This charming village is now a suburb of a much bigger town in Scotland, where Robert Burns was born and inspired his famous poem ‘Tam o’ Shanter’
The former village now forms part of a much bigger suburb (Image: jimmcdowall / Getty Images)
This wasn’t merely the birthplace of Robert Burns but also served as inspiration for one of his most celebrated works, attracting devotees to the region annually.
Alloway formerly existed as a picturesque village near Scotland’s west coast and was home to the legendary writer Robert Burns. The poet enjoys worldwide acclaim for his works and is honoured annually on Burns Night, yet it all started amongst these tranquil, meandering lanes.
Perhaps his most renowned work, Tam o’ Shanter, draws heavily from his birthplace and mentions the local church and mediaeval bridge, which now serve as attractions for visitors. The poem, dating from 1790, tells of a character whose drunken ways lead him on a horseback journey home one tempestuous night where he encounters witches and warlocks ‘dancing with the devil’.
His father, William Burnes, is actually buried at the Auld Kirk church, which features prominently in the poem. After dark, to generate an unsettling atmosphere and spectral ambience for visitors, the church is illuminated with green lighting.
As we mark Burns Night once more on January 25, numerous Scots and admirers of Burns’ work honour his legacy by visiting Alloway.
Though no longer a village, the location is now a suburb of a considerably larger town, Ayr, which has effectively absorbed this beautiful area.
Fortunately, the village has managed to preserve some of Burns’ heritage, as the cottage where he resided has been maintained and remains under National Trust protection.
Next to the home stands a museum, devoted entirely to displaying his early manuscripts and works for admirers to glimpse.
Also located within the village is a poignant 19th-century memorial, commemorating Burns, which stands at the village’s base, beside the church he referenced in his poetry.
It was crafted by Thomas Hamilton and now serves as a stopping point for numerous tourists seeking photographs.
In 1935, the charming little village of Alloway was merged with the Royal Burgh of Ayr, transforming the village into an official suburb rather than an independent location.
It boasts a total population of approximately 46,982 and has made several attempts to secure city status for Ayr.
A recent visitor to Alloway posted their experience on TripAdvisor: “These church remains are so atmospheric and enchanting. Often you can find yourself alone there and have a real good look at all the gravestones. You can see where Burns got his inspiration for part of the setting of Tom O Shanter.”
Meanwhile, another guest said: “Even though I have lived most of my life in Burns Country and live less than 20 minutes away, this was the first time I have visited the museum and cottage. Really enjoyed the experience, especially the museum displays, but the real highlight was the cottage. Big shout out to the guide, very friendly and informative.”
The first of its kind nature reserve in West Yorkshire has been named one of the ‘wonders of the world’ to visit in 2026 and it’s a traveller’s paradise.
It’s a nature lover’s paradise(Image: visitbradford.com)
This pioneering nature reserve in West Yorkshire has been making waves after recently being named one of the wonders of the world to visit in 2026 by esteemed international travel magazine, Condé Nast Traveller.
The picturesque reserve was established in May 2025 as part of King Charles’ initiative of 25 National Nature Reserves (NNRs), designed to conserve wildlife and celebrate UK landscapes by providing enhanced protection to the unique topography within these designated areas.
Covering 3,148 acres (1,274 hectares) – roughly double the size of Ilkley Moor – the reserve connects eight natural sites within the Bradford and South Pennines area, including the famous Penistone Country Park in Haworth, once home to the Brontë sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne.
The Bradford Pennine Gateway National Nature Reserve brings together Trench Meadows, Ilkley Moor, Bingley Bog North, St Ives Estate, Baildon Moor, Shipley Glen, Harden Moor and Penistone Country Park, reports Yorkshire Live.
A whopping 90% of the Bradford Pennine Gateway National Nature Reserve’s safeguarded area consists of priority UK habitats such as wetlands, peat bogs, and heathland.
A significant 42% of this reserve is newly protected, with around 58% (738 hectares) of land recognised as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
This pioneering nature reserve is the first of its kind, safeguarding endangered wildlife species such as curlews, adders, and golden plovers by providing them with interconnected habitats and enhanced protection.
Bradford Pennine Gateway National Nature Reserve, the only UK location to feature on Condé Nast Traveller’s list, finds itself in esteemed company alongside breathtaking destinations like the Faroe Islands and El Salvador’s El Imposible National Park.
