A blue plaque honouring All Creatures Great and Small author James Herriot has been unveiled at his former North Yorkshire home.
Alf Wight, better known as James Herriot, has been honoured with a plaque at Rowardennan on Topcliffe Road in Thirsk.
His children, Jim Wight and Rosie Page, unveiled the plaque on Thursday, October 8, days after what would have been their father’s 110th birthday.
Alf White's son and daughter, Rosie Page and Jim Wight outside the former family home in Topcliffe Road, Thirsk (Image: Stuart Boulton/The Northern Echo)
The vet and author had the house built in 1953 and lived there for more than 25 years, writing the stories that made him famous worldwide.
He often wrote in the living room by the fire, with the television on and his wife Joan beside him.
His books, based on his experiences as a North Yorkshire veterinary surgeon, sold more than 60 million copies worldwide and spawned the BBC series All Creatures Great and Small, which ran from 1978 to 1990.
From left, current owners Brian and Linda Halliday, Rosie Page and Jim Wight and World of James Herriot marketing director John Gallery outside Alf White's former home in Topcliffe Road, Thirsk (Image: Stuart Boulton/The Northern Echo)
Channel 5’s remake, first aired in 2020, has introduced the stories to a new generation of fans.
The World of James Herriot organised the unveiling at Wight’s former veterinary surgery at 23 Kirkgate in Thirsk.
His daughter Rosie Page called the plaque a fitting tribute to her father.
Alf White's former family home in Topcliffe Road, Thirsk (Image: Stuart Boulton/The Northern Echo)
She said: "It was such a nostalgic visit. Linda and Brian Halliday were so welcoming, allowing us to see our former home and share our memories.
"It is a lovely tribute to our father's memory to have a Blue Plaque there to recognise his family home.
"It was home to Jim and I, too, for much of our childhood, though our earliest years were, of course, spent at 23 Kirkgate."
Rosie Page and Jim Wight unveil the plaque outside Alf White's former home in Topcliffe Road, Thirsk (Image: Stuart Boulton/The Northern Echo)
Rosie was also surprised it had taken so long to honour her father’s former home.
She said: "The plaque on 23 Kirkgate went on years ago, and where he lived in Glasgow as a boy had a blue plaque put on it.
"So really it is quite astonishing that the house where he did most of his writing was not honoured until now."
Alf White's former family home in Topcliffe Road, Thirsk (Image: Stuart Boulton/The Northern Echo)
Brian and Linda Halliday bought Rowardennan in 2024 and welcomed the chance to celebrate its famous former resident.
They said: "We are delighted to have Rowardennan adorned with a Blue Plaque commemorating Alf Wight.
"We have always been huge fans of his work and have Herriot images and books on display in the house.
Alf White's son and daughter, Rosie Page and Jim Wight outside the former family home in Topcliffe Road, Thirsk (Image: Stuart Boulton/The Northern Echo)
"To know that we sit where he created such a phenomenal legacy is very inspiring."
The property was added to a new James Herriot walking tour of Thirsk and Sowerby in 2025, developed by the World of James Herriot and based on a route prepared by Herriot enthusiast Roger French.
Alf White's former family home in Topcliffe Road, Thirsk (Image: Stuart Boulton/The Northern Echo)
Jim Wight and Rosie Page helped create the tour, which takes in their birthplace, Sunnyside Nursing Home, and the Golden Fleece Hotel, inspiration for the Drovers Arms in the James Herriot stories.
The plaque stands at the entrance to Rowardennan’s drive, where it can be seen by visitors following the route.
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The unveiling came five days after the anniversary of Wight’s birth on October 3, 1916.
Rosie added: "Dad would have been 110 years old on October 3. It seems fitting that the Plaque is to be unveiled near to that landmark birthday."
Wight moved to Thirsk in 1940 to work at Donald Sinclair’s veterinary practice and stayed there for the rest of his life.
His former surgery at 23 Kirkgate is now home to the World of James Herriot, which celebrates his life, veterinary career and literary achievements.