Pickering and the surrounding areas have played host to some of TV’s most popular series and big blockbuster movies. Step onto the silver screen and immerse yourself in the worlds of the Bridgerton family, Harry Potter, secret agent Ethan Hunt, and many other well-known characters by visiting the locations where their stories have played out.
Take a closer look at some of the amazing locations you can visit for film-inspired days out:
Mission: Impossible 7, North Yorkshire Moors Railway
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway appears multiple times in this upcoming action movie, and why wouldn’t it? The heritage railway’s stunning backdrop and unique character are hard to beat.
Many locals were surprised to spot Tom Cruise around the Pickering countryside while filming at locations around Levisham Station on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. The movie, titled Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One, is due for release in July 2023.
Bridgerton, Castle Howard near York
The Duke of Hastings’ ‘Bridgerton’ home is real, and it is here in North Yorkshire!
Castle Howard and Coneysthorpe feature heavily in the bodice-ripping Netflix series as the fictional Clyvedon Castle and Clyvedon village, the Duke of Hastings’ family estate.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Goathland
Goathland Station represents Hogsmeade Station in the hugely popular Harry Potter film series, making it a must-see for all ‘Potterheads.’ You can spot this filming location as the students depart from Hogwarts at the ending of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
Hop aboard the North Yorkshire Moors Railway to make a stop at the station and imagine yourself aboard the magical Hogwarts Express.
Brideshead Revisited, Castle Howard
It’s impossible to mention Castle Howard and not think of Brideshead Revisited. The impressive country house has represented the Marchmain family home on screen not once, but twice.
The original 1981 adaptation starring Jeremy Irons was immensely popular, and was followed by a big screen retelling in 2008 with Ben Whishaw and Emma Thompson starring.
The ABC Murders, North Yorkshire Moors Railway
BAFTA-nominated writer Sarah Phelps made use of many North Yorkshire locations when adapting Agatha Christie’s The ABC Murders, creating a series which is essentially a Yorkshire showreel.
Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway doubled as Andover Station, with filming for the BBC production also taking place at the nearby stately home of Newby Hall, Ripon, which played the role of Carmichael Clarke’s residence at Churston.
Testament Of Youth, North York Moors
Testament of Youth is a powerful story of love, war, and remembrance, based on the First World War memoir by Vera Brittain.
Landscape shots of period trains were filmed for the 2014 film adaptation at the heritage track of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. Ravenscar and Robin Hood’s Bay in the North York Moors were also used for the movie’s atmospheric coastal shots.
Heartbeat, Goathland
The quaint village of Goathland is also famously the shooting location for the fictional village of Aidensfield in the ITV police drama Heartbeat.
Immerse yourself in the whole experience and visit The Gothland Hotel, which doubles as local drinking spot the Aidensfield Arms. Heartbeat’s spin-off show, The Royal, a hospital drama set in Scarborough, was also filmed in areas around North Yorkshire.
The Secret Garden, Helmsley
Filming for the remake of children’s classic The Secret Garden, released in 2020, took place across a number of multiple beautiful Yorkshire locations, including Helmsley Walled Gardens, Duncombe Park, Fountains Abbey and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.