The publication lauded the nature reserve, stating: “One of the reigning monarch’s ongoing Kings Series of nature reserves, the Bradford Pennines Gateway is part of a nationwide initiative to protect and celebrate the UK’s natural heritage, enhance biodiversity, and give local communities better access to nature.”
Rather like King Charles himself, there’s something stoic and un-showy about this 1,272-hectare region, resided in, and beloved by, the Brontë sisters and encompassing Ilkley Moor, Penistone Hill Country Park, Harden Moor and Bingley North Bog.”
Characterising the reserve as “landscapes of unhurried drama”, the publication heaped praise on its “undulating moors, wind-polished gritstone tors and views that collapse into long, moody distances broken only by the slow, stately flap of a marsh harrier”. It concluded: “If Britain ever needed proof that the everyday could still surprise, the Bradford Pennines Gateway delivers with quiet aplomb.”
The stunning Bradford Pennine Gateway National Nature Reserve is the fruitful result of a collaboration between Bradford Council and Natural England, boasting an impressive array of biodiversity set against breathtaking views.
Dubbed as a ‘2026 Wonder of the World’, this reserve is a perfect retreat for nature enthusiasts and thrill-seekers, offering an exciting day out discovering its diverse wildlife.
Since the beginning, guests at Children’s Fairyland have been welcomed by a sculpture inspired by the nursery rhyme “There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe,” now a pink, oversized ankle boot with a crooked roof and eye-popping, candy-like buttons. Today, the shoe is raised on a concrete, plant-adorned platform, but it originally sat flat on the ground, forcing grown-ups to duck to enter the park.
The entrance to Children’s Fairyland is a nod to “There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe.”
(Michaela Vatcheva / For The Times)
That was more than just a quirk of design. It was a mission statement.
The 10-acre garden wonderland, nestled around Oakland’s urban sanctuary of Lake Merritt, has maintained one core rule since it opened its gates on Sept. 2, 1950: “No child without an adult, and no adult without a child.” For Fairyland aims to show the world through the eyes of a young’un — a place filled with curiosity, but also perhaps a bit off-kilter, where one can walk into a whale and find a fishbowl, slide down a dragon and get lost in an “Alice in Wonderland” maze of cards.
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And yet, for more than 75 years now, Fairyland has had a grown-up sized influence. Fairyland is considered the first “storybook”-style park in the country, launching a national fad. Legend has it that Walt Disney visited Fairyland while Disneyland was in the planning stages and was so taken with it that he poached some staff. Fairyland’s “magic keys,” which unlock audio tales throughout the park, were an innovation felt across numerous industries. And the park has been instrumental in the puppet space, home to what’s said to be the oldest ongoing puppet-focused theater in the country. Those at L.A.’s own long-running Bob Baker Marionette Theater today cite Fairyland as an inspiration.
It is Fairyland’s thesis that continues to feel revolutionary. And that’s a belief that the way to understand, learn and grow is via the stories we tell one another, and those narratives need no fancy tech or digital accouterments.
Kymberly Miller, CEO of Children’s Fairyland, says she’s working on a plan for the park’s next 75 years.
(Michaela Vatcheva / For The Times)
“Families want simplicity,” says Kymberly Miller, Fairyland’s CEO. “They want to come in and be like, ‘I feel really safe here.’ It’s a contained space. It’s big but it’s small. Kids can run around and make up things to do with the canvas of Fairyland.”
To enter Fairyland, and it’s estimated that about 150,000 people do each year, is to not just set foot into a handcrafted fantasyland but to also step back in time. It persists at a time theme parks have increasingly targeted a young market with a host of upscale tricks. Legoland, for instance, will this March open a new land in Lego Galaxy with a family roller coaster as its signature attraction. Also this year, the Universal Kids Resort is slated to open in Frisco, Texas. It’s a smaller Universal Studios geared toward a younger audience but featuring cinematic brands such as “Shrek” and “Jurassic World.”
Children’s Fairyland from above. The park is situated around Oakland’s Lake Merritt.
(Michaela Vatcheva / For The Times)
The nonprofit Fairyland is downright quaint in comparison — tickets are under $20, with steeper discounts for Oakland residents. Surviving societal, technological and bureaucratic shifts, it’s become the little park that could, its durability a statement of defiance in our fast-paced, divisive world.
And its story begins once upon a time.
“Children’s Fairyland” was inspired by a kid-focused zoo in Detroit and has long featured animals for little ones to meet.
