A new farmers' market in a popular tourist village has become a visitor attraction in its own right. 

Goathland, known to millions of people as the fictional village of Aidensfield in ITV’s popular drama, Heartbeat, plays host to the first farmers’ market in the North York Moors National Park and in its first six months has been attracting about 1,000 people to check out the two dozen stalls every month.

Set up with the help of funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), which is administered in the county by North Yorkshire Council, the organisers of the market are hoping to build even further on the initial success.

Goathland Community Hub and Sports Pavilion trustee, Keith Thompson, said: “We started in June and thought we would have a few stalls and attract a few hundred people to visit. But we had 24 stalls and more than 1,000 visitors and traders were sold out within a matter of hours. 

(Image: North Yorkshire Council)

“We quickly decided to make this a monthly event and encourage local entrepreneurs and small local businesses to come along. We are very quickly building up a reputation as a market to visit.”

One of the features of the market is providing the capacity for local people to sell their own wares and for a local charity to raise funds. The gate for each market is manned by a different charity or community group – the November market raised more than £350 for the village cricket club and when the Whitby Young Farmers took a turn, they left with £600.

(Image: North Yorkshire Council)

There are two village stalls, with one for local people selling their own produce such as vegetables from an allotment, Christmas decorations or cakes, while the other is manned by Cath Jenkinson who sells second hand books and jigsaws for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. She is using the market to add to the £13,000 she has already raised for the charity.

Mr Thompson said: “The farmers market was the next step in providing more for the community and our visitors. We are very grateful for the funding, they took a chance on us and it is working.”

The next market is on December 21 from 10am until 2pm. There is no market in January and February, but it will be held on the third Saturday of every month from March.