York: “All Creatures Great and Small” Yorkshire Dales Tour

The best part of this day is the way it joins two pleasures that belong together: All Creatures Great and Small filming locations and the real Yorkshire Dales that made the series feel so convincing. You move from York into stone villages, open valleys, farm country, and winding roads, seeing both the new Darrowby in Grassington and the old Darrowby in Askrigg.

I like the small group, limited to 15 people, and the guides make a real difference. John, Trevor, Barry, Ben, and Lee are all praised for their local stories, safe driving, humor, and care. I also like the mix of television locations with places that matter outside the show, including Bolton Castle and Wensleydale Creamery.

The main consideration is time. This is a full 8.5-hour circuit, and you will not get off the bus at every location. Some stops are brief, and one person felt that a little more time at certain places would have improved the day.

Key points to know before booking

• Two Darrowbys in one day: See Grassington from the new series and Askrigg from the original series.
• A real Yorkshire Dales setting: Travel through Wharfedale, Wensleydale, Swaledale, and the rural area around Yockenthwaite.
• Bolton Castle is included: Entry to the castle grounds is covered, while other additional admission fees are not.
• Guides add much of the value: John, Trevor, Barry, Ben, and Lee are praised for local stories, humor, history, and careful driving.
• Small but not private: The minibus carries 16, with groups limited to 15 participants.
• Plan for a long day: The tour leaves York at 9:00 a.m. and returns to the same meeting point after about 8.5 hours.

From York to the world of Darrowby

The tour begins at Coach Stop A on Leeman Road, opposite Memorial Gardens and about a five-minute walk from York Railway Station. Departure is scheduled for 9:00 a.m., and you should arrive at least five minutes early because the minibus cannot wait for late passengers.

Once you leave York, the day becomes a moving tour of the Yorkshire Dales. The point is not only to tick off filming sites. You also get a sense of why James Herriot’s stories work so well here. The roads pass through quiet villages, stone buildings, grazing fields, and wide views that change with the weather.

The vehicle is a 16-seat minibus, with the group limited to 15. That gives you a more personal setting than a large coach, though you should still expect a fairly compact day with regular time spent on the road. Several guides receive especially strong praise for making the driving hours enjoyable. John is singled out for stories at nearly every point along the route, while Trevor is praised for explaining local plants, wildlife, and environmental issues. Barry is noted for balancing local history with the television material.

That guide commentary matters here. Many of the places are small, and the appeal can be easy to miss if you only arrive, take a photograph, and leave. A good guide connects the village in front of you with the filming details, local events, and countryside around it.

Grassington, the new Darrowby

Grassington is one of the most important stops for anyone who follows the newer All Creatures Great and Small series. The village was used as Darrowby, and you can see the locations associated with the Drovers Arms and Skeldale House.

This is the kind of stop where the television connection is easy to spot because the village itself has a strong visual identity. Stone buildings, a traditional village center, and the surrounding Dales make the setting feel like a real place rather than a studio creation. You are seeing a working Yorkshire village that was adapted for the series.

The exact amount of time you get on foot can vary with the day’s schedule. Keep that in mind if you want detailed photographs of every filming point. The tour includes many locations, but not all are full walking stops. I would treat Grassington as one of the key places to focus your attention rather than assuming every stop will offer the same amount of free time.

The surrounding Wharfedale scenery adds to the appeal. Even when the bus is moving between locations, you are seeing the open country that gives the program its sense of space.

Wharfedale and Yockenthwaite

The route continues into Wharfedale and the rural area around Yockenthwaite. This is where the day shifts from village scenes to broad views, farm country, and the quiet surroundings used for Helen’s farm in the newer series.

Yockenthwaite is also linked with the point where James and Helen first kiss in the new series. The setting is memorable because it feels remote and open, with the surrounding hills and fields doing much of the visual work. If your main interest is the scenery rather than buildings, this is one of the most rewarding parts of the route.

There is a practical trade-off. Rural filming locations are often viewed from the minibus or reached through short stops rather than long walks. The supplied details make clear that you will not stop to get off at every location. Bring your camera, but also be ready to enjoy some places through the window while your guide explains what was filmed there.

