AIDENSFIELD

In 1992, Yorkshire Television started filming the pilot series of a new TV drama, based on Nicholas Rhea's books about a young London policeman in the 1960's, who leaves the rat race, to become a local village bobby on the North Yorkshire Moors. In the books (and the Heartbeat TV series) the village is called Aidensfield, but in real life it is Goathland, a tiny moorland village between Whitby and Pickering. The first series, was only 6 episodes, and was done as a "trial". The programme was such a success, that it quickly became the UK's no 1 drama series, and still attracts TV audiences all over the world. Heartbeat started as a trial in 1992, but 17 years later, on the 19th April 2009, series 18 continued with episode 356 "Return Crossing". The village is now probably better known as Aidensfield, than Goathland. More photographs here!