(Children’s Fairyland)
Children’s Fairyland was the vision of Arthur Navlet, a retired owner of Oakland’s largest nursery. On a visit to the Belle Isle Aquarium in Detroit, Navlet and his wife were smitten by the park’s children zoo, which, as detailed in the book “Creating a Fairyland” by Randal J. Metz, a former Fairyland art director who currently leads the park’s puppet program, exhibited the animals amid fairy tale-like enclosures. Navlet had an idea for a fanciful park in Oakland, and took the concept to the Lake Merritt Breakfast Club, a long-standing civic-focused group dedicated to preserving and sustaining Lakeside Park.
With the organization, and soon the city, behind him, Navlet tapped painter and sculptor William Russell Everitt to create the Fairyland look. It wasn’t always a smooth partnership. Everitt, for instance, created a model of an English cottage that Navlet thought was a bit too realistic. Everitt, writes Metz, took a baseball bat to the tiny sculpture and stormed out of the room. But he didn’t quit the project, and future designs were full of oblong shapes, zig-zagging roofs and slanted walls, designs that were playful but also a nonsensical view of reality.
And thus the Fairyland-style was established. Copy-cats soon followed around the country. In California alone, Fairyland helped inspire the likes of Fairytale Town in Sacramento and Fresno’s Storyland. Fairyland, meanwhile, kept innovating.
An audience watches “King Midas and the Golden Touch” at the Storybook Puppet Theater at Children’s Fairyland in Oakland. Children’s Fairyland has had a grand influence on the puppet arts.
(Michaela Vatcheva / For The Times)
Kids take in a puppet show at Children’s Fairyland. The park runs multiple shows per day.
(Michaela Vatcheva/For The Times)
“They started adding puppetry and magic and all these things kids absolutely loved,” says Metz. “That started here at Fairyland. There was no other place that was doing that at the moment. After Fairyland opened in 1950, Life magazine did a big full-color spread, and then all over the United States people wanted to build Fairylands.”
While Fairyland started a national trend, perhaps the most famous person to visit the park was Disney, who, says Metz, arrived at Fairyland on Easter Sunday in 1954, a year before Disneyland opened in July 1955. While the Walt Disney Family Museum and other Disney historians say there is no official record of Disney visiting the park, local newspapers of the era documented his appearance and many, including Metz, take it as fact that Disney spent an afternoon at Fairyland.
Willie the Whale at Children’s Fairyland, one of the park’s most famous installations.
(Michaela Vatcheva / For The Times)
Metz writes in his book that Disney was particularly taken with Fairyland’s mini post office, which allowed children to send letters straight from the park. Disneyland to this day has mailboxes in the park. Many draw a comparison to Fairyland’s Willie the Whale and Disneyland’s Monstro at the start of the Storybook Land Canal Boats, as both aim to swallow guests. The parks also share a love of garden-strewn pathways and an emphasis on breaking up environments with trees, mixing fantasy and nature to create a calming, safe-feeling environment. And Disney, of course, hired Fairyland’s director Dorothy Manes to work on Disneyland.
“She was one of the few women in administrative leadership,” says Cindy Mediavilla, a retired lecturer from UCLA’s department of information studies and author of the book, “The Women Who Made Early Disneyland.”
To Mediavilla, she is an overlooked Disneyland personality, working to set up tour school groups, help define children’s activities and be an advocate for Disneyland’s overly congenial hospitality. “She was credited with coming up with response to people who come up and say, ‘We love Disneyland. Thank you so much,’” says Mediavilla. “She was credited with coming up with the phrase, ‘It’s been my pleasure.’”
She also helped maintain Disney’s direct line to Fairyland, as Disney in 1957 would once again poach from Fairyland, this time puppeteer Bob Mills to run Disneyland’s budding marionette program. Fairyland’s importance in the area of the puppet arts would be hard to overstate. Celebrities in the space, such as Frank Oz, apprenticed at Fairyland, and Metz continues to run multiple shows per day, both revivals and original creations.
Burt, with master puppeteers Lewis Mahlmann and Frank Oz at Children’s Fairyland.
(Children’s Fairyland)
Metz’s workshop is directly behind Fairyland’s puppet stage, and it’s a mini marionette museum, filled with books, pictures and, of course, puppets. Behind his desk hangs a Pinocchio puppet he made for the Walt Disney Co., and retired puppets from Highland Park’s Bob Baker Marionette Theater can also be found in Metz’s nook. It’s a treasure trove, as intermixed with Fairyland’s puppets will be those from Walt Disney World’s Epcot, such as a fiery red Pantalone from the theme park’s Italy pavilion.
