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The TV series has dramatised the stories and added new
characters but in his books, Rhea did create Constable
Nick, Claude Jeremiah Greengrass, Sergeant Blaketon, PC
Alf Ventress and, of course, Alfred the dog along with
many others.
Nicholas Rhea, having spent his whole life living and
working in and around the North York Moors, makes full
use of the local countryside in his tales but he has
disguised a lot of the villages and market towns. In
televising the books, Yorkshire TV selected Goathland on
the moors above Whitby as the fictitious Aidensfield
although the books do make use of another village - and
part of the fun is trying to identify that setting (a
secret the author won't reveal!). So where is Strensford?
And Elsinby? Or even the real Ashfordly? Many viewers
overseas think these are real places and perhaps, when
touring the area, aspects of these will be recognised!
Heartbeat is watched in some 40 countries, being
especially popular in Australia, New Zealand and Canada,
and its popularity attracts visitors from all over the
world and from all parts of Britain. They come to see
the real places which make regular appearances in
Heartbeat - for example, Whitby especially the Church
Street area near the old market place, sections of that
wonderful coastline between Staithes and Robin Hoods
Bay, the awesome moors and the purple heather which is
so beautiful in August, the nostalgic North York Moors
steam railway and the dramatic scenery of the Esk Valley
with villages like Egton Bridge, Grosmont and Glaisdale.
Much of the fun is trying to match the fictitious places
with the real ones and to find places used in the
filming - most of which is done in and around the
Goathland/Eskdale area. With a stunning natural beauty
of its own, this part of the North York Moors National
Park has now become known as Heartbeat Country with many
shops in the area selling Heartbeat memorabilia and
Heartbeat/Constable books.
Nicholas Rhea tells us that he has written other books
about the area. Writing as Peter N. Walker, there is his
"Folk Tales from the North York Moors" - these yarns
include the fearsome Gytrash of Goathland, the wonderful
love story surrounding Beggar's Bridge at Glaisdale, the
scheming of the Farndale hob, the magic of the Hole of
Horcum, the legend of the turf fire at Saltersgate Inn,
the mermaids of Staithes, Robin Hood's links with Robin
Hoods Bay, the story of Wade's Causeway near Goathland
and the real reason for eating Yorkshire pudding!
His "Murders and Mysteries of the North York Moors"
(also by Peter N. Walker) there is the story of Lilla
Cross on Fylingdales Moor which is probably England's
oldest Christian memorial; he relates the drama of
England's largest manhunt in Dalby Forest during 1982,
the reason for Whitby's Penny Hedge, the sad story of
Sarkless Kitty in Farndale, the murder by salt smugglers
at Saltersgate, the gruesome Danby Hand of Glory, the
dreadful martyrdom of Father Postgate of Egton Bridge,
the unique witchposts of the moors with witchcraft at
Goathland and some more up-to-date stories of murder and
mystery. Most of the scenes in this book, and those
where the folk tales are based, can be seen today and
many visitors are using these books as guides to the
North York Moors.
"Portrait of the North York Moors" (1984) takes a
deeper look at the glories of this unspoilt region.
For visitors to the area these books are available from
Holman's Bookshop, Skinner St, Whitby, and Aidensfield
Stores, Goathland, or they can be ordered through the
Heartbeat website:
www.nicholasrhea.co.uk
Very difficult to obtain now is "Heartbeat of
Yorkshire", by Nicholas Rhea, a fully coloured
illustrated book which explains something of the area
used in the filming of the Heartbeat series.
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One piece of nostalgia that you can
experience is a ride on a steam train.
The North
Yorkshire Moors Railway runs a regular service from
Pickering to Grosmont calling at Goathland.
Full details are on the
North Yorkshire Moors Railway website.
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GOATHLAND
Goathland a very attractive but busy moorland village
with more to offer than just Heartbeat. It has wide
verges and greens and offers the opportunity for many
pleasant walks. Goathland Exhibition Centre has displays
covering all aspects of Goathland from Arrowheads to
Ploughstots to Zebras! "Walks Around Goathland"
describes five short circular walks in a well
illustrated booklet which introduces you to the
surrounding countryside.
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The 70ft high Mallyan Spout waterfall can be reached by a
footpath close to the Mallyan Spout Hotel.
Water Ark waterfall is reached by a path from
the car park. |
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