Records of film and television production at Harewood go back as far as 1956, when the BBC filmed in Harewood House. Over the years the combination of privacy and the variety of settings which Harewood is able to offer have encouraged film production here.

Since 1992, under the management of Resident Agent Christopher Ussher, the Harewood Estate's use as a location for film and television production has increased dramatically. The Estate's proximity to Leeds makes it ideal as a regular location for popular dramas with long production schedules made by Leeds-based Yorkshire Tyne Tees Television. A strong relationship has been forged with YTTTV, who in recent years have filmed TV series such as Heartbeat, A Touch of Frost, At Home with the Braithwaites, The Royal and Emmerdale at a variety of locations throughout the Estate.

Location filming has offered a vital source of income which has the benefit of minimal impact on the Estate. Film crews are able to come and use the Estate's existing resources without any new investment from Harewood, and without committing large areas to a single use for long periods.

Over the past few years the TV Drama, Emmerdale's involvement with the Estate has increased. The level of filming has increased to four or five days each week. Regular venues include Stub House Farmhouse and its outbuildings, which they use as the homes for the Dingles and the Glovers in the programme.
In 1996 YTTTV approached the Estate with a proposal to build a temporary film set at Harewood to allow them to consolidate their location work into one main area, supplemented where necessary in other parts of Yorkshire. The Harewood Estate insisted from the outset that this must be a temporary site, and a maximum lifespan of ten years was agreed. This has been incorporated into both the commercial lease and the planning consent.

The designation of this small area for location filming for a ten year period will fund the Estate's conservation work on projects which will benefit Harewood for many years. As such the short term inconvenience of construction and filming is considered to be considerably outweighed by the long-term benefits to the Estate.

The Emmerdale Set at Harewood is a closed site, so the public cannot visit it without invitation. Studio Tours are available at the YTV studios in Leeds please call 0113 222 7222 for details