Grassington’s star turn as fictional Darrowby in Channel 5’s All Creatures Great and Small is now powering a booming North Yorkshire day tour — with visitors calling it a “real thrill” and praising guides for behind-the-scenes trivia and Dales history.
The market town, already a favourite for its cobbled square, stone cottages and Wharfedale scenery, has found a fresh wave of visitors since the 2020 reboot transformed it into the show’s on-screen heartland.
As filming continues for series seven, and with series seven and eight confirmed, the Yorkshire Dales backdrop looks set to keep attracting fans keen to step into Herriot’s world.
One of the most popular ways to do it is a full-day “All Creatures Great and Small” filming locations tour, which typically starts in York and runs for around nine hours, travelling by minivan in a small group.
The itinerary includes stops such as the World of James Herriot museum, Skipton, and Hardraw Force, before heading into the Dales’ best-known TV landscapes, with Grassington a standout for many visitors.
For viewers, the thrill is seeing how real-life Grassington is “redressed” into 1930s and 40s Darrowby: modern signs vanish, shopfronts are transformed, and vintage props appear around the square.
Fans often come to spot familiar backdrops, including the pub used on screen as The Drovers Arms, the bookshop made over as Endelby’s Grocers, and the building used as Skeldale House, the veterinary surgery and home at the centre of the series.
Reviews from tour-goers repeatedly highlight the combination of dramatic landscapes and knowledgeable guides.
One traveller wrote that seeing the locations “brought me to York” and described the Dales as “breathtaking,” adding that visiting Grassington/Darrowby was “a real thrill.”
They also recalled arriving on a day when locals were dressed in 30s and 40s outfits, calling it “unbelievable” and “fantastic”
Another review praised a guide as “extremely knowledgeable and entertaining,” saying the “scenery was spectacular.”
Others singled out the mix of filming facts and local colour, from production trivia to regional history and food stories, describing it as “as much about people and place as it was about the fiction.”
A few reviewers flagged practical downsides, though.
Several said they would have liked more time in Grassington, noting the stop can feel rushed if you’re trying to fit in lunch as well as exploring the square.
Another visitor mentioned the narrow, winding Dales roads can trigger motion sickness, though they still rated the experience highly overall.
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The tour is rated 4.8 stars out of five on Tripadvisor.
With All Creatures Great and Small continuing to grow, including international interest, Grassington’s “second identity” as Darrowby has become a major draw for staycationers looking for scenic, slower breaks.
For local businesses, the effect is clear: more café footfall, overnight stays, and day-trippers arriving with maps of filming locations in hand.
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