Yorkshire Dales National Park
The Yorkshire Dales National Park in the north of England is an area of sweeping green valleys and classic rural countryside, famously known as James Herriot Country after the author’s classic tales ‘All Creatures Great and Small’.
Covering some 683sq miles, the Yorkshire Dales National Park is situated north east of York , to the west is the Lake District , and makes for a rewarding diversion between these two popular destinations. The Dales are split into different valleys the main ones being Wensleydale (home of the famous cheese), Swaledale, Wharfdale and Ribblesdale.
It was here in the Yorkshire Dales that author and veterinarian James Herriot, aka; Alf Wight set his practice and his writings. Alf Wight alias James Herriot, set up his veterinary practice in the market town of Thirsk on the outskirts of the national park and for more than 50 years cared for animals and livestock in the region. From here he drew his inspiration for his tales of veterinary life in All Creatures Great and Small, which was later turned into a BBC television series.
No. 23 Kirkgate, the house where Wight lived and worked has been restored and turned into a visitor attraction; the World of James Herriot, a must for fans of the author or TV series. The house has been restored to how it would have looked when Wight lived here in the 1940s and 50s and includes his original surgery, practice dispensary, family rooms and kitchen.
For Herriot Country, head towards Wensleydale. It was here in the broad expansive valley that most of the scenery from the TV programmes was shot. Other prominent places to visit are the ruins of Bolton Abbey, set in a tranquil vale in the southern Dales and the atmospheric ruins of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal on the outskirts of the Dales near York. The main gateways to the Dales are the towns of Settle, Grassington and Hawes and each provides great bases from which to explore the area.
The Yorkshire Dales offers a number of outdoor pursuits. It is one of the best potholing locations in the UK, but if you prefer touring over ground, you’ll find in the Dales some breathtaking walks amid equally breathtaking scenery. Sections of the Pennine Way traverse the western Dales, there is also the Coast-to-Coast Walk, which goes through lovely Swaledale in the north and the Dales Way route through the central dales.
