Yorkshire's filming locations
Distances and routes from Harrogate
Harry Potter. The Crown. All Creatures Great and Small. Downton Abbey. Happy Valley. Gentleman Jack. The filming locations are scattered across Yorkshire — Harrogate sits at the centre of all of them.
Free parking · Full breakfast included · Minimum 2 nights
The Yorkshire triangle
Three Harry Potter locations, spread across the county. Malham Cove is in the far west. Goathland is in the far east. York is in the middle. Harrogate is the only base that makes all three achievable as day trips without moving hotels.
Goathland Station
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone — Hogsmeade Station
Philosopher's Stone — Harry's first arrival at Hogwarts by steam train
The platform where Hagrid waves goodbye to Harry. The station is on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway — you can arrive by steam train from Pickering.
Parking
Goathland village car park, signed from the main road. Pay and display.
Combine with
Combine with a drive across the North York Moors to Whitby (20 minutes further). A full day from Harrogate.
Malham Cove
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 — Harry and Hermione's camping hideout
Deathly Hallows Part 1 — the limestone pavement where Harry and Hermione camp while on the run
The dramatic limestone pavement at the top of the cove. The walk from Malham village to the top takes about 30 minutes and is manageable for most visitors.
Parking
National Park car park in Malham village. Pay and display, approximately £3–5.
Combine with
Combine with Gordale Scar (10 minutes walk) and Janet's Foss waterfall for a half-day in the Dales.
York Railway Station
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone — King's Cross — where Hagrid gives Harry his ticket
Philosopher's Stone — the footbridge used for King's Cross station exterior scenes
The pedestrian footbridge inside York station was used for the King's Cross scenes. The station itself is a Victorian masterpiece worth seeing regardless.
Parking
York has multiple car parks; the Station car park is most convenient. Alternatively, take the train from Harrogate — 40 minutes, frequent service.
Combine with
York is a full day in itself: the Shambles, York Minster, the Roman walls, the National Railway Museum.
Suggested two-day circuit
Day 1 — Harry Potter West
Drive to Malham Cove (approximately 50 min on narrow Dales roads). Walk to the limestone pavement. Continue to Grassington for lunch and the All Creatures village. Return to Harrogate via Skipton. Total driving: approximately 2.5 hours.
Day 2 — Harry Potter East
Drive to York (35 min) — see the station bridge and spend the morning in the city. Continue to Goathland via Pickering (45 min from York). Return to Harrogate via the A169 and A64. Total driving: approximately 3 hours.
Accommodation near Yorkshire's filming locations
Lamont House is a family-run B&B in the centre of Harrogate — 10 minutes' walk from the station, with free on-street parking. Every filming location on this page is within 75 minutes by car. We are happy to help you plan a driving itinerary around your stay.
Where to go, how to get there,
where to eat
All Creatures Great and Small
Channel 5 (2020–present) · BBC (1978–1990)
Originally a BBC series (1978–1990); rebooted by Channel 5 from 2020. The village square is used as the fictional market town of Darrowby throughout
Getting there
Take the A59 west from Harrogate towards Skipton, then the B6265 north through Cracoe to Grassington. The village square — used as the fictional 'Darrowby' — is immediately recognisable.
Parking
National Park car park on the edge of the village, signed from the B6265. Pay and display, approximately £3–5 for a full day.
What to see
The cobbled market square, the Devonshire Arms pub (used in filming), and the surrounding Wharfedale landscape. Allow two to three hours to walk it properly and have lunch.
Where to eat
The Devonshire Arms in the square is the obvious choice. The Grassington Lodge also does good lunches.
Combine with
Drive up Wharfedale to Kettlewell and Buckden for the full Dales landscape. The World of James Herriot museum in Thirsk (30 min from Harrogate) covers the original BBC series.
The Crown
Netflix (2016–2023)
Series 1–6 — Harewood House State Rooms used as Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace interiors throughout the series
Getting there
Take the A61 south from Harrogate towards Leeds. Harewood House is signed from the main road — you cannot miss it.
Parking
Free parking at Harewood House's visitor car park.
What to see
The State Rooms used to represent Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace interiors in The Crown. The house is also home to a bird garden and 1,000 acres of Capability Brown parkland. The Terrace Gallery has a permanent collection.
Where to eat
The Courtyard Café at Harewood House is good for lunch. The Harewood Arms in the village is an excellent pub.
Combine with
York Minster was used for royal wedding sequences in The Crown and in Cate Blanchett's Elizabeth (1998). York is 30 minutes east — a natural pairing for a full day.
