One of Sarah McDermott’s happiest memories is watching the original BBC TV series of All Creatures Great and Small with her grandma, so when she saw Skeldale House B&B advertised for sale, her heart skipped several beats. The property played the part of Siegfried Farnon’s home and veterinary practice and starred in almost all 90 episodes of the much-loved true story that entertained viewers from 1978 to 1990.
Fate and a fierce determination ensured that Sarah and her husband Sean got the keys to the door of the most famous house in the Dales village of Askrigg. “We had gone to JR Hopper estate agents to pick up the keys for a property we were renovating for someone and Sean spotted the brochure for Skeldale House in Hopper’s window. He pointed it out to me and I just knew we had to have it,” says Sarah.
She and Sean have turned historic Skeldale House into luxury apartments with an All Creatures Great and Small theme and it is now part of their of Maison Parfaite collection of holiday lets. For details of Skeldale House, Askrigg, visit www.maison-parfaite.com/skeldale-house
1. Original Austin
Another one of those “meant to be” moments. Sean came up with the idea of finding an Austin 10 exactly like the one James Herriot drives in the first TV adaptation. He and Sarah had a quick look on eBay and there it was, a 77-year old Austin 10 for sale in Bedale. The car now sits outside Skeldale House and guests and visitors to Askrigg love it. Photo: Maison Parfaite
2. New sign
Skeldale House played the original vet's practice in the original TV series of All Creatures Great and Small and is now themed holiday apartments Photo: Maison Parfaite
3. The Surgery
Fate again stepped in when the Surgery was designed. “I wanted to theme it as a cross between the surgery and Mrs Hall’s kitchen, and my sister-in-law’s father, John Baxter, who was in the It’s a Vet’s Life TV series, had recently sold his veterinary practice. He knew Alf Wight who wrote the Herriot books because he trained with him. He let me have some letters that Alf had sent to him and he also gave me some vet’s equipment to put on display,” says Sarah, who also used William Morris wallpaper for added wow factor to the communal sitting area which can also be used for private dining. Photo: Maison Parfaite
