Harrogate’s spectacular Egyptian artefacts go on loan to Swansea University

The Royal Pump Room Museum in Harrogate has sent more than 700 of its finest historical artefacts to Swansea University in a collaboration which should provide deep insights into ancient Egyptian history. 

The collection, which has not been fully researched for over a decade, is on loan for three years and will now be studied by experts at Swansea’s award-winning Egypt Centre. Swansea University is one of only a handful of UK universities to offer degrees in Egyptology. 

May Catt, visitor and cultural services manager at Destination Harrogate, said:

“This is a fantastic chance for us to be able to learn important information about our Egyptian collection and where it came from. We look forward to being able to share this with visitors of all ages, both digitally and through new exhibitions and displays. 

“We are fortunate to have such rare and exciting antiquities at the Royal Pump Room Museum and our project with Swansea University offers us a wonderful opportunity to showcase our museum’s cultural significance on an international platform. 

“We are particularly pleased to be involved with this exciting project this year, which marks the 70th birthday of the museum in Harrogate.” 

Harrogate’s Egyptian collection includes a spectacular coffin from the Third Intermediate Period (c. 1000-700 BC); stone stelae; a large collection of pottery; amulets and shabtis (figurines used in ancient Egyptian funerary practices), as well as a renowned Anubis mask, which is the only one of its kind in the world. There are also several Etruscan mirrors and a large collection of cuneiform tablets, bricks, and cylinder seals.

Ken Griffin of Swansea University's Egypt Centre looking at a spectacular coffin from the Third Intermediate Period (c. 1000-700 BC).

Ken Griffin of Swansea University’s Egypt Centre inspects a spectacular coffin from Egypt’s Third Intermediate Period (ca. 1000-700 BC).

The loan also offers an opportunity to learn more about the origins of Harrogate’s Egyptian antiquities, whilst raising the profile of the Royal Pump Room Museum. The objects were donated by two local collectors, Benjamin Kent and Harrogate jeweller James Roberts Ogden, whose great-great-grandsons still run Ogden of Harrogate on James Street. 

While Kent purchased his at auction, Ogden appears to have obtained his items straight from the source – he acted as an adviser to Howard Carter, who famously discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings in 1922, creating a worldwide sensation. 

Egypt Centre curator Ken Griffin said the project, called Rediscovering Egypt, would provide an ideal opportunity for the collection to become better known to researchers. 

Dr Griffin said:  

“The Harrogate loan is a major coup and reflects Swansea University’s position as a leading institution for Egyptological research. Having the collection here will allow us to refresh the Egypt Centre’s displays, while also making the objects available to researchers from across the globe.

“And, in the year that the Egypt Centre celebrates its 25th anniversary, it is rather fitting that this loan is taking place now.”

Three shabtis (figurine used in ancient Egyptian funerary practices) of Seti I, including a faience example believed to be among the finest ever produced, are included in the loan from Harrogate to Swansea.

Three shabtis (funerary figurines) of Seti I, including a faience example believed to be among the finest ever produced, are included in the artefacts on loan.

The collection held permanently by Swansea University’s Egypt Centre is currently on public display online, and Harrogate’s Egyptian collection will be added to the site later this year, with photos and 3D models of the objects, to enable visitors, university students and staff to view the rare Egyptian items, while discoveries about the relics are made and shared.

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‘Britain’s biggest tractor run’ set to return to Harrogate district on Sunday

“Britain’s biggest tractor run” will snake along roads in the Harrogate district on Sunday, with up to 400 vehicles coming together in a festival of agricultural horsepower. 

Knaresborough Tractor Run lasts for 25 miles from the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate to Knaresborough, with a hog-roast lunch for drivers and sandwich van for spectators in Pateley Bridge. 

Participation costs £20 per driver and an extra £10 for each passenger, and all proceeds are donated to Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Last year, the event raised £20,893. 

