Yorkshire - On Location with PBS
Go Learn

Today we arrive in London and embark on our first English adventure: riding the London Underground! (Mind the gap.) We’ll have our first glimpses of English landscape as we head to The Rockwell Hotel in Earl's Court to settle in. Later, we’ll not surrender to jetlag but will explore the royal borough of Kensington on foot and marvel at the grand homes and beautiful palace gardens.

We’ll make our way to Orjowan, a Lebanese Restaurant, for a delicious welcome dinner. Afterward, we’ll head back to The Rockwell for an early night. Busy day tomorrow!

Hotel: The Rockwell  opens a new window
Meal: D
Activity Level: Moderate to Strenuous (lots of walking)

We’ll breakfast at the hotel and then we’re off to say hello to our old friend London-town as we make our way to Westminster Pier to board the Thames River cruise to Greenwich. During the 60-minute journey, we’ll pass iconic London landmarks including the Palace of Westminster, the London Eye, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, St Paul’s Cathedral, and the Tower of London.

We’ll disembark in historic Greenwich, birthplace of Henry VIII, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. You’ll have the opportunity to explore places like the National Maritime Museum, Queens House, Old Royal Naval College (if you’re a Bridgerton fan, don’t miss the Chapel of St Peter and St Paul!), Royal Observatory Greenwich, or Cutty Sark.

We’ll lunch on our own in Greenwich and in the afternoon, after a full day of exploring, we’ll take the boat back to London where the rest of the afternoon is yours to explore the city.

We’ll reconvene in the evening to take in a show in the West End.

Hotel: The Rockwell  opens a new window
Meal: B
Activity Level: Moderate

Today we take the train from Paddington Station to Oxford and explore the world of Endeavor Morse. Judging by the many murder mystery series based in Oxford, you’d think it was quite a dangerous town, but we assure you it is not. We’ll enjoy the city made famous by shows like Morse, Endeavor, and Lewis (as well as the Harry Potter films that used Oxford colleges as Hogwarts locations).

We’ll lunch at a charming Oxford pub, then the afternoon is yours! You’ll be free to explore this beautiful city before returning to London at your leisure.

Get some rest, tomorrow we are away to Yorkshire!

Hotel: The Rockwell  opens a new window
Meals: B, L
Activity Level: Moderate

We’ll breakfast early and head to King’s Cross station to catch a high-speed train to Harrogate. This beautiful Victorian spa town is featured in the series Last Tango in Halifax and was the bolt-hole for Agatha Christie when she mysteriously disappeared for 11 days in 1926. Once we arrive in Harrogate we’ll walk the short distance from the station to our hotel, The Yorkshire, to check in. You can drop your luggage before taking a delightful walking tour of the city, have a spot of shopping, or a drink at the hotel while you wait for your room to be ready. We’ll then enjoy a traditional English Tea together at the world-famous Bettys Tearoom. First opened in 1919, Bettys is a Harrogate tradition. You’ll be serenaded by a pianist as you feast on a lavish selection of dainty sandwiches, specially selected teas, and irresistible miniature cakes and scones.

Afterward, the rest of the afternoon is yours.

We’ll meet up again in the evening for a history chat and beverages at the hotel.

Hotel: The Yorkshire  opens a new window
Meals: B, T
Activity Level: Moderate

We’ll breakfast early at the hotel and then board our own private coach for a full-day tour of the Yorkshire Dales and some filming locations of the PBS hit All Creatures Great and Small. 

In 1939, James Alfred Wright became a veterinarian in Yorkshire where he practiced for almost 50 years in the town of Thirsk. In the 1960s he began writing about his experiences as a vet under the pseudonym James Herriot and the rest, as they say, is history.  

Our tour will take us across the Yorkshire Dales visiting iconic sites along the way. We’ll stop at the show’s main filming location: the village of Grassington, and spend time exploring the village and landscape of this historic town (and maybe even see the crew prepping for filming!). We’ll travel uphill and down-Dales taking in the beautiful scenery from this much-loved series. 

For lunch we’ll stop in the bucolic town of Hawes and the Wensleydale Creamery. Wensleydale cheese is the favorite cheese of beloved duo Wallace and Gromit and you’ll have the opportunity to sample all the varieties the cheesemakers have to offer before lunching in their charming restaurant. Alternatively, you can walk the short distance to the High Street and find your lunch at one of the many shops along the way. 

Afterward, we’ll continue our journey through the Dales ending in Thirsk and The World of James Herriot. You’ll spend the afternoon visiting Herriot’s actual home and surgery and see items from Herriot’s veterinary practice as well as from both productions of All Creatures Great and Small.   

This is a delightfully full day that covers some of the most picturesque routes through the Dales, including picture postcard villages, rolling fields with miles of dry-stone walls, and locations from the All Creatures Great and Small TV series. 

Once we return to Harrogate, the rest of the evening is yours. 

