For a soap that’s set in an agricultural community, you don’t really see much farming in Emmerdale these days.

There was a brief glimpse of farmyard the other week, when Andy Sugden’s TB-infected cows were herded on to a truck headed for slaughter.

It was a sad day at Butler’s Farm. Young farmer Andy Sugden had been struggling to run the place, what with his wife-beating antics, his subsequent marriage break-up, then losing custody of his daughter, Sarah.

After he suffered a breakdown and was found perched on a haystack muttering to himself, the Sugdens decided it was time to let the farm go and Andy was led away from his cows all dazed and confused.

It was the end of an era. Butler’s Farm stood empty, the wind whistling through the farmhouse kitchen where Jack Sugden had served up many a plate of stew for his brood.

But a breath of fresh air swept through the place when new family the Bartons moved in. The farming family-of-five is headed by John Barton, played by Bradford actor James Thornton. John is described as a decent, hard-working sort of bloke, married to Moira with three teenage children, Hanna, Adam and Holly.

For James, who grew up in an old farmhouse, the Butler’s Farm set is a home-from-home. “I’ve grown up with Emmerdale. It’s been part of my life since childhood. I was brought up about 20 minutes from where we film,” he says.

“I spent 18 years of my life in a farmhouse and we had a farm about 500 yards away. I used to help with the harvest every year, I was surrounded by farming. I’ve got a lot to relate to from my childhood, so I’m quite at home at Emmerdale. I’ve got to have a tractor lesson, though, because I’ve never driven one before!”

James, best known for playing Jake Loughton in BBC1 drama Holby Blue, describes John as a “laid-back family man”, but says viewers can still expect fireworks and feuds. “He’s a successful, ambitious farmer trying to run a business and keep his family on track. He’s honest and works hard and he stands up for what he believes in. He’s got a modern approach to farming and has big plans for Butler’s,” he says. “There are definitely going to be confrontations with the Dingles. John will enjoy that battle and give as good as he gets.”

With his rugged good looks, James will no doubt receive his fair share of fan mail, but he says his number one fan has to be his wife, actress Joanna Page, who stars in hit sitcom Gavin And Stacey.

“When we first met we did a costume drama together called David Copperfield, and I played a fisherman. She said that was why she fell for me because I looked rugged. So the prospect of a sexy farmer appeals to her!” smiles James, whose TV credits include Playing The Field, Kingdom and Where The Heart Is.

James isn’t the only local actor from the Barton family. Playing the eldest Barton child is Otley actress Sophie Powles, who starred in ITV teen drama Britannia High.

“When I was younger I used to watch Emmerdale all the time,” says Sophie. “I remember watching it and thinking it was so cool and really wanted to be a part of it, especially because it’s a northern show and my family live just down the road in Otley.”

Sophie admits to being “really, really nervous” on her first day on set, but says her new on-screen family helped her through.

“I couldn’t wish for nicer people to work with,” she says. “They made me relax so much, and when we did our first scenes together we were all working so hard to get it right.”

Now she’s relaxed into the busy filming schedule, Sophie says she can’t wait to get her teeth into some juicy storylines. “I don’t really know what she’s going to be getting up to yet, but I hope she has a lot of fun doing it!” she laughs. “Holly loves who she is and is really happy. She’s not image-conscious and doesn’t waste time thinking ‘I’m too fat’ or ‘I’m too thin’. She’s never had a boyfriend, but she wouldn’t go for someone who was typically good-looking. She doesn’t go for the obvious.”

Sophie’s on-screen brother, Adam, is played by Adam Thomas, who’s the real-life brother of Ryan Thomas, also known as Jason Grimshaw in Coronation Street. Keeping up, soap fans? At first glance the Bartons would appear to be that rare breed in soapland – a normal, stable, nuclear family with happily-married parents and well-adjusted children.

As Natalie J Robb, who plays Moira, says: “There are families out there that do work together and aren’t dysfunctional. The chance to represent one of those groups really drew me to the role.” With a volatile relationship with the posh Wylde family on the cards, and Moira ruffling feathers with Woolpack chef Marlon Dingle when she takes a job as the pub’s newest barmaid, that peace and harmony up at Butler’s Farm doesn’t look set to last too long…

  • Emmerdale is on ITV1 from Monday to Friday at 7pm.