“Children’s Fairyland, for a lot of puppet theaters, including Bob Baker Marionette Theater, is really the one that we look to,” says Winona Bechtle, Bob Baker’s director of partnerships.
“How do you build out a space and experience around a puppet show?” Bechtle continues. “Of course, they’re different than us, as they have the infrastructure of the amusement park around them, but it’s a full-scale immersive experience that takes you beyond a small stage in a church or a community theater. When you’re at Fairyland, there’s a pomp and circumstance to entering the park, approaching the theater and taking a seat. Us, as puppeteers at Bob Baker Marionette Theater, continue to remain inspired by it.”
Randal J. Metz, director of the puppet program at Children’s Fairyland. It’s “kiddie tech,” says Metz, when asked about the power of Children’s Fairyland.
Not all of Fairyland’s innovations stuck. In its early days, the park hoped to establish a “pet lending library,” and briefly advertised that guests could borrow rats, guinea pigs, lizards, snakes, foxes and more for a two-week period. It’s safe to say it didn’t get off the ground, although Fairyland today does house donkeys, goats, chickens and bearded dragons, among other animals, for children to meet.
And yet Fairyland’s magic keys, introduced in 1958, would inspire not just other parks but museums and zoos around the country. The conceit sounds simple today: Kids are given a small plastic key, for which they insert in a box near an installation and then are regaled with music and a short nursery rhyme or folktale. It was the brainchild of Bay Area television host Bruce Sedley, who also fashioned himself as an amateur inventor.
“That’s the icon of Fairyland,” says artist Jeff Hull, an Oakland native who once acted at Fairyland as a child performer and has created numerous immersive art projects, including “The Cortège” last fall in L.A.
“You put the magic key in these boxes that look like storybooks and now you’re hearing an audio track that corresponds to an installation? That in itself is immersive art,” says Hull. “That’s storytelling. That’s an installation as performance. That’s the recipe for what so many people have continued to do and expand on.”
To now walk among Fairyland is to feel as if an arm is being extended, an invitation to play, to be silly and to wonder. Children’s Fairyland is full of hand-painted delights. Stroll a path and look down and spy some smiling sunflowers hidden in the bushes. There are fun house mirrors, a whimsical train, a mechanical Geppetto waving in a workshop and a cat ready to set sail atop the mast of a ship.
There’s even a mini chapel — yes, a chapel — complete with stained glass windows initially designed by children, for those who need a meditative break from running the grounds. A vintage Ferris wheel, themed to “Anansi’s Magic Web,” is an opportunity to rediscover the folktale via the attraction’s netting-like design.
A Ferris wheel inspired by “Anansi’s Magic Web” at Children’s Fairyland.
(Michaela Vatcheva / For The Times)
Maintenance is a large expense for the park, as most sets need to be repainted yearly due to a combination of environmental and hands-on wear, but the park is also vibrant and in conversation with nature. The striking red-and-bronze sculpture of the smiling Ching Lung the Happy Dragon, for instance, circles around and through a towering tree.
“We believe very strongly in ‘kiddie tech,’” says Metz. “We wanted everything to be hands-on. When children are excited about a set at Fairyland, we try to let them imagine they are in it. Henceforth Alice in Wonderland’s tunnel, and going through the cards and pretending you’re one of Alice’s people.”
Carissa Baker, a Los Angeles native who is now an assistant professor of theme park and attraction management at the University of Central Florida, says that Fairyland created its own stamp on children’s architecture and fairy-tale imagery. “Now, we look at the elaborate spaces of theme parks, and we have all these elaborate forms of fantasy environments,” Baker says. “But I kind of see the seed of these fantasy environments in a place like Children’s Fairyland.”
Miller has been overseeing Fairyland for about five years, and she talks of setting the tone for the park’s next seven decades. First, she’s been working on expanding the park’s access. Those, for instance, who receive any sort of financial assistance can visit the park for $5 per person, a program started in 2023 that now serves close to 20,000 people. Next up is building structures to house the park’s eight-person maintenance team to better manage repairs and upkeep.
Children play at Children’s Fairyland.
(Michaela Vatcheva / For The Times)
Broadening Fairyland’s story content is also a goal. Later this year, Fairyland will debut a puppet program inspired by Native American folklore as Metz and Miller seek to continue to diversify Fairyland’s offerings.
