How Otley’s down-to-earth character has made town a hit with TV location scouts

Easy on the eye yet full of down-to-earth character, it’s not surprising that Otley has caught the attention of TV location scouts over the years and has appeared on the small screen many times.

It is regularly to be seen on Emmerdale as the fictional market town of Hotten, has been used in the filming of the crime series DCI Banks, starring Stephen Tomkinson, and for many years had a leading role in the hugely popular series Heartbeat – its cobbled market square and period architecture were a perfect fit for the series’ 1960s setting.  

Otley is an interesting place to visit at any time of the year. At the moment, like everywhere else, it is quiet and there is little of the vibrancy that usually meets the visitor but in normal circumstances it has a great deal to offer. A bustling market town – the market runs on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays – it is a hive of activity most of the time, even outside market days. For over 800 years farmers have been selling their goods at the market place – located between the ancient Buttercross, one of the town’s oldest structures, and the Jubilee Clock which dates back to 1888. In addition to the thrice-weekly market days, in recent years a monthly specialist farmers’ market has been added into the mix.

Unlike many high streets these days, Otley boasts a number of independent shops including the well-known butchers Weegmanns, which first opened its doors back in 1869 and sells quality meat, plus ready-cooked family meals and its famous hand-made pies. The team at Weegmanns have won several awards for their products and people travel from far and wide for their sausage rolls and pork pies.

Other independents worth a visit include the award-winning Bondgate Bakery, established in 1984 with a commitment to traditional bread-making using locally sourced untreated flours. There you can buy a range of delicious breads as well as pizzas, sweet and savoury pies and regional favourites such as Parkin and Yorkshire Curd Tart.

For those with a sweet tooth there are the delights of the Patisserie Viennoise, founded in 1986 by chocolatier to the stars Trevor Blackhouse who along with his team creates a range of gateaux, desserts and chocolates. Well known nationally, the shop featured in an episode of the BBC TV series The Hairy Bikers.

You can pick up a bottle of fine wine at Chez Vin or a selection of artisan ales at The Curious Hop. For confectionary nostalgia there is an old-fashioned traditional sweetshop and The Kirkgate Arcade, also home to a range of independent shops, is a lovely example of Victorian architecture.

If you fancy a cuppa and a bite to eat during a visit to Otley there are plenty of cafés to choose from but perhaps the quirkiest is Bloomfield Square which, alongside its enticing range of homemade cakes and sandwiches, also offers printing courses in letterpress and woodcut and can create for you bespoke hand-crafted cards, invites and posters.

Otley does in fact have a long association with printing – it is where the Wharfedale Printing Machine was developed by William Dawson and David Payne in the mid-19th century. It marked a major development in printing because it allowed continuous sheet printing without having to stop after every sheet. By 1900 the printing trade had become Otley’s most important industry employing over 2,000 people.

An example of one of the early Wharfedale Printing Machines, dating back to 1862, can be found in Otley Museum. (There is also a very fine sandstone sculpture of the machine by Shane Green in Wharfemeadows Park). The museum, situated in Wellcroft House on Crow Lane, looks after several significant collections including hundreds of prehistoric stone tools and artefacts, archaeological finds from the excavations in the 1970s of the medieval Palace of the Archbishop of York at Otley, industrial objects and archives recording the history and development of the town’s Victorian machine makers as well as photographs, documents, personal records and objects donated by local people which form a rich social history of the town dating back to the 18th century.

One of the most noticeable things about Otley as you walk around is the sheer number – and breadth of choice – of pubs, the most well-known of which is the Black Bull in the Market Place.

One of the town’s oldest watering holes, it is said to have been visited by Oliver Cromwell’s troops – who reputedly drank the place dry – the day before the battle of Marston Moor in 1644. Many of the other pubs in the town date back centuries – such as the Old Cock, originally built as two stone cottages in 1755 and knocked through into one in the 19th century, a former CAMRA pub of the year it is an independent ale house with all the traditional trappings – stone-flagged floors, original fireplace and a warm welcome.

Otley has a thriving live music scene and many of the pubs including The Junction and The Black Horse Inn host regular music nights which are well worth checking out. These are, of course, currently on hold due to the lockdown but you can get an online live music fix with The Woolpack Studios, a community music and arts organisation streaming four interactive sessions every week.  

For a varied programme of arts and events, Otley Courthouse is the place to go. Opened in May 2004, the Courthouse was originally a magistrates’ court and police station built in 1853. Today it delivers a diverse programme of theatre, film, spoken word, music and comedy and is the home of the Otley Chamber Orchestra; it also hosts a number of festivals including the annual science fair. On the first floor of the building is an interesting timeline outlining its history and you can visit one of the former police cell.  

Above the town is the magnificent Otley Chevin with extensive walking, cycling and horse-riding routes that present glorious views over the Wharfe Valley and beyond. The 180 acres of the Chevin Forest Park offer a range of trails for all tastes. Other locations for a walk are the Wharfemeadows alongside the river Wharfe, on the opposite side is Tittybottle Park, so named as it was once a popular destination for nannies. You can also explore the Gallows Hill Nature Area, a lovely story of regeneration, the 14-acre site was once a sewage treatment works which was transformed.

Walking around the town centre there are sculptures, statues and memorials that speak of Otley’s history and heritage. Outside the Grammar School Building in Manor Square is a statue of Thomas Chippendale.

The craftsman was born in the town in 1718, the famous cabinet maker was educated at Prince Henry’s Grammar school and went on to find fame and fortune creating furniture. His 1754 publication The Gentleman and Cabinet Maker’s Director is considered to be the first ever book on interior design.

A more poignant piece of statuary can be found in the graveyard of the Parish Church. The Navvies Monument, an unusual castellated memorial, commemorates the 23 men who lost their lives during the construction of the Bramhope Tunnel of the Leeds and Thirsk Railway. It is a reminder that many of these engineering feats came at a high price.


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