I steadied myself against the cow’s rump, felt around inside for the calf’s leg and pulled.
It looks so easy when TV vet James Herriot does it on the series All Creatures Great and Small. Although the bovine birthing display at the World of James Herriot Museum in Britain’s North Yorkshire was a replica, the mock delivery still took some muscle.
Like millions of viewers in North America and the U.K., I’m a fan of this gentle rural drama about a 1940s veterinary practice in the fictional village of Darrowby. Both the original BBC series, which aired from 1978 to 1990, and the new PBS version that started five years ago are based on a series of semi-autobiographical books by real-life country vet Alf Wight. More than 80 million copies of the books he wrote under the pen name James Herriot have been sold worldwide, translated into multiple languages.
Viewers in Canada stream the show on various services. In the U.S., it’s the highest-rated program among American viewers on PBS. Season six started in September in the UK and begins in early 2026 on this side of the pond.
North Yorkshire tourism flourished with the show’s popularity. Fans can travel through the hills, valleys and famous Yorkshire Dales farmland on group and private tours that depart from York to explore filming locations.
All Creatures Great and Small: Step into James Herriot’s World
I had excellent guides for my nine-hour day tour: John Gallery, marketing director for the World of James Herriot Museum in Thirsk and chair of the Herriot Country Tourism Group and Howard Smelt-Webb, a former cop who runs private tour company The Yorkshire Tour Guide. Smelt-Webb has a personal connection to Wight, who cared for the cows and sheep on his father’s 450-acre farm.
The first stop was in Thirsk, about a 35-minute drive from York. Wight’s 1940s family home and vet practice there has been turned into a carefully curated museum that feels like walking into Skeldale House. The museum opened in 1999 and is an ideal place for vet-heads to get their Creatures fix, with period furnishings in the living areas, kitchen and veterinary surgery. Exhibits include a replica of the 1970s BBC show set and hands-on exhibits. Watch past episodes and cast interviews in the backyard barn.
Gallery said that many of the characters in Wight’s eight books were inspired by real people. Fussy Siegfried Farnon is based on Wight’s boss, Donald Sinclair, who shared Farnon’s eccentric quirks. Sinclair’s handsome younger brother, Brian, became Tristain. Helen is inspired by Wight’s real-life wife, Joan Danbury, although she wasn’t a farmer or even a farmer’s daughter.
Wight had two children. Jim Wight became a vet. Daughter Rosie Page practiced family medicine. Both are on the museum’s board and are consultants on the TV series.
Page, 78, dropped by the museum to chat about her famous dad. He was a vet first and author second, she said, and wrote his first book, If Only They Could Talk, at age 53 as a personal project.
“He kept coming into the surgery here right until he was really ill. He didn’t take any money for it. He enjoyed seeing the animals and the people,” she said. “He was utterly, utterly dedicated.”
Page said her father would be astonished to know how well-loved the books and TV series continue to be, 30 years after his death.
The show is a balm for the soul, she said, an all-ages entertainment that families can watch together. It also recreates a fast-disappearing time in Yorkshire rural history. “People still tell my brother and I how dad’s books, and to a degree the old series and maybe even the new one, have saved them, have helped them through a very difficult time,” Page said. She praised Scottish actor Nicholas Ralph, who plays her father. Wight was born in Britain, raised and educated in Glasgow and had a Scottish burr.
Smelt-Webb met me in Thirsk for the drive through the Dales. We travelled narrow roads into scenes of classic rural beauty that seemed right out of the TV show. We passed square stone barns, vibrant yellow canola fields and green hills, the fields outlined by dry stone walls. It was late spring and adorable new lambs were everywhere as we entered the dramatic U-shaped valleys of the 2,100-square-kilometre Yorkshire Dales National Park.
“There are 69 million people living in the UK, but they’re not up here; they’re all down south,” said Smelt-Webb. “Here in North Yorkshire, it’s very rural land and we’re going to go seriously off the beaten track today. Which of course, guests love.”
We made a lunch stop at Wensleydale Creamery in the charming market town of Hawes. The creamery is known for its crumbly, punchy cheeses, made even more famous by British Claymation characters Wallace and Gromit. There are toys, shirts and knickknacks devoted to the Wensleydale cheese-loving inventor and his wise pooch.
After lunch, we drove through the Three Peaks region, a popular destination with hikers and cyclists, to enjoy the open spaces and long views. We spotted handsome racehorses being ridden to one of the local “gallops,” training tracks. Visitors can also tour the ruins of medieval abbeys and priories, picking up picnic lunch ingredients at farm shops on the way.
