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31
Aug
Fire destroys historic Studley Royal cricket pavilion
A historic cricket pavilion on the Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal World Heritage Site has been destroyed by fire — possibly due to arson.
The pavilion, tucked away on the deer park, near Ripon, was featured in an episode of Channel 5’s All Creatures Great and Small in 2021 that showed a traditional cricket match.
But it has now been destroyed and an investigation is underway.
Firefighters from Ripon, Boroughbridge and Harrogate responded to reports of a building on fire at 5.35pm last night (August 30).
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident report said:
“On arrival, crews found a building measuring approximately 20 metres x 10 metres well alight. Crews used four breathing apparatus and two hose reel jets to extinguish. Fire investigation is to be conducted in daylight hours.”
The episode of All Creatures Great and Small filmed at Studley Royal deer park. Pic: Channel 5
The deer park ground hosted matches from about 1900 but Studley Royal Cricket Club's main ground since the 1990s has been on Galphay Road.
Sir Thomas Ingilby, chairman of the Theakston Nidderdale and District Amateur Cricket League, told the Stray Ferret the deer park building had been “completely destroyed”.
He urged anyone with information to come forward, adding:
A car was observed outside the building 30 minutes earlier and as the building doesn’t have any electricity or gas the police are including arson on their list of possible causes for the fire.
Money is going to have to be raised to rebuild this historic, old building within the abbey grounds. It would be a great help if anyone either saw the car and was able to give details of it or the people who were there.
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