Tractor Run committee chairman and Ramsgill farmer Steven Brown urged anyone with a tractor, farmer or otherwise, to take part, and anyone without one to turn out to support the event. He said: 

“Come along and join in the fun. We reckon it’s the biggest tractor run in the UK, so the chances of seeing anything similar elsewhere are slim.

“The thing I always love is all the spectators lining the streets – the support from the public is tremendous. That’s what puts a smile on our faces.” 

Knaresborough Young Farmers tractor run

Tractor Run committee chairman Steven Brown says he doesn’t expect the event to clog the roads.

Knaresborough Tractor Run was first held in 2012 and has grown rapidly ever since.

This year’s event is due to begin at the showground at 9am.

Mr Brown said the route from Harrogate would take in Knaresborough, Staveley, Copgrove, Burton Leonard, Markington and Smelthouses, before arriving at Pateley Bridge showground, where prizes will be awarded for tractors in three categories: vintage, classics, and modern. 

After lunch, the parade of vehicles will head to Dacre Banks, Darley and Hampsthwaite, before returning to Knaresborough around 4pm. 

The line of tractors is expected to take about an hour to file past, but Mr Brown said motorists needn’t worry about blocked roads. He said: 

“We don’t tend to have tailbacks, because we’re never on one road for long enough. We try to head off across country a bit to avoid the main roads.” 

Tractor owners wishing to take part in Knaresborough Tractor Run can sign up online, or pay cash on the day. 

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Complimentary events in Harrogate and Ilkley will help address tinnitus, says audiologist

This story is sponsored by The Hearing Suite 

Most people know that a ringing in the ears is called tinnitus. But what if it’s a buzzing, a humming, a hissing, a grinding or a whistling instead? 

Well, they can all be caused by tinnitus, and contrary to popular belief, only about 10% of sufferers actually find it distressing. But for those who do, relief cannot come soon enough, so next month The Hearing Suite will be holding a series of three free events specially for people affected by tinnitus. 

The Hearing Suite is an independent hearing clinic which offers a range of services, from hearing loss to balance problems, and even ear-wax removal. 

Founder and managing director Emily Woodmansey, who is a qualified audiologist, said: 

“One in eight people have tinnitus, and for some it can be really debilitating. People can sometimes find it difficult to follow conversations, and it can leave people feeling really low.

For some it can be torturous, almost like a dripping tap – they can’t step away from it.  

“Fortunately, there are things you can do. If there’s any hearing loss – which is very common – we try to build that hearing back in, for example with hearing aids. 

“With some people, where we can put in a device that masks their tinnitus. We can also have conversations about sleep levels, stress and caffeine consumption, which can all have an impact. It’s about giving people options.” 

Tinnitus can affect a very broad range of ages, from young children to pensioners, and can be caused by a range of environmental factors, such as loud noises like high-volume music or power-tools. But it can also often arise when there’s a change in circumstance, and especially at times of stress. 

Emily employs two other qualified expert audiologists at The Hearing Suite and works with acupuncturists in Harrogate and Ilkley to help patients deal with their tinnitus. The clinic also offers tinnitus-specific CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), which she says can make a huge difference. 

Emily said:  

“Sometimes the biggest win is to help someone change their relationship with tinnitus, rather than trying to take it away altogether. It can be quite an emotional process, but led by a professional audiologist it can really help people take a hold of their tinnitus.”

Following on from Tinnitus Week earlier this month, The Hearing Suite will be holding three complimentary events:

Places to all three events are complimentary and can be booked online.

Find out more: 

If you are experiencing any hearing problems, such as tinnitus or hearing loss, make an appointment for a personal consultation at The Hearing Suite in Harrogate or Ilkley. For an informal chat about how Emily and her colleagues can help you, just call 01423 429222.

For more information, visit the website at www.thehearingsuite.co.uk.

 

Ripon ex-detective named as new deputy lieutenant for North Yorkshire

A Ripon man who served for more than 30 years as a detective with the Metropolitan Police and the National Crime Squad has been named as one of North Yorkshire’s four new deputy lieutenants. 