“There’s people whose stories are not being told in the park,” says Miller. “Most of the stories told here are Northern European in nature. So it’s really my job to unpack some of that with staff and figure out how to create more access.”
And long-term, Miller would love to add some fresh fairy tale installations. That would require successful fundraising endeavors, but Miller stresses any future additions would be in line with what already exists, meaning a focus on imaginative play rather than “digital expression.”
Old fashioned, yet inventive and timeless. That’s the Children’s Fairyland way.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Germany’s Bavaria is a pretty, fairytale-like destination that inspired Disney’s 1940 Pinocchio film, and it’s just three hours from the UK
Isobel Pankhurst Audience Writer
11:15, 19 Jan 2026
This fairytale-like town is just three hours from the UK(Image: bluejayphoto via Getty Images)
Just a three-hour journey from Britain lies the enchanting, storybook town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria, Germany. A visit to this destination has been likened to ‘stepping into a Disney film’ – and there’s an excellent reason behind this comparison.
During the creation of the 1940 animated classic Pinocchio, Walt Disney drew visual inspiration from this stunning location for the town where Geppetto and Pinocchio resided. Rothenburg’s Plönlein, meaning ‘small place by the fountain’, stands as arguably the town’s most iconic feature, and it was this very spot that captivated Disney’s animators.
This medieval gateway to the Hospital District showcases a yellow half-timbered house alongside two towers from the ancient city walls, which have remained standing since 1360.
Emphasising the Pinocchio connection, Rothenburg’s official website states: “The Plönlein is a real world star: For many people, the half-timbered house on the Plönlein represents the typical Rothenburg old town motif.
“Starting with Walt Disney classic Pinocchio(1940), its architecture is repeatedly copied by artists, architects and designers when it comes to depicting a typical medieval European backdrop.”
Beyond Pinocchio, Rothenburg’s Plönlein has also appeared in the Tekken video game series and the Little Snow Fairy Sugar anime programme.
To reach this magnificent Bavarian destination, it’s a two-hour flight to Nuremberg Airport followed by an hour’s drive. Return flights from London Stansted to Nuremberg can be secured for just £30 with Ryanair.
After exploring the Plönlein, there’s loads more to experience in Rothenburg, including the famous Town Hall, Blade Gate, Castle Garden, the Medieval Crime Museum, and the German Christmas Museum.
Viewers have been praising a BBC drama that’s been gripping them for months. Some say it’s so good they keep rewatching it, with it being deemed “better than Night Manager”
10:07, 03 Jan 2026Updated 10:08, 03 Jan 2026
The series has been deemed “better than Night Manager” (Image: BBC/The Little Drummer Girl Distribution Limited)
One such gem recently sparked discussion on Reddit when a user shared their obsession with a particular miniseries. They revealed they’d become utterly absorbed by it, watching it multiple times and discovering something new with each viewing. Since then, others have admitted how gripping it is, with some claiming it’s “even better than Night Manager”.
The Reddit user gushed: “The Little Drummer Girl is superb. At the risk of being a pretentious bore, the show really struck a chord with me. I watched it, and then immediately rewatched it. Now I’m watching it again.
“There’s a huge amount of depth here. It’s not Homeland, but it’s seriously good. Strongly recommended.”
The post triggered an enthusiastic response, with another viewer saying: “I agree with everything you just said! I LOVED Little Drummer Girl. Florence Pugh is fantastic in it. Very moving.”
On a separate thread, someone else declared: “I thought it was fantastic, one of the best spy thrillers I’ve ever seen. I chase the high of that show sometimes from other things, but nothing ever quite scratches the itch.”
A third gushed: “It’s a classic. My first exposure to Florence Pugh and loved her moments in just as she’s sassing Skarsgård. All episodes enraptured me to the very end. Excellent acting from everyone, excellent story, plot, masterful directing. Definitely would rewatch again. Recommended to anyone who enjoys political thrillers, espionage and/or spy fiction.”
Meanwhile, a fourth shared: “I watched the show first because I am a huge Park Chan-Wook fan and that is actually how I discovered Le Carré. I absolutely loved it. I thought the performances, cinematography and direction were phenomenal.
“Funnily enough, I haven’t actually read the book yet. When I tried to, I only read a few pages and put it down. Wasn’t in the right headspace for it, and was afraid I might dislike it.”
Other viewers have hailed the series as “magnificent”, calling it essential viewing. The stellar cast has also received widespread acclaim.
What’s the storyline?
