Yorkshire Dales: All Creatures Great & Small Filming Tour

Summary

Grassington’s TV charm, creamy Wensleydale, castle gardens and Yorkshire’s wild air

You’ll walk Grassington’s familiar lanes from All Creatures Great & Small, sample fresh Wensleydale cheese in Hawes, listen to Aysgarth Falls thunder past your muddy boots, and wander Bolton Castle’s gardens with stories echoing around you. This day trip from York mixes TV nostalgia with real Yorkshire warmth—you might find yourself lingering on a view or laughing with strangers over cheese.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Explore Yorkshire Dales and key locations

• Drive through Yorkshire Dales National Park
• Stop to admire views and take pictures
• Explore Grassington village and shops
• Visit Wensleydale Creamery and taste cheese
• Discover Aysgarth Falls and take photos
• Tour Bolton Castle and gardens

Top questions

Is hotel pickup included for this All Creatures Great & Small tour?

No, hotel pickup is not included; you meet at the designated departure point in York.

Do I need to be a fan of All Creatures Great & Small to enjoy this tour?

No—the tour is designed for everyone who wants to experience Yorkshire villages and scenery.

What locations from the TV series will we visit?

You’ll visit Grassington (Darrowby), Bolton Castle, Aysgarth Falls, and Wensleydale Creamery.

Are entrance fees included?

Yes—entrance into Bolton Castle Gardens is included from March to October.

Is lunch provided during the tour?

No lunch is provided; you’ll have free time in Hawes where you can buy food locally.

Is this tour suitable for children?

The minimum age is 5 years old; families are welcome as long as children meet this age requirement.

Is the tour accessible for wheelchairs?

No—it is not wheelchair accessible due to uneven ground and historic sites.

Will we have a local guide throughout the day?

Yes—a local guide accompanies you throughout the tour sharing stories and facts along the way.

What happens if Bolton Castle is closed on my date?

If Bolton Castle is closed on your date, the tour will skip this stop but continue with all other attractions as planned.

What’s included

Your day includes travel by minibus from York with a local guide narrating along winding roads through Yorkshire Dales villages. You’ll get entry into Bolton Castle Gardens (March–October), use of a multilingual audio guide if needed, time at Wensleydale Creamery for cheese tasting (bring some extra pounds if you want more!), plus stops at Aysgarth Falls—all wrapped up before heading back to York by evening.

What’s the experience like?

You know that feeling when you wake up somewhere new and everything just smells different? That was me stepping out in York, still half-asleep, and suddenly there’s this crispness in the air. We piled into the minibus (it was actually on time, which surprised me) and our guide—Paul, who had that dry Yorkshire humor—started pointing out little things before we’d even left the city. The first stop was Grassington, but Paul kept calling it “Darrowby” like in All Creatures Great & Small. I’m not a superfan or anything, but walking those cobbled streets with the morning light slanting off the stone houses… it did feel like stepping onto a TV set. Locals were opening up shops, one woman nodded at us as she swept her doorstep. I tried to say good morning in my best Yorkshire accent—let’s just say it needs work.

We rolled through green fields after that, sheep everywhere (they really do stare back at you). Hawes came next and honestly, I wasn’t ready for how much I’d love Wensleydale Creamery. The smell inside is all milk and something sharp—cheese aging quietly in the background. They let us taste a few slices; I went back for seconds of the blue cheese even though I pretended it was for research. Someone mentioned Wallace & Gromit and everyone laughed. It felt easy, like we’d known each other longer than a few hours.

Aysgarth Falls was loud—water smashing over rocks so you had to shout a bit to be heard. My shoes got muddy but I didn’t care; there’s something about being close to water that makes you want to stay quiet for a minute. Paul told us about Herriot proposing at Bolton Castle (which was our last big stop), and when we finally walked up those old stone steps into the gardens, you could see why he picked it. Wildflowers everywhere, wind tugging at your sleeves—I stood by one of those arrow-slit windows looking out over Wensleydale and thought about how many people must’ve done the same over centuries. Didn’t expect to feel so small and so lucky at once.