Away We Go

I set the wrong date to publish this post. It was written the day we left on a tour and meant to be published next week, but I mistakenly selected an earlier post date.

This blog is taking a short break as we are off on a new adventure. We're currently on a 9-day tour sponsored by NH PBS (Public Broadcasting System) to the Yorkshire Dales countryside and visiting some of the locales featured in the popular TV series, All Creatures Great and Small. 

This popular show revolves around a trio of vets working in the Yorkshire Dales in the late 1930s and 1940s. The show is based on a series of books about a Yorkshire veterinary surgeon written by Alf Wight under the pen name of James Herriot. 

A quick synopsis is that eccentric Yorkshire veterinarian Siegfried Farnon hires James Herriot, a newly graduated Scottish vet, to work at his Skeldale House practice in the fictional town of Darrowby. Herriot soon learns to handle tough farm animals and skeptical locals In addition to Siegfried and Herriot, the cast includes Siegfried's younger brother, Tristan, their housekeeper, Mrs Hall and Helen, a local farmer's daughter who marries James as well as many other locals.

There's been two versions of this show. The current PBS series debuted in 2020 as a new adaptation of Wight's books. It's currently run for six seasons with a 7th due in January 2027. The series followed an earlier BBC series of 90 episodes that ran from 1978 to 1990. Both series were filmed in the Yorkshire Dales.

Our group flight departed from Logan Airport, Boston for an overnight flight to Dublin with a connecting flight to Manchester, UK, followed by a bus trip to Harrogate and arrival at the Yorkshire Hotel, our hotel for the entire tour. Anyone who has ever traveled on a multi-day group tour will appreciate having a single accommodation for the entire trip.

1940s attire is featured in Grassington for the annual festival

One of the highlights of trip includes a day trip to Grassington for a 1940s festival held annually in September. This Yorkshire Dales town has been the main filming location for the fictional market town of Darrowby in both productions of All Creatures Great and Small. 

Producers transformed its cobbled market square and historic shop fronts into the series 1940s setting. The festival transforms the town into a snapshot of England in the 1940s. The festival features a collection of vintage vehicles, live entertainment, and a replica Spitfire displayed in the Main Square.

As the series is based on the practice of a country veterinary surgeon it's no surprise that the tour includes a visit to the Nidderdale Agricultural show in Bewerley Park, Pateley Bridge for a traditional Dales agricultural event known as the Pateley Show. 

Poster for 2026 Pateley Bridge agricultural show

This show is one of the county's foremost agricultural shows which attracts crowds of over 15,000. Features events include sheep dog trials, show jumping, livestock classes and a demonstration cricket match. The Nidderdale Show traditionally marks the end of the agricultural show season.

Fish & Chips & mushy peas

We will also be visiting the market town of Skipton which will include having dinner at Bizzie Lizzie's Fish and Chips. The unusual name of this family-run business combined the middle name of its founder, Jean Ritson, with what was hoped the restaurant would be — busy, then applying poetic license for the name of Bizzie Lizzie's. In 1999, it won the National Fish & Chip Award. We're first ate mushy peas several years ago on a London visit; yes, we liked them.

Other places toured on this trip include some of those listed below. Future posts will contain more detailed descriptions.

Castle Howard

Castle Howard is an English country house in Henderskelfe, North Yorkshire. Large portions of the Castle Howard mansion are open to tourists as a public attraction. It remains a private residence as family members maintain a private wing of the house, preserving it as a functioning family home which has been the home of the Carlisle branch of the Howard family for over 300 years. It has been a filming location for British films and TV shows. In this way, it's similar to Highclere Castle in Hampshire, the filming location for the Downton Abbey series and films.

Whitby Abbey ruins

Whitby is a historic seaside town and fishing port in North Yorkshire, England, famous for its dramatic clifftop abbey. The ruins of Whitby Abbey are on a clifftop over the town. The abbey was a 7th-century Christian monastery that became a Benedictine abbey. The abbey and its possessions were confiscated by the crown under Henry VIII during the dissolution of the monasteries between 1536 and 1545. The abbey ruins have been used by sailors as a landmark. The substantial ruins of the church are a historical landmark in the care of English Heritage. (English Heritage is a registered charity that manages the National Heritage Collection of more than 400 historic sites, monuments, and properties across England.)

Bolton Castle in Wensleydale

Bolton Castle is a 14th-century castle in Wensleydale, Yorkshire, England. The castle was built between 1378 and 1399 by Richard, 1st Baron Scrope of Bolton, and is an example of a quadrangular castle. It has never been sold and remains in the ownership of descendants of the Scrope family. There is a garden including a maze, herb garden, wild flower meadow, rose garden and a vineyard on the site. The castle is a tourist attraction and rented out for events. Part of the structure is a ruin, another section has been restored. Several film and TV productions have used it as a location, including the All Creatures Great and Small series.

The 3-stages of Aysgarth Falls

Aysgarth Falls are a triple flight of waterfalls, surrounded by woodland and farmland, carved out by the River Ure over an almost 1-mile stretch on its descent to mid-Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales, near the village Aysgarth. After heavy rainfall as thousands of gallons of water cascade over the series of broad limestone steps, divided into three stages — Upper Force, Middle Force and Lower Force.

The walls of York

The city of York, a historic cathedral city in North Yorkshire, is known for its Roman
origins, Viking heritage, and well-preserved medieval architecture. Since Roman times, York has been defended by city walls of one type or another. Today, substantial portions of the walls remain. York has more miles of intact walls than any other city in England, which are referred to as York City Walls, the Bar Walls and the Roman Walls.

The majestic York Minster

While famed for its numerous historic buildings, castle and city walls, the most famous structure here is the Yorkshire Minster. This looming Gothic cathedral is not only the largest such structure in England, but the largest Gothic church north of the Alps. York Minster has more original medieval glass all other churches in England. The Minster is famous for its 15th-century stained glass, especially its Great East Window, the size of a tennis court. 

The ruins of Fountains Abbey

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal in North Yorkshire has a history that spans nearly 900 years. The ruins at Fountains Abbey are the largest monastic ruins in England. The abbey was a Cistercian house founded in 1132. Over four centuries it became one of the wealthiest monasteries in England due to large and diverse landholdings. The abbey was ruined after the 1539 Dissolution of the Monasteries during the English Reformation. In the 18th century, it was incorporated into the designed landscape of Studley Royal, a historic 800-acre estate. Even in its ruined condition, Fountains has been described as the best preserved of English abbeys. Open to the public, it's owned by the National Trust and maintained by English Heritage. In 1986, it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Alf Wight

The final tour stop will be to tour The World of James Herriot, a museum and visitor center in Thirsk, North Yorkshire. It's housed in the former home and veterinary surgery of Alf Wight, known as James Herriot. Our tour of this 1940s home and surgery will include a walk through restored rooms that include a consulting room, dispensary and family living quarters. The items on display will include veterinary instruments and Wight's personal belongings. Vintage Austin Seven cars featured in the series will also be on display.

The World of James Herriot Museum

All of the photos in this post were obtained from Internet sources as we are still on our travels.