For those unfamiliar, The Little Drummer Girl is a British spy thriller series adapted from John le Carré’s 1983 novel of the same title. The initial six-part series premiered on BBC One in 2018 and remains popular with audiences, still streaming on iPlayer.
The narrative unfolds in 1979, following a young English actress who gets recruited by Mossad. Her mission involves going undercover to infiltrate and dismantle a Palestinian organisation planning terrorist attacks across London and elsewhere in Europe.
The series features an exceptional cast, with stars such as Michael Shannon, Alexander Skarsgård and Florence Pugh all earning acclaim from viewers for their performances.
In certain cases, audiences have gone so far as to suggest the adaptation surpasses the original novel – remarkable praise by any measure. One viewer commented: “The book is a bit too long and meandering in parts, but the TV series definitely is worth watching.”
Another added: “Thought it was more engaging than Night Manager.”
IF you fancy visiting one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the World’ – there’s a place right here in the UK that has made it onto a new list.
It might not be one of the classics like the Great Wall of China or Petra, but rather one with modern twist.
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The Bradford Pennine Gateway is a Nature Reserve in YorkshireCredit: AlamyThere are 8 sites across the Nature Reserve including Harden ReservoirCredit: Alamy
Condé Nast Traveller declared the Bradford Pennine Gateway in England to be a ‘wonder of the world’ that should be on your must-visit list for this year.
The publication said: “One of the reigning monarch’s ongoing Kings Series of nature reserves, the Bradford Pennines Gateway is part of a nationwide initiative to protect and celebrate the UK’s natural heritage, enhance biodiversity, and give local communities better access to nature.
“Rather like King Charles himself, there’s something stoic and un-showy about this 1,272-hectare region, resided in, and beloved by, the Brontë sisters and encompassing Ilkley Moor, Penistone Hill Country Park, Harden Moor and Bingley North Bog.”
It continued: “These are landscapes of unhurried drama: undulating moors, wind-polished gritstone tors and views that collapse into long, moody distances broken only by the slow, stately flap of a marsh harrier.”
Bradford Pennine Gateway was only declared a Nature Reserve in May 2025.
It forms part of the King’s Series of National Nature Reserves (NNRs) and is the first in West Yorkshire.
These were launched in 2025 to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III and ‘create a lasting public legacy for people and nature by accelerating the pace of nature recovery in England‘.
The Bradford Pennine Gateway spans 1,274 hectares – twice the size of Ilkley Moor.
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The reserve links together eight nature sites within the Bradford and South Pennines area.
The sites include Ilkley Moor, Baildon Moor, Shipley Glen, Trench Meadows, St Ives Estate, Harden Moor and Bingley Bog North.
The Calf and Cow rocks are a famous site along Ilkley Moor
Another is Penistone Country Park which was the home of authors Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte.
The natural surroundings which consist of heathlands and wetlands were said to inspire novels like Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre.
Ilkley Moor is a place to go for panoramic views across the countryside, and is home to rock formations like theCow and Calf Rocks.
The two rocks got their names because the bigger one looks like a cow and a smaller boulder nearby resembles a calf.
There’s also the ancient site of the12 Apostles Stone Circle.
Other major sites in the reserve include the Harden Reservoir and the Goit Stock Waterfall.
By 2027, there’s set to be 27 major NNRs across England including the Lincolnshire Coronation Coast National Nature Reserve.
Others are the Mendip National Nature Reserve in Somerset and North Kent Woods and Downs National Nature Reserve.
This quaint English village that inspired one of UK’s top TV soaps…
The village was used for filming the British ITV soap, Emmerdale…
Despite no actors or camera crew setting foot in it for almost 30 years, it regularly attracts crowds of telly addicts because the stone cottages, shops and local farms were used to film exterior scenes in Emmerdale until the nineties.
Esholt, on the outskirts of Shipley in West Yorkshire, was the backdrop for what was then called Emmerdale Farm between the 1970s to the 1990s.
Producers first chose to film Emmerdale in the village because of the classic North Yorkshire village look, and it being a half hour drive from the Leeds studios.
The local pub found on Main Street was originally called The Commercial, but it was later renamed The Woolpack, after the owner got sick of changing the signs back and forth.
The pub is still called The Woolpack to this day, despite production leaving the village in 1996.
Home Farm was based on the real Home Farm on the Esholt Estate, which dates back to 1691. The row of six cottages on Bunkers Hill was used for filming Demdyke Row. Emmerdale stopped using the plot in 1993 when there was a fictional plane crash that demolished the houses.