Weather can change the feel of this section. One day may bring clear views, while another may be grey or wet. The scenery remains part of the experience, but you should dress for exposed countryside rather than assuming a dry summer afternoon.

St Michaels in Hubberholme and the wedding setting

St Michaels in Hubberholme is associated with James and Helen’s wedding in the newer series. It was also used in the new production as a church setting, making it an important stop for fans of the characters.

This is a quieter kind of television location than Grassington. You are not simply looking for a shopfront or pub sign. The interest comes from the church, the surrounding countryside, and the way the place fits into the story. It gives you a pause from the busier village locations and helps show the variety of settings used by the production.

The tour is best for someone who enjoys the connection between fiction and place. You will not get a full behind-the-scenes production visit, and there is no suggestion that the actors or crew will be present. Instead, you see the real buildings and setting that appear on screen, with the guide supplying the context.

Wensleydale Creamery and the flavor of the Dales

Wensleydale Creamery is included as the day moves through Wensleydale. Cheese tasting gives the tour a useful local-food element, and it breaks up a route that otherwise focuses on scenery, villages, and filming sites.

Food and drink are not included generally, so budget for your own meals and refreshments. The creamery visit is particularly useful for anyone who wants something tangible from the region beyond photographs. Yorkshire Dales cheese is closely tied to the identity of the area, and tasting it gives you a direct connection to local production.

Do not confuse the creamery stop with a full meal stop. The information provided confirms cheese tasting, not lunch. I would carry water and a snack, especially because the day runs from morning into late afternoon and the schedule includes several driving sections.

Bolton Castle and James Herriot’s real story

Bolton Castle adds a historical stop to a tour otherwise centered on television. Entry to the castle grounds is included, and the site is linked to the real James Herriot story: it is where he proposed to his wife.

The castle also brings several centuries of Yorkshire history into the day. You can see evidence of its long past, including its connection with the Pilgrimage of Grace, Mary Queen of Scots’ imprisonment, and a siege during the English Civil War.

This is an important distinction for booking. The tour includes entrance to the grounds, but additional entry fees are not included. If you want to go beyond the included access, check what extra admission may apply before you arrive.

Bolton Castle is valuable even if you are only mildly interested in All Creatures Great and Small. It provides a change of pace and a real place with its own story, rather than another screen location. For many people, this will be one of the day’s strongest additions because it connects Herriot’s life with the wider history of the Dales.

Carperby and the Wheatsheaf Inn

The route includes the Wheatsheaf Inn in Carperby, a village associated with James Herriot’s real-life honeymoon. It is another stop where the man behind the books and television series comes into focus.

Carperby offers the sort of rural setting that makes this tour more than a checklist of filming addresses. You get the village atmosphere and countryside surroundings, while the guide explains the connection with Herriot and his wife.

Again, the timing is worth keeping in mind. The tour does not promise long periods at every location, and some places are viewing stops rather than extended visits. If you want a leisurely pub meal or a long sit-down at the inn, this may not be the right format. The stop is designed as part of a full route through the Dales.

Askrigg, the original Darrowby

Askrigg was used as Darrowby in the original television series. Here you can see the earlier versions of the Drovers Arms and Skeldale House, making the village especially appealing if you watched the older adaptation.

Seeing Grassington and Askrigg on the same day lets you compare how two different villages became the same fictional place. That is one of the tour’s cleverest features. You do not only visit one Darrowby. You see how the production used different real settings across different versions of the series.

Askrigg also gives the day a useful sense of television history. The older series has a different look and atmosphere, and the village helps place it in the real Dales. If you are mainly a fan of the newer production, this stop still works because it shows how the fictional town changed over time.

Wensley and the old-series wedding church

Holy Trinity Church in Wensley was used for James and Helen’s wedding in the old series. It is another stop that rewards fans who remember specific scenes, but it also works as a quiet architectural and village visit.

The church location complements St Michaels in Hubberholme. Together, the two places show how the older and newer productions used different parts of the Dales for similar story moments. You can compare the settings without needing a full film-production tour.

The overall schedule means you should listen closely when the guide explains which series used each site. With so many stops, the details can blur together by late afternoon. Guides such as John and Barry are praised for keeping the stories clear and entertaining, which is particularly useful on a day with several similar-looking villages and rural roads.

