Welcome to Yorkshire

Antiques, plenty of tea and parkin, and mysteries you can curl up with.

Yorkshire has been stealing pieces of my heart for years. It's the villages, the antiques shops, the windswept moors and the quiet feeling that every lane has a story waiting to be discovered. It's also where Philomena Barker insisted on making her home.

Meet the series ...

Behind the bunting and buttered scones, something wicked is afoot in Chipwell—and one antique dealer always finds herself in the thick of it.

Philomena Barker is not your average sleuth. Middle-aged, sharp-witted, and far more interested in antique ceramics than crime scenes, Philly runs a stall at Chipwell Barn Antiques – the beating heart of this charming Yorkshire village. But when dead bodies start turning up between the vintage china and the Victoria sponge, Philly’s curiosity – and talent for deduction – can’t help but get involved.

With Balthazar the cocker spaniel by her side, and a motley crew of fellow dealers (and one grumpy detective inspector) in tow, Philly is about to prove that age, eccentricity, and an encyclopedic knowledge of antiques might just be the perfect tools for solving murder.

Explore the series

A few crumbs from Yorkshire ...

Chipwell is inspired by the sort of Yorkshire village I always find myself falling in love with. There's a pub – The Chipwell Arms – a church and some stone cottages. Mostly though, it’s home to Chipwell Barn Antique Centre – and its cast of quirky dealers.

In real life Chipwell was inspired by the village of Westow in North Yorkshire, not far from the market (and foodie) town of Malton. If you visit, make sure to call into The Blacksmith's Arms for a pint.

One of the things I love about this part of Yorkshire is that everything feels close together. Within an easy drive you can be wandering the Shambles in York, admiring the grandeur of Castle Howard, crossing the moors or standing on the rugged coastline that inspired stories of smugglers—and even Bram Stoker's Dracula.

The last time we were here, it was early spring and the daffodils were out, carpeting the churchyard in yellow. It was where Philly Barker and the French Connection began to take shape.

See you at our next destination...