All Emmerdale fans know that the filming takes place in the closed Harewood Estate located in Leeds. It’s been the filming location since 1998 and is actually a replica of the village of Esholt that is located in West Yorkshire. A lot of people don’t know this but it took almost a year to plan out the construction of the village. Village life in Esholt was disturbed during filming, which is why designer Mike Long was given the work to design the new village so that the show could continue.
Things got hectic for the crew, when three episodes began being screened every week instead of the usual two. In 1995, Long submitted the new plan for the Emmerdale set that was approved after all the costs were finalised in 1996. Mervyn Watson, the producer had instructed Long that he wanted more detailed stonework but that all the other buildings should look like the ones in Esholt. Fortunately, the Harewood estate in Leeds was found near the farmhouses that were being used to film Glovers farm and Dingles farm.
The shape of the buildings were copied and they were used as Annie’s Cottage and tea rooms. The team had copied the houses next to the pub so that the new set looked just like the old one. Since the team was on a set budget, the vicarage and the church were not recreated.
The construction work ended in 1997 and the Emmerdale cast said goodbye to Esholt, a place where they had filmed for 22 years. Thanks to the newly announced coach trips, you’ll be able to see all these things and learn more about these facts from experienced guides.