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Askrigg

Askrigg is a small Wensleydale village roughly forty minutes' drive from Garsdale, on through Hawes and east along the A684. It is of particular interest to James Herriot fans, as the village served as the setting for the TV series All Creatures Great and Small, filmed here in the 1970s and 1980s. The village has a stone-built character typical of upper Wensleydale, with a green, a church and a handful of shops and pubs, and it sits beneath Addlebrough looking out across the dale towards Semerwater and Raydale.

Darrowby, St Oswald's and the Village Green

Askrigg works well as a stop on a Wensleydale day out, easily combined with Hawes, the Wensleydale Creamery or a walk to Aysgarth Falls. The village green, St Oswald's Church and the stone terraces around them are what film crews used for the fictional Darrowby in All Creatures Great and Small.

The village sits just off the A684, and the road continues east from here towards Aysgarth and lower Wensleydale, with Muker and upper Swaledale reachable over the tops to the south.

The visitor centre and picnic tables at Aysgarth Falls in Wensleydale

The Top Things to Do Around Askrigg

The top place we found online in Askrigg itself, with the best of upper Wensleydale alongside.

  • St Oswald's Church

    The parish church on the green, whose tower dates back to medieval times - the top-rated thing to do in the village itself.

  • Herriot Film Locations

    The green, the church and the stone terraces stood in for the fictional Darrowby in the original All Creatures Great and Small, filmed here in the 1970s and 1980s.

  • Aysgarth Falls

    The broad stretches of the River Ure over limestone steps, a short drive east - see Aysgarth Falls.

  • Semerwater

    The closest natural lake to Garsdale, in Raydale just west of the village - see Semerwater.

  • Wensleydale Creamery

    The cheese experience, cafe and shop back up the dale at Hawes - see the Wensleydale Creamery.

  • Bolton Castle

    The medieval fortress at Castle Bolton, where Mary Queen of Scots was once held prisoner - see Bolton Castle.

Semerwater and Raydale

Semerwater sits in the small dale of Raydale just west of Askrigg, and it is the closest lake to Garsdale - one of only two remaining natural glacial lakes in the Yorkshire Dales, the other being Malham Tarn. There are footpaths and walks from and around the lake with fantastic views over the water and the hills behind, and a small stretch of shore where boats can launch.

The lake is the subject of a local folk tale - the usual drowned-village story, this time cursed by a poor man refused food and shelter. Semerwater, Askrigg and Hawes make a natural Wensleydale circuit from the dale, with Bolton Castle at Castle Bolton an easy addition.

Semerwater in Raydale, the closest natural lake to Garsdale

Holiday Cottages Near Askrigg village

We have three self-catering holiday cottages in Garsdale, on the western side of Wensleydale about forty minutes from Askrigg, that you can use as a base for visiting Herriot country and the rest of upper Wensleydale. Book direct with the local owners for the best rates.

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