Downton Abbey
ITV (2010–2015) · Films (2019, 2022)
Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022) — Castle Howard used as the Château de Montmirail; also featured in the 2019 film
Getting there
Take the A59 east from Harrogate, then the A64 towards York, turning north at the Castle Howard signs near Malton.
Parking
Free parking at Castle Howard's visitor car park, signed from the A64.
What to see
Castle Howard was used as the exterior of 'Crawley House' in the films. The Downton Abbey Experience runs seasonally inside the house. The grounds — 1,000 acres of parkland, formal gardens, and a lake — are worth the visit regardless.
Where to eat
The Fitzroy restaurant inside Castle Howard is good for lunch. The café in the stable block is more casual.
Combine with
York is 15 miles to the west — combine Castle Howard and York into a full day trip from Harrogate.
Happy Valley
BBC One (2014–2023)
Series 1–3 — Hebden Bridge and the Calder Valley are the primary setting throughout; the canal basin features in multiple key scenes
Getting there
Take the A61 south from Harrogate to Leeds, then the M62 west to junction 24, then the A629 into Hebden Bridge.
Parking
Hebden Bridge has several pay-and-display car parks in the town centre. The main one is on Crown Street.
What to see
The canal basin, the market town centre, and the steep wooded valley sides. The series was filmed almost entirely on location — the town itself is the set.
Where to eat
The White Lion on Bridge Gate is a good lunch option. The town has an excellent independent food scene.
Combine with
The Piece Hall in Halifax (15 minutes further) is a stunning Georgian cloth hall now used as a cultural venue.
Gentleman Jack
BBC One / HBO (2019–2022)
Series 1–2 — Shibden Hall is Anne Lister's actual home and appears throughout both series as the central location
Getting there
Take the A61 south from Harrogate towards Leeds, then the M62 west to junction 26, then follow signs for Halifax and Shibden Hall.
Parking
Free parking at Shibden Hall, off Lister's Road, Halifax.
What to see
Shibden Hall is the actual home of Anne Lister, whose diaries formed the basis of the series. The house is open to visitors and the interior is largely unchanged.
Where to eat
The café at Shibden Hall does light lunches. The Shibden Mill Inn, a mile away, is excellent for a proper meal.
Combine with
The Piece Hall in Halifax town centre (10 minutes) — one of the most impressive Georgian buildings in the north of England.
Stay in Harrogate, tour Yorkshire by day
Lamont House is a Harrogate B&B for travellers who want one comfortable base while visiting filming locations across the Dales, York and the North York Moors. Enquire with your dates and we can help you keep the driving realistic.
Planning Your Visit
Can I visit both Malham Cove and Goathland Station in the same trip?+
Not comfortably in a single day — they are about two hours apart by car. The most practical approach is to dedicate one day to the Dales (Malham Cove, plus Grassington for All Creatures) and a separate day to the Moors (Goathland, plus Whitby). Harrogate sits almost exactly in the middle of both, which is why it works as a base for the full Yorkshire film circuit.
How far is Harewood House from Harrogate?+
Harewood House is 8 miles south of Harrogate — about 20 minutes by car on the A61. It is the closest major filming location to Lamont House and an easy half-day trip, leaving the afternoon free for Harrogate itself or a drive into the Dales.
Can I visit All Creatures Great and Small filming locations from Harrogate?+
Yes. Grassington, used as 'Darrowby' in the Channel 5 reboot (the original BBC series used Askrigg in Wensleydale), is 40 minutes by car. The World of James Herriot museum in Thirsk is 30 minutes. All three are achievable in a single long day.
Do I need a car to visit the Yorkshire filming locations?+
For most locations, yes. Grassington, Malham, Harewood House, Castle Howard, and Shibden Hall are all best reached by car. York and Hebden Bridge can be reached by train from Harrogate, but the journey to Hebden Bridge takes around 90 minutes each way. We have free on-street parking at Lamont House for your hire car.
Is Harrogate a good base for visiting Yorkshire TV filming locations?+
Harrogate is one of the best bases for drama tourism in Yorkshire. Harewood House (The Crown) is 20 minutes away. Grassington (All Creatures), Castle Howard (Downton Abbey), Hebden Bridge (Happy Valley), and Shibden Hall (Gentleman Jack) are all within 35–50 minutes. Malham Cove (Harry Potter) is approximately 50 minutes on narrow Dales roads, and Goathland (Harry Potter) is approximately 1 hour 15 minutes.
Plan your filming locations tour
Send us an enquiry with your preferred dates and we will come back to you promptly. We are happy to help you plan a driving itinerary — routes, timings, and what to combine in a single day.