 17th century, including a barn that has an unusual entrance and a datestone of 1677.

The ancient parish of Arncliffe was part of Staincliffe Wapentake in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The parish also included the townships of Hawkswick, Litton, Halton Gill and Buckden, which all became separate in 1866.

Kettlewell

The village has been inhabited since the Anglo Saxon period and the name is thought to originate from the Anglo Saxon word Chetelewelle, which means a bubbling spring or stream.

Evidence of the early farming methods of Romano-British and early medieval agriculture can still be found in terraced fields to the north and the south of the village.

A market was established in the 13th century which transformed into a thriving community and it predominantly sold corn outside the King’s Arms.

To grind the corn, a watermill was built on the River Wharfe in the 13th century and textiles (later in the 18th and 19th centuries, lead mining) revived the village and the present-day village derives much of its appearance from its 200-year history.

The remains of the smelting-mill, used from 1700 to 1880, can be seen near the meeting of Cam Gill and Dowber Gill Becks half a mile above the village.

Kettlewell was almost destroyed in a flood in 1686 as heavy rainfall descended on the adjacent hills and cascaded down into the village demolishing several houses and causing residents to flee.

More recently, the Tour de France Stage 1 passed through the village from Leeds to Harrogate 10 years ago in July 2014.