The first season of the Channel 5 series was filmed in the Yorkshire Dales and is often seen as an idyllic spot
Inside charming villages transformed for All Creatures Great and Small filming not far from Manchester(Image: CHANNEL 5)
The much-loved series All Creatures Great and Small was brought back to life by Channel 5 in 2020, offering some much-needed light-hearted, family-friendly entertainment during the Covid-19 pandemic. Then, UK viewers managed to see a TV re-run of the series on Netflix last year.
This recent adaptation follows the BBC series from the late 70s, both inspired by the writings of Yorkshire vet Alf Wight. His collection of books is based on his real-life experiences caring for animals in the countryside.
In the revival, Nicholas Ralph steps into the role of James Herriot, with Rachel Shenton portraying Helen Alderson and Samuel West playing James’ boss, Siegfried Farnon. Fans will note that some of the cast had to adopt northern accents for their roles.
All Creatures has largely returned to the same filming locations each year, with a few new hidden gems added as the characters’ storylines develop.
Here’s everything you need to know about where the first season was filmed, reports the Mirror.
All Creatures has largely returned to the same filming locations each year(Image: (Image: CHANNEL 5))
Most of the first season was shot in the Yorkshire Dales, specifically Nidderdale, with the village of Grassington transformed into the fictional Darrowby.
In Grassington, the Devonshire Inn pub was remodelled into the Drovers Arms, while the interior pub scenes were filmed at The Green Dragon Inn at Hardraw.
The charming village bakery, known as Walker’s, doubled as Darrowby Cycles in the beloved series, whilst a private residence was converted into Skeldale House for exterior shots of the veterinary surgery.
Several other local businesses received fictional transformations, with The Stripey Badger bookshop being repurposed as G F Endleby’s grocery store, and the Helen Midgley shoe shop serving as the backdrop for Handleys Booksellers.
Meanwhile, the delightful treasures typically found in the Rustic Rabbit gift shop were swapped for bread loaves to create Higgins Bakers on screen.
Some members of the cast had to adopt northern accents(Image: (Image: CHANNEL 5))
Acclaimed actress Diana Rigg portrayed the eccentric Mrs Pumphrey, with her character’s residence scenes filmed at the stunning Broughton Hall in Craven.
Programme leads Nicholas and Rachel spoke exclusively with Express.co.uk and other media outlets, discussing how thrilled residents become when the production team arrives in their community.
Rachel described the atmosphere with humour, remarking: “It is like doing theatre, having a live audience!”
Nicholas added: “It is lovely, everyone is so lovely, and if it is a nice day they bring their chairs and they sit and watch with an ice cream.”