A YORK street went back in time on Thursday, as the BBC filmed a new drama from the creator of Happy Valley.

Film crews, horses and carriages, and actors in period dress filled a section of Micklegate for most of Thursday, to film a scene for To Walk Invisible, a drama about the lives of the Brontë Sisters.

Written and directed by Sally Wainwright, filming is taking place around Yorkshire, and will chronicle Charlotte, Emily and Anne's relationship with each other and their brother Branwell, who was plagued by alcoholism and drug addiction in the last three years of his life.

Wuthering Heights author Emily Brontë will be played by Chloe Pirrie, Finn Atkins as her older sister Charlotte, author of Jane Eyre, and Charlie Murphy as younger sister Anne, who wrote Agnes Grey and The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall. 

Hundreds of people gathered to watch the set develop, with fake street lights, horses and extras, before Atkins and Murphy - as Charlotte and Anne - shot their scene, walking out of Barker Lane and up the hill towards the Falcon Tap, which had been given a makeover to represent Smith, Elder & Co - the London publishing house which released Charlotte's Jane Eyre, written under the pseudonym Currer Bell, in 1847.

Chris Ceaser, who runs The Gallery next to where the film crew set up, said: "It's good for the street that these beautiful buildings we have are being used and recognised for what they are.

"I think it's nice to see Micklegate being associated with something positive, that's changing the way the public feel about it."

Shelagh Garside, who runs nearby Curtain Up, said: "Micklegate is known as one of the fanciest streets in York, it's the Queen's entrance, so it's a great way to immortalise the street."

The two-hour drama will also star Jonathan Pryce in the role of the Brontë sisters’ father, Patrick, with their brother Branwell played by Happy Valley actor Adam Nagaitis, and is expected to air later this year.