All Creatures Great and Small: How James Herriott's tales has been delighting viewers for 45 years

But, for many, there is one programme which stands out above the rest for showcasing what the region is about: its humour, sense of community, and, of course, beautiful countryside.

All Creatures Great And Small has been delighting viewers since its nostalgic piano theme tune first heralded its arrival in 1978.

Running for 12 years, the show followed the fortunes of vet James Herriot – whose real name was Alf Wight – as he tended to the problems of animals and, in many cases, their owners, in the North Yorkshire market town of Thirsk, or Darrowby, as it is known in the programme.

So popular did the books the series were based on become, that the area around Thirsk, straddling both national parks of the Dales and Moors, is to this day known as Herriot Country, while sets from the show are still on display at the James Herriot Museum, in Thirsk.

The series ended in 1990, but following the success of Channel 5’s documentary series The Yorkshire Vet, also filmed in and around Thirsk, a reboot was launched in 2020.

The programme, which stars Nicholas Ralph as James Herriot and Samuel West as Siegfried Farnon, quickly proved a huge success particularly as it came as light relief in the difficult days of lockdown and was named as the most popular series on the Channel since 2016.

A second series, then a third, were quickly commissioned and appetite for the programme shows no sign in slowing.

Unlike other reboots of old favourites, the producers at Playground Entertainment have decided against “modernising” the show in favour of giving viewers a nostalgic tint on 1930s life in rural North Yorkshire.

Filming locations for the reboot have included Grassington, in the Yorkshire Dales, which has been used as the setting for Darrowby.

The village welcomed cast and crew with open arms, with its period houses and shops providing the perfect backdrop to many of James Herriot’s adventures.

But it hasn’t just been Grassington in the spotlight. The producers have made use of much of the stunning scenery in the Dales including local beauty spots Malham Lings and Janet's Foss, which appeared in the early episodes.

The Bolton Abbey estate has been used as a filming spot, as has Broughton Hall in Craven which has served as the home of Mrs Pumphrey, a client of James Herriot.

Slightly further afield from the Dales, Oakworth Rail Station on the Keighley Worth Valley Railway line has also been featured.

All Creatures Great and Small production designer Jacqueline Smith, who is based in Ripon, and locations manager Gary Barnes are responsible for choosing the locations which delight millions of viewers each episode.

The pair have spoken of wanting to “create a sense of community and belonging, kindness and humour” in each of the sets.

And few would argue that the pair haven’t succeeded in showcasing the beauty of rural Yorkshire to the world at its very best.