Where is Emmerdale filmed and can I visit the set?
THE ITV Dales have become famous for being at the core of many dramatic storylines.
But where is Emmerdale filmed and can fans pay the eponymous village a visit?
- Visit our dedicated Emmerdale page for all the latest spoilers, pictures and gossip from the Dales
Where is Emmerdale filmed?
When Emmerdale first catapulted onto our screens back in 1972, it was filmed in the village of Arncliffe in North Yorkshire.
In 1975, the fictional village moved to West Yorkshire in order to cut production costs and was filmed in another real-life village, Esholt in Shipley.
The exterior scenes of the soap were filmed at Esholt for 22 years but by 1998 local residents had grown tired of the production crew’s presence and the tourists the soap was attracting.
ITV then set up a replica of Esholt on the outskirts of Leeds for external filming.
Interior scenes are shot at ITV’s studio in the city.
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Can I visit the Emmerdale set?
The Emmerdale set is not open to the public during the week, but fans can enjoy a weekend guided walking tour known as the Emmerdale Studio Experience.
The tour allows visitors to go behind the scenes of the soap in both the studios and the village locations when it isn’t filming.
However, in March 2020 Emmerdale bosses suspended all set tours due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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A statement at the time read: "ITV has made the decision that due to increasing concerns around the Coronavirus outbreak and as a precautionary measure, they will be temporarily closing the set tours for the safety and welfare of all staff, production teams and guests."
Set tours were reopened in March, 2022, ahead of Marlon Dingle's stroke storyline.
All tours are available on select weekends which must be pre-booked online.
Due to the closed set location, fans begin their journey outside The New Inn Pub, on Eccup Lane, located in the outskirts of Leeds.
They are then brought to the Emmerdale set to experience all the drama for themselves by coach as The Sun experienced first-hand.
Meanwhile, Emmerdale continues to air weeknights from 7.30pm on ITV.