A breathtaking coastline with chalk cliffs, wild moorlands, old fishing villages, stately country residences and a historic steam railway – it’s really no surprise that the North York Moors is an internationally popular filming location for films and series. Whether it’s Harry Potter, Indiana Jones or Bridgerton – let’s embark on a cinematic search for clues!
Up in the reaches of northern England, explore the vast parklands, filled with lakes and picturesque woodlands. Or head into the castle for a tour of its treasures and marvel at skilful architecture that took over 100 years to complete.
The looming ruins of Whitby Abbey inspired Bram Stoker to write his classic novel Dracula – and they’re just as atmospheric today. In Whitby itself, you’ll find seaside fun galore: think long golden sands, rock pooling, arcades, donkey rides and traditional fish and chips.
From golden sands to blustery clifftops and tales of smugglers and sailors, the North York Moors coastline is a joy to explore – and the 1.5-mile (2.4km) trail from Robin Hood’s Bay to Boggle Hole is one of the region’s best. You don’t need any great fitness to walk it, but be wary of tide times. Stop for rock pooling and picnics at Boggle Hole, before retracing your steps back to Robin Hood’s Bay, a pretty fishing village with a dark smuggling past. Expect cobbled streets, cosy pubs and more.
Travel back in time on this steam-powered train, which runs between Pickering and Whitby. This 23-mile (37km) journey is renowned for its beautiful countryside and lush moorland, while on-board events include photography workshops and gourmet lunches.
Standing tall in a picturesque valley, the ruins of this Cistercian monastery will take your breath away. It was founded in 1132, and elements of its ornate architecture have survived in immaculate detail: a spectacular backdrop for picnics, live music and carol concerts.
An absolute magnet not only for tourists, but also for filmmakers is the elegant, historic railway between Whitby and Pickering (a total of six stations and a good 38 kilometres of track). Opened in 1836, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway runs through the North York Moors National Park to this day, stopping at well-preserved stations.
The steam train can be seen in scenes from Testament of Youth (2014) with Emily Watson, Kit Harrington and Dominic West, a film set during the First World War. When Harrison Ford escapes from captivity in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023), a section of the North York Moors Railway can be spotted, as well as in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) with Tom Cruise.
The well-preserved Pickering station was used as a double for London’s Kings Cross in the film Downton Abbey (2019) and can be seen in the opening scenes. The BBC mini-series The ABC Murders (2018), based on Agatha Christie’s work and starring John Malkovich as Hercule Poirot, was also filmed at Pickering and Grosmont stations. At Grosmont Station, you can gain an insight into the work on the engines and trains: simply walk through the historic pedestrian tunnel to the railway workshops.
The pretty seaside town of Whitby is popular with film producers for its remarkably preserved buildings and is known around the world for its Dracula connections. Dramatically perched on a cliff, Whitby Abbey served as the inspiration for writer Bram Stoker’s 1890 horror novel. The films Dracula (1931) and Count Dracula (1977) were shot here.
Most recently, Whitby appeared in the BBC’s 2020 Dracula series, adapted by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat. The film crew used both the ruins of Whitby Abbey and other filming locations such as the Cholmley House banquet hall next to it. The Spanton fashion store from the show can also be found among the real shops in Whitby’s oldest street, Flowergate.
A little further south of Whitby is Robin Hood’s Bay. This traditional village, with its alleys lined with fishermen’s huts, ends abruptly on a cliff-lined beach, which, like the steam train, played a role in the historical filmTestament of Youth (2014). The dramatic coastline can also be seen in the Oscar-winning film Phantom Thread (2017), in which Daniel Day-Lewis plays a fashion designer. Robin Hood’s Bay, the Victoria Hotel there, the cobblestone streets of Staithes and St. Oswald’s Church in Lythe lent this film its special atmosphere.
Film fans simply can’t miss this small village in the eastern North York Moors National Park. The series Heartbeat, which was popular in Great Britain in the 1990s, was filmed here and Goathland became the fictional village of Aidensfield. Several filming locations such as The Goathland Hotel or Goathland Garage can still be visited today. The series takes place in the 1960s and the fact that Goathland was chosen as the shooting location is due to the originality of the pretty moor village: Sheep graze peacefully here and the historic steam train stops at the station.
For the first part of Harry Potter, Goathland Station was transformed into Hogsmeade, the most famous train station in the wizarding world. This is where the School of Magic and Witchcraft is based. The shop on the platform is the “Prefect’s Room” and the ladies’ toilets are the “Wizard’s Room”.
Goathland is also an ideal starting point for hikes. A beautiful circular path leads to the village of Beck Hole with its several well-preserved old houses, to Mallyan Spout, the highest waterfall in the North York Moors National Park, and on to the old Wheeldale Roman Road. From Whitby, several tour operators offer day trips to Goathland – also with a focus on filming locations.
Stormy, restless and windswept – the North Yorkshire coast offers a fitting backdrop for the psychological horror film Saint Maud (2022), which is not for the faint of heart. The Victorian spa town of Scarborough contributed some dark, timeless locations such as the crumbling Holbeck cliff, the iconic vintage arcades of Foreshore Road or the bright white lighthouse at Vincent Pier.
The lively Georgian market town of Helmsley and the surrounding moorlands played a central role in the filming of the blockbuster film adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic children’s novel The Secret Garden (2020) with Colin Firth and Julie Walters. Locations included the beautifully restored Helmsley Walled Garden, the ruins of Helmsley Castle and the Duncombe Park estate. Helmsley Walled Gardens was founded in 1759, but fell into disrepair over the decades. Today, in addition to a gardening team, many volunteers also help with the maintenance of the garden.
Duncombe Park also served as Germany’s World War II headquarters in the comedy Dad’s Army (2016) with Bill Nighy and Catherine Zeta-Jones, and also starred in the BBC drama Parade’s End - the Last Gentleman (2012) and the BBC film The Thirteenth Tale (2013) with Olivia Colman.
Just a few miles from Helmsley Walled Gardens are the ruins of Rievaulx Abbey. It was one of the first Cistercian abbeys founded in England around 1130. The ruins of the abbey form the impressive backdrop for King Arthur and his metallic Knights of the Round Table in the science fiction film Transformers: The Last Knight (2017) with Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci and Anthony Hopkins.
Castle Howard is one of Yorkshire’s most magnificent mansions. Its construction began in 1699 and took more than 100 years to complete. The house is crowned by a Baroque dome modelled after St Paul’s Cathedral in London, which was the first of its kind to decorate a residential building in England. Temples, fountains and other ornate features can be found on site, making it a versatile filming location.
In the successful Netflix series Bridgerton, it played a prominent role as the family estate of the Duke of Hastings. It is also immediately recognisable as a filming location for Brideshead Revisited. Castle Howard appears in both the original 1981 adaptation of the Evelyn Waugh novel and the 2008 remake starring Emma Thompson and Michael Gambon. During a tour of the manor house, visitors can discover photos of the productions.
The rooms can also be seen in the second season of Victoria, the globally successful ITV series with Jenna Coleman about the young Queen of England in the 19th century. In the production, the house also served as Kensington Palace.
The Sky series The Queen & I, the BBC drama Death Comes To Pemberley and the feature film Garfield 2 were also filmed here. Castle Howard remains a private residence and has been home to the Carlisle branch of the Howard family for more than 300 years.
