The North York Moors National Park is famed for its heather moorland, and from those moor tops the 360-degree panorama that stretches out before you is breath-taking. This landscape has been shaped by man, though to the untrained eye, the signs are few and far between.
Framing the eastern edge of the National Park is the North Yorkshire and Cleveland Heritage Coast with its wide sandy beaches, tiny fishing villages and secluded coves. Lush green dales, ancient and coniferous woodland, picture postcard villages and a wealth of heritage, including ruined abbeys and ancient churches, make the North York Moors ideal for a wide range of film and television productions.
How we can help
It is important to note that much of the National Park is in private ownership and also has various levels of protection in place to safeguard the wildlife and landscape. The North York Moors National Park Authority can provide advice and guidance on filming in this protected landscape and help with contacting the relevant landowner. For all filming enquiries in the National Park, please contact the National Park Authority’s Communications Team.
If you know where you would like to film
Please contact Nina Beadle with details of your request. Please give as much notice as possible, as if the land is in private ownership we will need to seek permission to provide you with the relevant contact details and they will need time to respond to your request.
press@northyorkmoors.org.uk
01439 772700
If you are looking for inspiration on where to film
Our expert knowledge of the North York Moors National Park can help you find the perfect location for your production. Our Communications Officer can put you in touch with one of our Senior Rangers, who each know their area of the National Park, its wildlife and its iconic beauty spots, like the back of their hand. If your require more specialist knowledge, pertaining to the National Park’s ecology or archaeology for example, we would be happy to put you in touch with a member of our Conservation team.
Nature
If you’re looking to capture some of the natural spectacles of the North York Moors, from the famed Farndale wild daffodils, to rare turtle doves and even whale-watching, why not visit our Nature Calendar. The National Park Authority can help put you in touch with a experts, be they our own ecologists and conservationists, or individuals who specialise in wildlife watching and photography tours in the North York Moors.
Iconic sights and stand-out attractions
The National Park is a captivating canvas for filmmakers, offering iconic monuments, historic railways, wild open spaces and breath-taking vistas.
Whether you're looking for a purple heather moorland, an ancient woodland, a castle, gallery or garden, the North York Moors can help bring a true sense of place your production. For further inspiration, why not visit our 'Attractions' page.
Levisham Estate and the Hole of Horcum
The Levisham Estate is owned and cared for by the North York Moors National Park Authority on behalf of the nation, meaning it is one of the few areas of the National Park where we are able to provide direct permission for filming.
The Estate is often described as the North York Moors in miniature. Into 3,358 acres it packs almost everything that gives the National Park its special character: Spectacular landforms, ancient woodlands, world-class archaeology, teeming in wildlife, and of course our famous heather moorland.
Some of the best-loved beauty spots in the National Park are part of the estate. The breath-taking scenery of the Hole of Horcum, a vast natural amphitheatre, has been stopping travellers in their tracks for centuries. Newtondale, with its celebrated steam railway, is a place of pilgrimage not just for steam enthusiasts but for geologists, photographers, and people who simply know a beautiful view when they see one. For more information, visit the Levisham Moor and the Hole of Horcum trail page.
Sutton Bank and Danby Lodge National Park Centres
Vet and author James Herriot declared the tremendous view from the dramatic Sutton Bank escarpment as the "finest in England", so if it’s a spectacular view you’re looking for, this might be it. Sutton Bank is probably our popular filming location. It is easily accessible from major transport routes, offers a large carpark and is great spot for all kinds of activities.
Both Sutton Bank and Danby Lodge National Park Centres have been named as Dark Sky Discovery Sites (Milky Way class) – so named because the galaxy is often visible to the naked eye from these sites.
As well as potential locations for filming in themselves, if you are visiting the National Park for a recce and would like to meet with any of our Rangers or other experts, these are useful locations to be aware of. The National Park Authority’s headquarters is in Helmsley.
Film and television productions shot in the North York Moors include:
- Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
- Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
- The Secret Garden (2020)
- The Runaways (2019) - Set entirely in the National Park, including Osmotherley, Sutton Bank, Levisham Estate and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway
- Phantom Thread (2018) - Showcasing the stunning coastline of the North York Moors, including Robin Hood's Bay, Staithes and Lythe
- Dad's Army (2016) - Featuring the North Yorkshire Moors Railway
- Testament of Youth (2014)
- Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets
- Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone
- Wild Child
- A Cock and Bull Story
- Possession
- All Creatures Great and Small
- Old Jack's Boat (CBeebies)
- Parade's End (BBC)
- The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister (BBC)
- The Accidental Farmer (BBC)
- Heartbeat (ITV)
- The Royal (ITV)