Visit James Herriot World Frisk UK

I think you mean Thirsk for Frisk?

You're far better off going on the Reliance Bus 30 to the centre of Thirsk- you'll see a lot more of the district as well.

https://reliancebuses.co.uk/service-30-30x-30se/

I highly recommend this day tour, which stops for lunch in Grassington, which you might recognize as Darrowby.

https://bobholidays.com/tours/herriot/

https://discovergrassington.co.uk/discover-darrowby/

I didn’t start watching all creatures until after my trip. I love the show so much!!! And it’s such a great reminder of my trip.

I was in York this past May for 6 nights. You might find my trip report helpful:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/solo-in-the-uk-my-york-and-edinburgh-trip-report

Hi Kathy -

Just for the avoidance of doubt, James Herriot (Alf Wight in real life) had his real practice in Thirsk and I believe those premises, which is Skeldale House in the books, are now a museum devoted to the life of the vet-come-author.

However, in the first TV adaptation of the books by the BBC which starred Christopher Timothy, Robert Hardy, Peter Davison and Carol Drinkwater, Skeldale House and Darrowby were located in Askrigg. I think the TV Skeldale House in Askrigg is now handily renamed Skeldale House and is, or at least was, a bed and breakfast.

The much more recent adaptation features Grassington as Darrowby with a private residence slightly adapted to become Skeldale House at the top of the square, (interiors shot in studios in Leeds I believe) while opposite, on the other side of the square, The Devonshire Arms serves as the exterior of The Drovers Arms and when I was last in Grassington, relatively recently, was still showing signage as The Drovers Arms. The interiors of The Drovers are shot in The Green Dragon at Hardraw, quite a few miles away. (I’m pleased to report that The Green Dragon has apparently recently reopened after a rather protracted closure). Other sites, scattered through the Dales serve as other locations. Mrs Pumphrey’s stately pile is Broughton Hall near Skipton and Helen’s family’s farm is in the very isolated settlement of Yockenthwaite.

This should give you plenty to go at in search of ‘t’vitneries’! Feel free to give me a shout if you need any further info or help. Have a great trip!

Ian

Thanks, Ian! Great description of everything! I am gathering notes for my own trip and definitely want to visit the sites you named.

Hey Mardee -

Glad to have been of some use! Feel free to give me a shout if you think I can be of any help, either here or by PM.

If you want to get a glimpse of the countryside in the area consider the fairly recent ‘The Herriot Way’ parts one and two, by You Tuber ‘Haze Outdoors’. Hilarious, but warning! Unreconstructed Yorkshire accent, stream of consciousness, non sequiturs, concentration on gate types (he is the self declared CEO of locks and latches after all) and slightly morbid obsession with….dead things. Me-DIC! But nicely shot and funny with it.

Ian

Great info ianandjulie, very helpful.

We visited Alf Wight’s house in Thirsk while staying in York 20 yrs ago. It was a highlight of our 3 mos trip. A must see if you’re a James Herriot fan.

Hi Susan -

Again, glad to be of help!

Ian

We did a day trip to Thirsk from York a couple of months ago. We took the train because it was a Sunday, the one day the bus didn’t run. So if you find yourself traveling by train to Thirsk, note that there is no taxi rank at the train station. You can prebook a taxi to meet your train by calling one of the companies listed here on the tourist board website: https://www.visitthirsk.org.uk/pages/travel-taxi.php

We enjoyed Thirsk, the World of James Herriot, and the Yorkshire Dales tremendously and I hope you have a lovely visit.

Another of the filming locations in the original TV series to visit is Finghall Station on the preserved Wensleydale Railway.

It’s confusing bc one of the “Dales + Herriot” shuttle tours from York visits Grassington and the other one visits Thirsk. I’m a fan of the recent show but also read the book.

Did you visit one of these 2 villages?
I’m leaning toward going to see the real-life museum, instead of the town chosen to represent Darrowby?

It sounds like public transit is also an option, from your above comments.

I've just been googling Herriot tours from York, and I can see tours that visit both Grassington and Thirsk, in the day.

Grassington is not that hard to visit by public transport- train York to Leeds then Leeds to Skipton then regular bus from outside Skipton station.

But the best day to visit Grassington, or any part of the Dales country is Sunday when direct 'Dalesbus' services run from York as far as Hawes- for some of the roads and villages covered on Sunday it is their only public transit of the week.

Grassington was chosen for filming because it is a very authentic Dales town, and is very easy to switch it back 70 or 80 years (or further)- hence the annual December Dickensian festival there. It is both a thriving modern town, but also a place where almost no imagination is needed to take it back to any era you want. It very authentically represents the type of place and scenery he worked in.

Claudia- another of our regular contributors- and a former movie location scout- would have been proud of their work. Not only for Grassington, but everywhere used in the series.

But the original TV series, and the movie, more set in Wensleydale and Swaledale are closer to where he actually worked. But more tourism in those dales makes the locations a bit harder to step back in time for the TV and movies. Although to the visitor who can overlook modern distractions you can easily make that step. The scenery and many of the villages (like Askrigg) are both timeless and beautiful.

You can't go wrong with any of the tours- all of them will take you to the true spirit of living and working as a Vet in rural North Yorkshire in the late inter war years.

East of Thirsk is the start of the North Yorkshire Moors. With a practice in Thirsk he must have also worked in that area also, which has kind of been neglected by both TV series and the movie.

I don't know if you can get the TV series The Yorkshire Vet- it follows the real working lives of the successor vets in the modern practice on the edge of town.
That shows you where the practice now serves. It also shows that the treatments may have changed, but 'by 'eck' the folk the practice serves haven't. That series is a delight to watch.
The Herriot family are quite closely involved with that series.

Instead of the train, take the bus. It's what we did and was very easy. The route is a bit circuitous since it goes thru some towns along the way but it's all nice scenery, and drops you off in the Thirsk market square perhaps 100 yards from the museum.

edit: I see someone else already recommended the bus

Very good information shared here! Thanks for the excellent pointers and explanations. So grateful :)