Emmerdale: Former star John Middleton visits past filming location at Sunny Bank Mills as complex marks ten years since cultural regeneration

Actor John, known for his award-winning portrayal of vicar Ashley Thomas in the show, recalls: “I joined Emmerdale in 1994, first of all playing a police officer at the scene of the famous Emmerdale Post Office siege, before morphing into the Rev Ashley Thomas. No-one seemed to notice.

" At first, I was told Ashley would just be involved in hatches, matches and despatches, but he grew into a integral part of the series, culminating in his harrowing dementia and death in 2017.

“We filmed the siege episode behind the 1912 Mill – that was my first introduction to Sunny Bank Mills. The cast had some tremendous times here and it was a memorable experience filming in one of Yorkshire’s most historic textile mills.

“When we were filming, it was important to keep the noise down, which wasn’t always easy as we were working in a busy mill complex. So, when filming started, a very loud bell would ring out to ask everyone to be quiet, and that bell is still preserved on site today.

“It will probably come as no surprise to anybody that we used to unwind after filming in Farsley’s excellent pubs and it felt great to be part of the village community.”

William Gaunt, co-owner and managing director of Sunny Bank Mills with his cousin John, says Yorkshire Television’s decision to film Emmerdale and Heartbeat at the 1912 Mill helped to save the imposing mill building from demolition.

“The 1912 Mill is a crucial part of Sunny Bank Mills but it was under threat in the 1990s because it was a spinning mill and, by then, all spinning had been outsourced. Had YTV not come along with a generous contract, following a chance conversation, the mill would have been razed to the ground,” he explains.

“It’s interesting to note that my great grandfather Billy Gaunt, who owned Sunny Bank Mills back in the 1920s, also ran five West End theatres, so there’s always been a strong artistic and cultural tradition here, which Emmerdale reinforced.”

John, who has just returned from an international touring production of My Fair Lady, says he was impressed with how the Gaunts had transformed the Sunny Bank Mills of the 1990s into the mixed-use commercial, cultural and community complex it is today.

His visit marked the tenth anniversary of the Gaunts’ decision to embark on a programme of cultural regeneration at the site.

Sunny Bank’s cultural anniversary coincides with Leeds 2023 Year of Culture, with the city showcasing its artistic and cultural strength.