Carol Drinkwater (born 22 April 1948 in London) is an Anglo-Irish actress and authoress, best known for her award-winning portrayal of Helen Herriot in the television adaptation of the James Herriot books, All Creatures Great and Small (1978-85). She was a member of the National Theatre Company under the leadership of Lord Olivier, has acted in numerous television series and films including the highly successful Bouquet of Barbed Wire and Another Bouquet. Drinkwater won a Critics Circle Best Screen Actress award for her role, Anne, in the feature film Father in which she starred opposite Max von Sydow.
She has written a number of children's books, including The Haunted School, which was produced as a television mini-series and film for Disney and won the Chicago Film Festival Gold Award for Children's Films. Her books for adults include commercial fiction and a series of best-selling memoirs about her experiences on her olive farm in Provence.