If you haven’t already seen an Instagram reel of a very happy Kiefer Sutherland stood outside of a Greggs van, you may have missed that the Canadian actor - alongside Rebel Wilson, Danny Dyer, and Derek Jacobi - have been spotted in Yorkshire filming for an upcoming Christmas film. Quality of the aforementioned ‘Tinsel Town’ aside, big names filming in Leeds and Harrogate has got a lot more eyes on the county than usual and – considering the many films shot there over the years – it’s time to consider that God’s own country may be one of the most underrated filming locations in the UK.
Some of the most iconic locations in British film have uncovered beautiful nooks in Yorkshire towns, like Hogsmeade Station in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone shedding light on the town of Goathland – a tiny, gorgeous village mainly populated by sheep, a stone’s throw from Whitby (not Hogwarts unfortunately, but close). If fantasy isn’t your thing, Yorkshire has been home to countless novels and period dramas. Andrea Arnold’s 2011 adaptation of Wuthering Heights delivered on some beautiful shots of towns in the Yorkshire Dales, like Thwaite and Coverham, and that’s not including some of the big names in British television like Peaky Blinders and Downtown Abbey.
Not only are the Moors and the Dales some of the most gorgeous places in the UK ripe for the filming, but some films shot in Yorkshire cities have been a cornerstone for culture in the county, The Full Monty, Brassed Off, and Four Lions just to name a few. Whether it’s films covering the Miner’s Strikes, male strippers, incompetent terrorists, or your classic period romance, Yorkshire has the rich history and the beautiful landscapes to bare it all – even if it is a straight-to-streaming Christmas film.