The World of James Herriot in Thirsk will open a new permanent Heartbeat Exhibition on Saturday, 29th August, unveiled by actor David Lonsdale, best known for playing David Stockwell in the long-running ITV police drama.
The exhibition establishes a permanent home for the legacy, books, and memorabilia of the late Peter N. Walker, who wrote the Constable series of novels under the pen name Nicholas Rhea. Set in the fictional North York Moors village of Aidensfield (filmed in Goathland), Heartbeat ran for 18 years and remains a staple of UK television broadcasting.
Located adjacent to the attraction’s film-showreel area and replica TV studios, the new display features original artefacts, rare photography, and iconic period police motorcycles.
“I’m delighted that The World of James Herriot has been entrusted with the artefacts of the late Peter N Walker (Nicholas Rhea). The opportunity for the World of James Herriot to become the home for his TV series legacy, books and memorabilia is a welcome addition and complements the story of Alf Wight (James Herriot) whose All Creatures Great and Small BBC TV series was a forerunner to Heartbeat and of similar TV genre, both watched by millions.”
— Ian Ashton, Managing Director at World of James Herriot
The connection between the two authors dates back to their time as local contemporaries. Sarah Walker, daughter of Nicholas Rhea, noted that Alf Wight originally asked her father for advice when developing stories about life as a country vet.
“Alf Wight (or James Herriot) was our local vet and asked Dad, who’d had a few crime books published, for advice on an idea for some stories about life as a country vet. Dad had recently had his own idea for stories about the life of a country bobby rejected with the words: ‘There’s no call for Yorkshire humour’ so passed this sage wisdom on to Alf! Alf tried anyway – and the rest is history! Herriot’s success inspired Dad to not give up and finally in 1979 Constable on the Hill was published. We are thrilled as a family to be working with The World of James Herriot to preserve my dad’s legacy.”
— Sarah Walker, Daughter of Author Nicholas Rhea
The exhibition was developed with the support of Rhoda Walker and the author’s family, alongside contributors Jason Bullard and Lee Jones, offering a unified destination for fans exploring North Yorkshire’s screen tourism heritage.
