AS one of the UK's most-watched soap, Emmerdale has had its share of drama over the decades.

But where are all the armed robberies, plane crashes and bloody murders that have rocked the ITV soap filmed?

Where is the Emmerdale set?

The Emmerdale set is DEFINITELY not your typical set.

The first image that comes into one's mind when thinking of a show's backstage experience is a closed room in a tall building with people on a tight schedule rushing around cameras and lightning equipment.

Yet when the Emmerdale Village Tour reopened last Saturday (March 19, 2022) after a hectic couple of years, nobody expected to be taking a trip to every staycationer's biggest dream.

The journey all began from the sunny beaches of the Jurassic coast (we were lucky in terms of weather, for once), where my first train waited for me.

After one cancelled train and being convinced I had missed another because of its closed doors that were greeting me, my first stop of the evening was London.

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From there, all I had to go through was a two and a half hour journey to Leeds.

After a night at the hotel, a taxi drive took me to the cosy New Inn pub, located in the city's outskirts.

But my trip to the Dales wasn't over yet – the last few steps I had to take led me to a coach which then drove me even further into the green fields.

What happens when you get there?

The first thing I could say to anybody wishing to visit the set of the iconic soap is: get some good walking shoes.

After rushing past the many sheep and nearby farms (again, under the sunshine, how lucky!), my eyes wandered to the first gated house I could see: Home Farm.

It soon dawned on everyone on the coach that our long journey to Emmerdale was (almost) complete.

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As tour guide Michael later confirmed, Home Farm was right located right next to the Dingle house, known for its colourful colour scheme.

The Emmerdale Tour began with a short walk to Hawksford Outdoor Pursuits and, as a Meena Jutla fan, I was excited.

"This is where Ben Tucker was murdered", Michael reminded us.

After such a long trip from my home on the UK's South Coast, the Hide's food truck, installed right outside the Hop, only made my mouth water.

With a price range from £6.45 to £13.94, visitors can hope for, but unfortunately not receive, different pizzas with quizzical names from "The one that's telling Porkies" to "The one with all the seasons".

But before I could hope to see where ruthless businesswoman Kim Tate lives, I was make to take another small walk into another part of the Leeds countryside.

Don't be fooled by the signs pointing to Demdyke, Connelton and Hotten, the short walk led all of us to the village every fan of British TV has seen on-screen.

What can you expect in Emmerdale?

After spotting the only bus stop of the village on my right, where one could sit and wait for a bus to Hotten, the first few homes were pointed out to me.

During the tour, I was embarked on a 90-minute, fully guided (huge thanks to Michael), outside walking tour.

As a reporter who had only seen The Woolpack on her stepfather's TV screen during her childhood, the experience was surreal and, quite frankly, nearly moved me to tears.

It was a flashback to my childhood, to easier times without Covid and only homework on my mind – and it was soon confirmed I wasn't the only to feel so moved.

"A lot of people", Michael told us, "will associate it to watching it with their parents or a storyline might resonate with them."

"Some have said that Charity and Vanessa helped them come out to their parents."

"There was a lady who proposed to her girlfriend on the steps of The Woolpack, last year", Michael continued. Adorable.

Speaking of which, you can expect to see the emblematic pub on your left, alongside Mulberry Cottage, Mandy Dingle's PampaManda, wedding planner shop Take a Vow and Oakley – which is actually only used for props.

On your right, Emmerdale's only phone box, where troubled teen Amy Wyatt ("the only woman who can give birth with tights on" as Michael would call her), gave birth in the middle of the night.

Café Main Street can also be spotted not too far away, along with some of its appetising cakes in the window which were, very unfortunately, just props.

Dale View, Barton and Dingle Automotive's, hidden in a corner of the village, and David's Shop soon followed before Jacob's Hold and St Mary's Church.

The visit of the Emmerdale set (or part of it as most interior scenes are filmed in studios in Leeds), then took us to the eponymous village's cemetery.

Some may be surprised to know that Emmerdale is the only soap with its own cemetery.

However, the Meena fan that I am (does Paige Sandhu REALLY have to leave?) couldn't help but notice THE bridge.

"I'm half-expecting her to come out of nowhere", another fan of the serial killer we love to hate laughed.

The tour came full circle and ended with a look at Rhona's vet practice, which featured a false cat laying on the operating table, and Smithy Cottage, where Marlon recently suffered from a stroke.

After walking again towards the Hop – or Robblesfield and Demdyke, if you'd prefer – the tour was over.

What did people think of the Emmerdale tour?

At this point, my fellow visitors and I all had stars in our eyes.

"It was great, I'd definitely come again", a first-timer said.

"It's very true to size, I was expecting it to be exactly like this", another said.

As someone who used to think Emmerdale was a real village and was in no way fictitious, I was still surprised by how authentic the set was.

In fact, I almost fully believed I was enjoying a weekend away in Yorkshire, ready to pull £50 out of my wallet to enjoy a stay at The Grange.

No need to be a super-fan to enjoy the tour.

In fact, as Michael pointed out after the visit, Emmerdale fans mesh well with non-soap-fans, and some even organise group trips every six months.

While most visitors are from the UK, the tour has often welcomed fans from the Netherlands.

And to think my trip from the South coast was dedication!

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Visits take place every weekend and tickets are available online for £35, this includes the return transport from the New Inn Pub.

Emmerdale airs weeknights from 7.30pm on ITV.

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