Tour Ref: AY5/1
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Returning in 2025, explore the Yorkshire Dales and Moors of James Herriot’s books, and the films and television series based on them – where possible by steam, of course! – and learn about the rural way of life and the life and work of the world’s most famous vet!
We meet at York Station and lunch in the unique The Sidings Restaurant before heading off to explore Yorkshire life familiar to James Herriot with Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington and the Yorkshire Farming Museum at Murton Park. Here, the Derwent Valley Light Railway rounds off the day.
Saturday Off we go to Scarborough – one of the exotic places the young James Herriot reached in his brief RAF service! We enjoy all the fun of the Scarborough Fair Collection, take a ride aboard the North Bay Miniature Railway, and then head for Whitby for a full length run across the Moors on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. This brings us to the first film’s Skeldale House in Pickering.
Today, we explore the latest version of James Herriot’s Yorkshire in the Craven district. We first head to our friends at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. This has appeared in both film and TV versions of the Herriot stories. Then, it’s off for a rather special explore of Grassington – the latest ‘Darrowby’ – before finishing off at the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway
Fancy the garden of a stately home? Newby Hall is a splendid example and also has its own miniature railway! Then it’s the Herriot Line – the Wensleydale Railway. On we journey into Swaledale via Richmond and Reeth – Darrowby in the second film – and the area where much of the famous BBC TV series was filmed to explore the ‘capital of the Dales’ in Hawes.
Final day, and it’s only a short journey this morning to Thirsk and the James Herriot Museum – the real Skeldale House! From there, we head for a brewery and a railway located lunch (included) before heading home from Northallerton.
Located on the High Street of this market town our traditional 3 star hotel is more or less the hub of the community. Two bars, one with an ancient well to peer down, a sizable dining room and cosy courtyard make up the public areas. No lift, but then that’s not surprising, as the building dates from 1730. Loads of character, loads of comfort and real ales on tap!
