As in his later books, Herriot writes in All Creatures Great and Small of his own experiences in the Yorkshire village of Darrowby while recounting anecdotes about his, Siegfried's, and Tristan's veterinary practice. As a city man come to the country, Herriot clearly believes that he has seen the good life, and he dedicates much of his book to vividly recounting experiences that justify his view. The Darrowby characters' distinctiveness and moral worth arise from their constant contact with the animals and lands, the demanding life of the Dales' often inhospitable land and weather, and the virtues and family life these difficulties inspire.

This life without the complications, indirectness, and abstract processes of urban living seems to leave people more "real" and more representative of universal, elemental, and human values.