Published 25th Jul 2023, 16:45 BST

They rubbed shoulders with the local North Yorkshire constabulary, Sergeant Oscar Blaketon, PC Phil Bellamy and PC Nick Rowan, as they sunk a pint at the Aidensfield Arms, the hub of community life in the long-running TV drama Heartbeat.

Now the York stone pub where so many a rural crime was mulled over , is up for sale for £175,000, after its owners Jean and Keith Richardson, who run the business with daughter Hannah, called time after nearly 40 years.

The Goathland Hotel, situated in the pretty North York Moors village of that name, served as the Aidensfield Arms in the TV series, which ran from 1992 to 2010.

Hannah Richardson, outside The Goathland Hotel.

It proved popular from the beginning, attracting audiences of over 11m for the first 13 series.

Daughter Hannah said the pub is part of their family’s history – relatives ran it back in the early 1900s – and her parents held their wedding reception there in the mid-1970’s “little knowing or expecting that it would play such a large role in their future”.

In a post on Facebook she said: “There comes a time when life changes and decisions have to be made, with retirement beckoning. So, now is that time, and the hotel is on the market to attract new people who can take the hotel on to its next phase in its history.”

Most of the internal scenes in the pub were shot inside and many of the features seen in Heartbeat are still visible today.

The hotel gained international fame in the long-running TV series

The Goathland Hotel still welcomes thousands of visitors from fans of Heartbeat from across the globe. Some call in after taking the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

The hotel has a lounge bar and public bar, where it is easy to picture barmaid Gina Ward, who married PC Bellamy in the TV series, pulling pints and chatting to customers.

As well as an ice cream parlour, there are nine letting bedrooms, a residents’ lounge, three-bedroomed proprietor’s accommodation, car parking, and a large grassed beer garden where guests can enjoy summer afternoons after a moorland walk .

“This is an excellent opportunity to acquire a successful trading business, with all the benefits that go with it by association with Heartbeat, and set in one of the country’s finest areas of natural beauty,” said Barry Crux of Barry Crux and Company in Castlegate, York, which is marketing the hotel.

“It is a once in a generation opportunity to acquire this highly successful business, with the long-standing association with Heartbeat. It is a unique property, a thriving business and a piece of TV history.” The £175,000 price tag is for the business and the lease which runs until 2030 and includes trade fixtures, fittings and equipment, plus stock at valuation.

Famous Heartbeat pub near Whitby up for sale as owners look to retire after 40 years