Smelt-Webb pulled over to the side of the crest of the road in Langstrothdale Valley to point out Yockenthwaite Farm below. All Creatures Great and Small viewers know it as Heston Grange, the home and farm of Helen (Alderson) Herriot and her family. Another tour had also stopped here and the driver was playing the theme from the show for his delighted guests.
What town is Darrowby in real life?
A half-hour later, we arrived in Grassington. The quaint market town, population just over 1,100, plays the village of Darrowby on All Creatures Great and Small. It’s often busy with tourists but we luckily got there during a lull. It felt like stepping back in time, with heritage limestone shops and businesses set around a cobblestone market square. The Devonshire Inn public house looked familiar. The circa-1600 pub is used for exterior shots of The Drovers Arms on the show.
“It’s really put Grassington on the map,” said Smelt-Webb. “I think what’s good for local people is that it’s a very vibrant little market town. There’s lots of choice in terms of where to eat, some nice shops there, some nice hotels.”
Paul Dorgan agrees that the show has been good for his hometown. He was sitting on a bench in the sun with his friend Keith Mullan, who runs dog groomers All Dogs Great and Small.
“I live at Skeldale House,” said Dorgan, indicating the stone structure across the street. His ground-floor apartment is in the building that stands in for the exterior of the veterinary office and home on All Creatures Great and Small. He enjoys seeing the actors on shooting days and he said visitors are welcome to watch when the cast is around. The pub stays open, too.
Smelt-Webb understands the show’s appeal. His family watched the first All Creatures Great and Small every Sunday night. “It’s a show people aged four right up to 94 can watch,” he said. “It’s a very nice, gentle ramble through the countryside.”
When viewers see the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales onscreen, they’re eager to come and experience this peaceful place for themselves, said Smelt-Webb. “It’s our most popular tour — by a country mile,” he added with a smile.
Who is James Herriot?
James Herriot is the pen name of Alf Wight (1916–1995), a British veterinary surgeon who became a bestselling author. His semi-autobiographical books about life as a country vet in 1930s–50s Yorkshire became global hits.
- Books: Over 80 million copies sold worldwide, translated into many languages. The first was If Only They Could Talk (1970).
- TV Adaptations:
- The original BBC series (1978–1990): All Creatures Great and Small became a beloved Sunday night family program in the UK and worldwide.
- Modern PBS/Masterpiece reboot (since 2020): Hugely popular, especially in the U.S., where it’s PBS’s top-rated drama. Season 6 is currently airing in the UK (U.S. release early 2026).
Stay in York
The walled city of medieval York is an excellent base for a trip through the Yorkshire Dales. Founded by the Romans, with the Gothic York Minster Cathedral at its heart, York is compact, walkable and filled with history. There are plenty of excellent pubs and restaurants. Have a steak and ale pie at the Guy Fawkes Inn, on the spot where Fawkes, famous for his plot to blow up the House of Lords, was born in 1570.
York Minister
I spent the better part of a day in this magnificent cathedral. I took several tours, free with the $37 CDN admission, including an excellent guided tour of York Minster’s famous stained glass. It’s the largest collection of medieval stained glass in the U.K. and includes examples from the 12th century.
I finished with a slice of homemade cake and a cuppa from the York Minster volunteers who serve treats at a monthly fundraiser in the North Transept beneath the 13th-century Five Sisters window. I came back after dinner to sit in the quire stalls for a peaceful Evensong service sung by a youth choir.
Free York Tours
Volunteers lead free, two-hour daily walking tours of York’s historic heart. See the remains of first-century Roman fortifications and the impressive ruins of Northern England’s largest medieval abbey, St. Mary’s. A walk along the top of the city’s walls provided excellent views of York Minster and the town. The tours end at York’s most famous street, the higgledy-piggledy Shambles. The restored medieval shopping street was the inspiration behind Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter books. Book free tours of York.
Modern Vikings
The JORVIK Viking Centre takes a fun approach to history on the site of a 1,000-year-old Viking settlement uncovered by the York Archaeological Trust. Guests ride in pods to make a narrated trip back to the recreated Viking settlement in 10th-century York. There are displays of Viking artifacts found on the site and kids will love the animatronics.
Where to Stay
The Grand York Hotel is a short walk across the Ouse River from York Minster and shops, pubs and restaurants. The hotel lives up to its name, with large guest rooms, liveried doormen and exceptional service. The breakfast is excellent, too. Wake up to the sound of York Minster bells. It’s a three-minute walk from the train station.
When You Go
York is halfway between Edinburgh and London. Both cities have regular train service to York. Several companies run guided full-day tours to the Yorkshire Dales, The World of James Herriot and locations featured in All Creatures Great and Small.
More information about visiting Herriot Country Tourism and Visit York.
I was a guest of VisitBritain and VisitYork, which did not preview this story.
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