We went to the real ITV Emmerdale village set, took a selfie outside the Woolpack and saw a sneak peak of David in nothing but a pinny.
The Harewood estate in Leeds is home to the real ITV Emmerdale set, complete with the real-life Woolpack pub, featured in the show - so we took a guided tour to see the well-known village in all it's glory.
The village is a replica of Esholt, which was the location used to film Emmerdale’s external shots from 1976, all the way until 1997. Filming then moved to Harewood.
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Emmerdale was filmed in Esholt, West Yorkshire, for 22 years. By 1998, the villagers tired of the camera crews and coach loads of tourists clogging up the roads. Today, the interior scenes are filmed in a studio in Leeds, while the exteriors are shot on a purpose-built set on the Harewood estate on the outskirts of the city.
External filming originally took place in Arncliffe in the Yorkshire Dales while filming for the fictional market town of Hotten takes place in Otley, which is an outskirts Leeds suburb.
We took the Emmerdale The Village Tour, which would cost guests £35 per person. There is also the option to visit the Emmerdale Studio Experience which is a guided tour of the interior sets, which costs £21 per person - I would say this is the more interactive of the two.
The village itself was beautiful, a true picturesque North Yorkshire village - perfect for a wander around in the sunshine. But I would definitely say it is lacking interaction for it's guests. Of course I understand it's a live set and there can't be too much disruption because of weekday filming but even some extra photo opportunities would make it feel like you aren't just wandering around a recognisable village. I suppose the set experience would have more interaction.
Our tour guide, Jacob, was brilliant. He knew his stuff and was extra friendly. He made the tour fun and interesting while knowing his facts - he could tell you what drama happened at each point in the village and trust me if you watch Emmerdale you know there is a lot of drama in one tiny village. Although he wouldn't give any spoilers away.
We got to see all the well-known pit spots of the village, from the Woolpack to all the characters' homes, the cafe, Dingle's garage and even some behind the scene side affects where props have damaged the set in courageous stunts over the years. We got to see a cardboard shaped cut out of David through his letterbox which was a nice surprise - but remember to keep a look out to see what animal is on Rhona's table - we got a shock.
It was an enjoyable morning and when I'm watching tonight's episode I'll definitely be sat on my couch saying: "I've been there. I took a selfie there, look."
But, it's thirsty work walking and talking, it would have been nice to have a replica of the Woolpack, the cafe or David's shop to buy a drink from - of course I know they can't use the real set, but a replica in the car park would have been a nice touch.
I think the biggest downfall to the experience is the parking situation, it's a giant game of whack-a-mole in a field behind a pub before a five minute coach ride to the Emmerdale village car park. I questioned to myself why they don't just have you park at the Emmerdale car park, I assume it is to keep the village as secluded as possible.
Overall the village was a lovely idyllic place for a Sunday morning stroll, but I think if you are a hardcore fan and want the full behind the scenes experience then taking the studio set tour in Leeds may give you the fuller experience. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the tour, because I did, I just would have liked something more.
