7 movies & TV shows filmed in Harrogate & the Yorkshire Dales
Many places around Harrogate & the Yorkshire Dales have featured on screen. How many do you remember?
Last updated 5th Aug 2021
When we live in such a beautiful part of the world, it hardly seems surprising that the world's film and TV makers would want to use our area as a backdrop.
Rural veterinary shows, period dramas, multi-award-winning blockbusters and a little bear from Peru have all come to Harrogate and the Yorkshire Dales to shoot.
All Creatures Great and Small
The original series - filmed on location all over the Yorkshire Dales - ran on the BBC between 1978 and 1990. The 2020 revival on Channel 5 used Grassington as the fictional village of "Darrowby". Skipton, Janet’s Foss near Malham, Bolton Abbey and Ripon Racecourse also feature.
Paddington 2
An epic scene in Paddington 2 where the Nidd Gorge Viaduct makes a starring role in the film's final 10 minutes. Skip to 8 minutes in!
Swallows and Amazons
The latest adaptation of Swallows and Amazons was filmed all over Yorkshire, but one scene was filmed just a few miles from Harrogate at Plumpton Rocks.
Jane Eyre
Based on the famous novel, the 1996 film was shot in the UK, Europe and the United States. One of the key locations was Blubberhouses Moor which had the all important scene when Jane and Rochester first met. Birmham Rocks has also been used for Wuthering Heights, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Ivanhoe and a Woman of Substance.
Agatha
Based on renowned crime writer Agatha Christie’s disappearance, the 1979 film starred Vanessa Redgrave, Dustin Hoffman and Timothy Dalton. In real life Agatha was hiding at the Swan Hydropathic Hotel, so it’s only right that that location, nowadays known as The Old Swan Hotel, is featured in the film.
The Secret Garden
The 1993 fantasy drama was set all over Yorkshire. Allerton Castle was used as both the exterior and interior shots of Misselthwaite Manor.
Chariots of Fire
With 4 Oscars, 2 BAFTA Awards and a Golden Globe, Chariots of Fire is arguably one of our areas most successful exports! It’s a superb film about Olympians Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell, made slightly better by the inclusion of Crescent Gardens as a Parisian cafe.
Have a look at Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon in years gone by:
Hotel Majestic, Harrogate c1910
The Majestic opened in the summer of 1900. In its early years it was popular with celebrities, politicians and royalty from around the world. Still a hotel, it is now known as the DoubleTree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel & Spa.
Harrogate Hydro c1890
Now known as The Old Swan Hotel, in the late nineteenth century the Harrogate Hydropathic Company redeveloped it as a fashionable spa hotel. It was named "The Harrogate Hydro". It is where Agatha Christie was discovered after her 11-day disappearance in 1926. The "Harrogate Hydro" name lives on at the town's swimming pool.
Royal Pump Room, Harrogate, 1900
The octagonal stone building was finished in 1842. Guests would visit every morning to drink the sulphur water famed for its medicinal properties. Pictured here around the turn of the century, the glazed annexe wasn't added until 1912. The building now houses the town museum.
Royal Baths, Harrogate c1890
When they first opened, The Royal Baths were said to be the most advanced centre for hydrotherapy in the world. There were Turkish Baths, a dispensary for the medicinal waters, mud baths and steam rooms as well as consulting doctors on hand to advise you about treatments. The Turkish Baths are still open today!
Station Square, Harrogate, 1913
The Queen Victoria Statue on the right hand side of the image was unveiled in 1887, the year of the Queen's Golden Jubilee. At the time, this area was an undeveloped field but by 1902, the statue was on a traffic island, surrounded by railings.
Harrogate c1880
A town centre view, thought to date from around 1880.
Harrogate street scene c1925
By 1925, Harrogate town centre was bustling with traffic and shoppers.
Ripon Cathedral, 1910
A monastery was founded in Ripon as long ago as the 660s. The present building is the fourth to stand on the Ripon Cathedral site and was built between the 13th and 16th centuries. This image appears to have been taken from the banks of the River Skell, not far from what is now The Water Rat Restaurant and Bar.
Knaresborough Viaduct c1960
At first glance, little appears to have changed in this familiar image of the Knaresborough Viaduct. To this day, you can hire a boat and admire the view from the water.
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