Literature, film and TV
Many of our famous writers have been inspired by the drama of the landscape. Wordsworth loved the light on a Cumbrian lake. The wildness of the Yorkshire Moors compelled Emily Bronte to write Wuthering Heights. The misty marshlands of Kent feature in many of Charles Dickens’ novels, and the rural idylls of Dorset were beloved by Thomas Hardy. But if writing a great English novel is not on your agenda, visit one of the many stately homes which are regularly used for film locations and TV locations. Make your own costume drama at houses like Highclere Castle, the setting of the fictional Downton Abbey.
Experience the locations that have inspired great literature
The constantly changing scenery, dramatic landscapes and distinctive character of Yorkshire’s people have all been sources of literary inspiration.
Location: Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Experience York's Literature Festival
Rub shoulders with best-selling authors as York gets all bookish.
Location: York, North Yorkshire
Tread in the footsteps of the stars on the Yorkshire Coast
Visit the most popular film locations on the Yorkshire Coast and North York Moors and follow in the footsteps of stars such as Catherine Zeta-Jones, Ewan McGregor, Bill Nighy and Danielle Radcliffe.
Location: Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Discover ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ in Yorkshire
Tour Yorkshire writer and vet James Herriot's original home, recreated to look just as it did in the 1940s, in the picturesque town of Thirsk.
Location: Thirsk, North Yorkshire
On location with the world’s most popular heritage railway
Ride along with the North Yorkshire Moors Railway as it takes a starring role, from Dad’s Army to Harry Potter.
Location: Goathland, North Yorkshire
Seek out inspiring views atop Malham Cove
Follow in the footsteps of centuries of visitors – and more recently, filmmakers – to Malham Cove, a limestone amphitheatre in the Yorkshire Dales.
Location: Malham, North Yorkshire