I have been a fan of All Creatures Great and Small for a very long time. I'm finally going to Yorkshire this summer and want to go to Thirsk, the "real" Darrowby of the books.

I've looked at the website for the vet's house and office--it's a little confusing but it does seem to be open seven days a week in the summer.

Has anyone else gone and would like to offer any tips on the visit? Or about other things to see in Thirsk? Somewhere I read that Monday is market day in Thirsk. Is that still true? Is it worth seeing?

We will be staying in York and will take the bus over. Any suggestions on other stops to get off at on the return--other villages and so on.

Have just been rereading my 'Rick Steves' England' prior to a visit there later this year. He has a lot of information on the 'Herriot Trail' in the York section.

Ginny, my daughter loved the James Herriott books, and she and my husband also really enjoyed the BBC miniseries. When we stayed in Yorkshire a few years ago, we went to Thirsk and visited the James Herriott museum (The World of James Herriott). It was very well done... fun and interesting.

We had a car, and earlier in the week we did a 70-mile James Herriott driving tour. I found a little booklet that laid out the route.

Here's a link to my blog entry for that week. See "Thursday" for the driving tour and "Friday" for our visit to Thirsk and the museum. I also have a few photos posted here.

We also passed through this area on our Coast-to-Coast walk across England, a couple weeks later on this same trip. It's really beautiful.

Kathy

Thirsk is a delightful market town and you could spend time exploring it and also Sowerby which is the other side of the A170. Spend some time reading this website for more information and also here. . It still has a market on Monday and also Saturday. I don't know what the difference is between the two. Try emailing Thirsk Information Centre to ask their advice.
Email thirsktic@hambleton.gov.uk

If you look at the website for opening times for the World of James Herriot you will see they are open daily in the summer from 10-5. Winter opening hours are a bit shorter.

I assume you will be catching this bus service between York and Thirsk. Most of the stops are in small villages and there may not be enough to do there to justify breaking journey. The only place which would merit a stop is Easingwold. which is a pretty small town.

Are you dependent on public transport for getting to other places from York too?

Eleanor

Thanks for all these great tips and links, which I am in the process of exploring. We will not have a car at all. We will be on a guided tour of mostly gardens and some historic sites in the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales.

Then we will be dropped on our own in York. We'll explore York by ourselves and have hired a guide for a day trip of various outlying sites. But Thirsk we will do on our own by bus--looks fairly easy, she said optimistically. I am excited beyond words to finally see this village, which I have enjoyed vicariously for so long.

Thirsk will be fine to do by yourselves and people are so friendly and helpful if you ask for help. The Yorkshireman (or woman) is so proud of their county (best in the world - I know as I am one of them!) and only too pleased to show it off.

Sounds like you have a great holiday to look forward to.

Eleanor

Thank you--and another question. Are there any restaurants in Thirsk you'd recommend? We are especially interested in local food and menu items.

A bus question. The links kindly posted by Eleanor show two bus companies going to Thirsk. The local--stops at many towns--is Silverline. The express--straight thru from York to Thirsk and return--is National Express.

It says you have to buy your National Express ticket in advance. Does anyone know where and how to do that? Thanks.

Do you know the biography The Real James Herriot?
I am listening to an audiobook of it at the moment. It may help you understand how he has mixed up places in an attempt to hide the link between Darrowby and Thirsk.

I don't know the book but it sounds very interesting. Thanks for mentioning it.

Oooh I loved the Herriot place--they try so hard to keep it "as it was" right down to the armchairs and the stable. Thirsk is actually a good sized market town now and not at all like the series village Darrowby but enjoyeable nonetheless.

As you are hiring a car for the day--you might be able to take advantage of one of these good area pubs for lunch or supper http://www.thirsk.org.uk/pubs2.html

Actually, we are taking the bus from York. Any pub/restaurant recommendations right in Thirsk itself?

This list is tantalizing but out of our reach by foot.