All Creatures Great and Small returns to screens on Thursday night with a brand-new six-part series. While the drama is adored for its charming characters and heartwarming tales, the picturesque location is also a big attraction for viewers. Although the town of Darrowby where the beloved characters live and work is fictional, the cast and crew headed to Grassington in the southern Yorkshire Dales to provide the perfect 1940s backdrop. While the majority of indoor scenes were shot in a film studio, a number of real-life landmarks were altered to replicate period buildings, such as pubs and bookshops, for the episodes. For example, a local bookshop, The Stripey Badger, was used to show a greengrocer. Meanwhile, a pub named The Devonshire was used to film exterior scenes for the fictional pub, The Drovers Arms, while The Green Dragon in Hardraw doubled as its interior until series three.
Whilst chatting to HELLO! and other journalists ahead of 2023's Christmas special, Samuel West, who plays Siegfried Farnon, revealed that a new set of The Drovers was built for series three and is used for a community Christmas celebration. "We built the new set of The Drovers this year because the pub we used to shoot in, sadly lost its lease and it wasn't a pub anymore," Samuel explained. "It was also a very long way away down some very narrow dales and we couldn't easily or very quickly get generators up. So we didn't go there very often. We realised we were losing a bit of tone because the hub of the community is the pub and so many are closing, that we didn't want to go that way and be the village that didn't spend time in ours. So as soon as it was possible to do a big scene in the pub, we did one and it's Christmas."
Fans of All Creatures Great and Small will know that the TV series is based on the literary work of real-life vet James Herriot, aka Alf Wright, who ran his surgery in the village of Thirsk. The building where his real practice was located has since been turned into a museum named The World of James Herriot. A private house is used for the exterior, while a set was created for interior shots, but it is surprisingly livable.
James Anthony-Rose, who plays Richard Carmody on the series, said: "The Skeldale set is like a functioning house – it works! You walk down the corridor, and then you're in another room, and there's not much pretence to it at all. It all works. The taps work. You turn a corner and you're in the living room. And so, yes, in that sense, I felt completely immersed in the whole world of All Creatures as soon as I stepped over the threshold. It was a very warm feeling and one that I'll always remember."
For scenes depicting Mrs Pumphrey's stately home, the cast and crew headed to the Grade I listed Georgian building, Broughton Hall. The cast and crew clearly enjoy their time filming in Grassington. Rachel Shenton, who portrays Helen Alderson, previously noted the kindness of the local people who make production enjoyable. "It was the willingness of the people and enthusiasm of the people which helped so much," she told reporters, adding: "We couldn't have wished for more."