Hotel: The Yorkshire  opens a new window  
Meal: B
Activity Level: Moderate

Even though the filming locations for Downton Abbey are all located near London, the Grantham family are from Yorkshire. The fictional Downton Abbey is located in Yorkshire and York is the nearest “big town” to that great estate.  

York is the unofficial capital of Yorkshire, the birthplace of the Kit Kat, and is also famous for its beautifully preserved medieval city. So, really, there is something here for everyone. 

We’ll breakfast at our hotel and then board the train for York. At the York station, we’ll start with a two-hour walking tour of the old city where we’ll see the ruins of the Abbey of St. Mary, the Bishops House where Henry VIII is rumored to have stopped during his visit to Yorkshire, and York Minster which often stands in for Westminster Abbey in films. After which, the rest of the day is yours to grab lunch and explore. Then you can return to Harrogate at your leisure. 

Later, we’ll meet for dinner at The Pickled Sprout.

Hotel: The Yorkshire  opens a new window 
Meals: B, D
Activity Level: Moderate

Today we’ll breakfast at the hotel and then board our private coach once more, but this time we’ll head west to the Yorkshire moors and the home of the Brontë sisters. Our first stop will be the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway station. This historic station is featured in Last of the Summer Wine, All Creatures Great and Small, and North & South, as well as films such as Brideshead Revisited. Our coach will drop us at Keighley station where we’ll board a historic steam train that will take us on the 20-minute journey to beautiful Haworth station. 

In 1820, Patrick Brontë was appointed to the parish of Haworth and moved his family to Yorkshire and the moors that they would make famous. Emily, Anne, and Charlotte Brontë wrote passionately about the mysterious moors with Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall—all written while the sisters lived in the parsonage. Today, we’ll visit the family home and gardens and explore the surrounding area. Here you’ll experience the landscape that inspired these great women and their works.  

Lunch will be on your own in one of the charming shops on Haworth’s Main Street before we don our walking shoes and walk one and a half miles of the mysterious moors that play such a significant part in the Brontës' works. We may even be able to see set pieces that are still on the grounds from To Walk Invisible.  

Afterward, it’s back on the coach to Harrogate where you’ll have the rest of the evening free. 

Hotel: The Yorkshire  opens a new window 
Meal: B
Activity Level: Moderate to Strenuous (lots of walking)

This morning we’ll breakfast at the hotel and then we’re off to a new adventure. Today we’re making our way to Newby Hall, a 17th-century county home designed by Christoph Wren. Considered to be one of Britain’s finest “Adam Houses,” Newby Hall also offers an exceptional example of 18th-century interior decoration. Victoria, Gentleman Jack, and Peaky Blinders have all filmed in the house and gardens.

Here we’ll have a private tour of the home before enjoying lunch in the Grantham room (sound familiar? Newby Hall was once home to a Lord Grantham!). After lunch, you’ll be free to explore the estate’s extensive grounds, ride a miniature steam train, take a boat trip along the River Ure, or visit the Dollhouse Exhibition or Teddy Bear House (some activities may have an additional cost). 

Once we return to Harrogate, we’ll meet for dinner in Harrogate at a restaurant housed in the splendid historical building that was once the royal baths.  

Hotel: The Yorkshire  opens a new window  
Meals: B, L, D
Activity Level: Moderate

We’ll breakfast early at the hotel before departing for London by train.  

After checking back into The Rockwell, the rest of the day is yours to do whatever is left on your bucket list. Perhaps you want to explore Kensington Palace and Gardens, the place where Queen Victoria was born and spent her childhood (she learned she had become queen when visitors arrived to the palace in the early morning on 20 June, 1837). Perhaps it’s a visit to the V & A or the Natural History Museum, or maybe you want to get some shopping done. Perhaps an afternoon on the South Bank is more your style or maybe heading to Camden or East London. Maybe, it’s all of the above! You are free, go nuts!

Later we’ll be meeting at San Pietro for our farewell dinner.  

Hotel: The Rockwell  opens a new window 
Meals: B, D
Activity Level: Moderate (lots of walking)

We’ll breakfast at the hotel and then your trip leaders will send you off on your next adventure. You’ll leave with a new love of the Yorkshire countryside, the rich history of the north country, and its relationship to some of your favorite Masterpiece shows. 

We’ll see you soon at the reunion! 

Meal: B,
Safe Travels!

Kate Jones, a Yorkshire native, works with local businesses that sponsor shows on PBS Utah. She loves all the British programing and has a special affinity for the locations and characters they portray. Kate's been taking Go Learn trips to PBS filming locations since 2019. She’s excited to return and bring you special insights into the locations and history of the British programs that have become such a cherished part of PBS Utah.

Ja’Naye is a graduate of the University of Utah and has worked in public media since 2007. As the Director of Development for PBS Utah and KUER, Ja’Naye is passionate about the quality news, educational programming, and entertainment both stations offer to the broader community. Her favorite shows on PBS Utah include Poldark, All Creatures Great and Small, NOVA, and the PBS NewsHour. Outside of work, you can find her exploring the great outdoors in Utah with her family, reading, and traveling whenever possible.