From Harry Potter to Mission Impossible, visiting the filming location of these movies in Yorkshire.
I have never been one to go "up North." As a Londoner through and through, the M25 motorway that circumnavigates the capital of the United Kingdom remains a comfort blanket for me.
However, a recent jaunt with Visit Britain took me 200 miles from the big smoke and into the quaint Yorkshire countryside to explore the magic of the movies and how this charming county has made its mark on both the big and small screen.
My journey begins at King Cross Station, a famous spot for the boy wizard Harry Potter, who took the train from platform night and three-quarters for his trip to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. While thongs of tourists queue to take pictures at what is essentially a brick wall, I skirt off into the LNER first-class lounge.
Train travel in the UK is often an overcrowded bore where we fight for seats, luggage space and wifi, yet LNER makes my journey north a breeze. After a refresh and refuel on the complimenarty snacks and beverages. I soon find myself skipping above the crowds and ticket barriers, with direct access to the platforms and our prized destination: York.
Precisely one hour and fifty-three minutes from leaving London, I exited the train into the historic city famous for its 13th-century Gothic cathedral and picturesque walled city. York is also known as Britain's home of chocolate, is believed to be the most haunted city in Europe, and boasts one of the best racecourses in the country. Our movie adventure begins here, taking in locations from the Kit Harrington starring Gunpowder (2017) and the rebooted All Creatures Great and Small (2020), where the city's market squares and quintessential English charm fit well with the onscreen stories and settings.
Leaving the city, I head towards the Yorkshire Dales, a location synonymous with one of Britain's longest-running soap operas: Emmerdale. Made up of 62 peaks, this stretch of picturesque countryside with its free-roaming sheep is the ideal backdrop for the fictional rural community we see on screen.
I stop at Castle Howard, a majestic Baroque masterpiece commissioned by the third Earl of Carlisle in 1699 and designed by Sir John Vanbrugh. The interior boasts opulent rooms filled with exquisite artwork, furniture, and tapestries, showcasing the family's wealth and taste. The estate, with its expansive grounds, has been featured in Garfield 2 (2006), The Crown (2016) and the hit Netflix series Bridgerton (2020). The scene where Daphne consummates her relationship with the Duke of Hastings was filmed on the property. Coincidently, the Archbishop's Room, with its domed gold bed and intricate wallpaper, was also used to depict the death of Laurence Olivier's character in Brideshead Revisited (1981).
From Castle Howard, we departed for the charming town of Pickering, where we took to the tracks of the North Yorkshire Railway to replicate scenes from several big-screen blockbusters. Grosmont Station stood in for Norway in Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning: Part One (2023), where super-spy Ethan Hunt, played by Tom Cruise, battled villain Gabriel atop one of the railway's charming steam trains.
Our day has come full circle by the time we disembark at Goathland Station. The tiny train station represented the town of Hogsmeade in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2021) and the first meeting between Hagrid and Harry.
With its diverse landscapes ranging from rugged moors to charming villages, filming movies in Yorkshire has become popular for both British and international film and television productions. Its blend of picturesque countryside, historic towns, and impressive stately homes make it ideal for productions seeking a classic English setting.
GO: Visit https://experience-yorkshire.com for more information.