Hawes and the final Darrowby stop

The final major stop is Hawes, where you can see locations used for the Darrowby cattle market and country club in the old series. The town also gives you another angle on the Dales, with views over the surrounding countryside.

Hawes is a fitting end because it brings together the region’s rural character and the show’s veterinary setting. The cattle-market connection helps explain the working world behind the stories, rather than presenting the Dales as scenery alone.

By this point, the long day will be noticeable. Some people find the return journey relaxing, and one guide was praised for giving a useful recap of the day on the way back to York. Others may wish for more time at selected stops. If you prefer a slow visit with long walks and café breaks, a self-drive trip may suit you better. If you want to cover many locations without navigating narrow rural roads yourself, the guided format is much easier.

What the $109.11 price really buys you

At $109.11 per person, the value depends on how much you want from one day. You are paying for an 8.5-hour route from York, a small-group minibus, an English-speaking driver-guide, and access to a wide spread of Dales locations. Bolton Castle grounds are included, and the route also includes the Wensleydale Creamery cheese-tasting element.

The price does not cover food, drinks, or additional entry fees. That keeps the headline cost manageable, but you should set aside extra money for anything beyond the included portions of the day.

I think the strongest value comes from the driving and route planning. Covering Grassington, Yockenthwaite, Hubberholme, Wensleydale, Swaledale, Bolton Castle, Carperby, Askrigg, Wensley, and Hawes independently would require careful planning and a confident driver. The minibus also lets you enjoy the scenery while someone else handles the roads.

The value is weaker if you want a deep visit at every place. This is a broad overview of the Dales and the series, not a slow village-by-village exploration.

Who will enjoy this day most

I would recommend the tour most strongly to:

• Fans of either the original or newer All Creatures Great and Small series
• Visitors staying in York who want a countryside day without renting a car
• People who enjoy local stories, village history, and scenic driving
• Anyone comfortable with a long day and several hours in a minibus
• Families with children aged five or older, provided they are happy with the pace
• Solo visitors or couples who prefer a small group to a large coach

It is less suitable if you need a flexible schedule, dislike long vehicle journeys, or want to walk extensively at each location. Dogs are not allowed, including on the bus, although assistance dogs are allowed.

The tour has an overall rating of 4.9 from 65 reviews, with repeated praise for the guides. That praise is specific: John is described as a safe driver and strong storyteller, Trevor as caring and well informed about nature, Barry as entertaining and good on local history, Ben as humorous and capable, and Lee as polite and highly familiar with the area. The exact guide on your departure may vary, but the guide quality appears to be a major part of the experience.

My booking call

Book this tour if you want the All Creatures Great and Small connection backed by real Yorkshire scenery, local stories, cheese tasting, and a castle stop. The combination of old and new Darrowby locations makes it more useful than a single filming-site visit.

Before booking, accept the trade-off: this is a carefully packed day, not a relaxed country outing. You will not leave the minibus at every location, food is extra, and some stops may feel short. For a first look at the Dales from York, especially without a car, the route offers strong value and a friendly, story-led way to see the places behind the series.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

It starts at Coach Stop A opposite Memorial Gardens on Leeman Road, York, postcode YO1 6FZ. The stop is about a five-minute walk from York Railway Station.

What time does the tour leave York?

The scheduled departure is 9:00 a.m. You should arrive at least five minutes before departure because late passengers cannot be held for.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts about 8.5 hours and ends back at the original meeting point in York.

What size is the group?

The tour uses 16-seat transportation and limits the group to 15 participants.

Which All Creatures Great and Small filming locations are included?

The route includes Grassington, Askrigg, St Michaels in Hubberholme, Yockenthwaite, Wensley, Hawes, and other locations connected with the old and new series. You will not get off the bus at every location.

Is Bolton Castle included?

Entrance to the Bolton Castle grounds is included. Additional entry fees are not included.

Is food included?

No. Food and drink are not included. The tour does include a visit to Wensleydale Creamery for cheese tasting.

Can children or dogs join the tour?

Children must be at least five years old. Pets are not allowed, although assistance dogs are allowed.