Admittedly, We might be biased… But when it comes to the best day out in North Yorkshire, hear us out…
When people talk about the best day out in North Yorkshire, they tend to reach for the obvious answers. The castles. The abbeys. The coast. And yes, all of those are wonderful. But if you want a day out that genuinely stays with you – one that your family, your partner, or your friends will still be talking about on the drive home – we’d like to make a case for Thirsk.
Specifically, for us.
The World of James Herriot – Where It All Begins
The World of James Herriot in Thirsk is the original home and veterinary surgery of Alf Wight OBE, the man the world knew as James Herriot. Whether you grew up with the books, fell in love with the original BBC series, or discovered All Creatures Great and Small through Channel 5 or PBS, this is the real place behind all of it.
Not a recreation. Not a themed experience. The actual house. The actual surgery. The actual dispensary where Alf Wight mixed his medicines and treated the animals of the Yorkshire Dales for over 50 years.
There is nowhere else in North Yorkshire, or anywhere in the world quite like it.
What Makes It the Best Day Out in North Yorkshire?
Lots of days out give you something to look at. This one gives you something to feel.
From the moment you walk through the door at 23 Kirkgate, you’re stepping back into the 1940s. The rooms are restored exactly as they were. The surgery is intact. The dispensary still smells of the past. And the stories – Herriot’s stories – are everywhere you look, brought to life through over 4,000 items of authentic memorabilia, original letters, photographs, and personal belongings.
If you’re a fan of the television series, you’ll recognise the recreated studio sets from both the BBC and Channel 5 adaptations. If you’re visiting with children, the interactive gallery will keep them absorbed for the best part of an hour. If you simply love Yorkshire and its history, the faithfully restored 1940s home tells the story of everyday life in this corner of England better than any other attraction we know of.
Allow yourself a good 90 minutes to two hours. Don’t rush.
And Then There’s Thirsk – The Perfect Base for the Best Day Out in North Yorkshire
Part of what makes this the best day out in North Yorkshire is what surrounds the museum.
Thirsk is one of those market towns that still feels like a proper Yorkshire town – not a tourist honeypot, not a theme park version of itself. The market square is genuine. The pubs are proper. The independent shops are the kind you don’t find on every high street.
The outdoor market runs on Mondays and Saturdays, and if you time your visit right, the square has a real buzz about it. After your visit to the museum, two minutes’ walk puts you right in the middle of it all – cafes, pubs, and the kind of Yorkshire hospitality that Herriot wrote about so warmly in his books.
And beyond the town, the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Dales are both within easy reach. Sutton Bank – what Alf Wight himself called “the finest view in England”, is just 15 minutes away. Drive up there after lunch and you’ll understand why he loved it so much.
Practical Bits
The World of James Herriot is open seven days a week, all year round. Summer hours are 9:30am to 5:00pm, winter hours are 10:00am to 4:00pm. Adult tickets are £10, children are £5, and under 3s come in free.
There’s no need to book for standard visits, though we’d always recommend checking the website before you travel. Thirsk town centre is just two minutes’ walk from the museum, with plenty of parking nearby and Millgate Coach Park just around the corner for larger groups.
We’re around 30 minutes from York, 45 minutes from Harrogate, and an hour from Leeds – which makes us easy to reach from almost anywhere in the north of England.
One More Thing
We opened a brand new Heartbeat experience coming soon this summer – bringing the much-loved world of Aidensfield to life alongside our James Herriot exhibits. Two iconic pieces of Yorkshire television heritage under one roof.
So if you were looking for a reason to finally make the trip – there you go.
We’ll see you soon.
Book your tickets at worldofjamesherriot.com
23 Kirkgate, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 1PL
Open 7 days a week. Tickets from £5.