Shafquat “Tom” Ali led complex investigations into serious and organised crime, corruption and homicide as well as sensitive inquiries in both the UK and abroad.  

Mr Ali, who lives close to Ripon with his wife, Sarah, and their three children, was appointed by the lord-lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Jo Ropner, who is the king’s representative in the county.

The deputy lieutenants provide specialist local knowledge to the lord-lieutenant, helping her to perform her duties and giving her advice to help foster closer links with the community. 

The other new deputy lieutenants are: Rebecca Cottrell, the Harrogate-born wife of the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell; Jan Garrill, the chief executive of the Two Ridings Community Foundation; and Dr Bill Scott, the chief executive of Middlesbrough-based engineering company Wilton Universal Group. 

Mr Ali’s work has taken him from investigating major crime gangs on the streets of London to hostile locations in Libya. He has retired as a detective chief inspector, but still assists the Metropolitan Police in a consultancy role, as well as undertaking inquiries for other police services, such as the Police Service of Northern Ireland to re-investigate paramilitary murders.  

He has also helped the British overseas territory of Turks and Caicos, following a spike in organised crime-related homicides. 

Ms Cottrell, who was born in Harrogate and grew up in Essex, is a trained potter, making and selling pots and teaching ceramics, as well as working in schools supporting children with learning difficulties.

She also supports her husband’s ministry across the Diocese of York and has been a member of the organising group of two Lambeth Conferences, the worldwide gatherings of Anglican bishops and their spouses, which are held every decade.

Mrs Ropner, who has been Lord-Lieutenant for North Yorkshire since 2018, said:

“The new deputy lieutenants bring a great deal of experience and expertise and will play a vital role in helping build even closer links with the community. 

“They provide a breadth of knowledge that will prove to be invaluable in aiding the work of the lord lieutenant’s office, and it is a privilege to announce their appointments.” 

There are now 38 deputy lieutenants across the North Yorkshire lieutenancy’s area, who have been appointed from sectors including academia, the military, business, the judiciary, farming and the charity and voluntary sector. 

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Nine in 10 primary leavers get their first choice secondary school, council says

Almost 90 per cent of Year 6 pupils in the county have been awarded their first choice of secondary school, North Yorkshire County Council has revealed. 

Since the deadline for applications at the end of October, families across the district have been waiting anxiously to find out whether their child will be able to move up to the school of their choice.

The long wait ended this morning when parents and carers were informed which school their children would have to attend in the autumn. 

A total of 89.84 per cent secured their first preference, with 96.4 per cent of all families in the county who requested a school place receiving an offer from North Yorkshire County Council for one of their top three preferences of secondary school. 

This year, 6,262 North Yorkshire pupils are transferring to secondary school. 

The county council’s executive member for education, learning and skills, Cllr Annabel Wilkinson, said:  

“Once again, so many of our families have gained the first preference from their choice of schools, which is great news.” 

In North Yorkshire, parents can list up to five schools in order of preference on their common application form, but this year, some parents did not use all five options and others did not complete an application form at all. 

This meant that the council, which must ensure each child is allocated a school place on national offer day, had to place some children in schools further way from their home.

However, disappointed parents can appeal, and the council said its admissions team would try to accommodate their wishes. Appeals for a place at a particular secondary school must be received by March 29; these will be assessed between April and June.

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‘Shocking’ lack of NHS dentists in Harrogate and Knaresborough raised in Parliament

A Liberal Democrat MP has raised concerns in Parliament about the “shocking” lack of NHS dentists in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Daisy Cooper, MP for St Albans and the party’s health spokesperson, was taking part in a House of Commons debate yesterday on expanding the NHS workforce when she raised concerns about dentistry.

She said only half of children in North Yorkshire managed to see an NHS dentist last year, adding:

“In Harrogate if you are lucky enough to find an NHS dentist taking on any new patients you face a two-and-a-half year wait to see them. This is a shocking state of affairs.”

Ms Cooper called on a minister to visit the area to speak to patients and dentists to see the situation for themselves.

The issue has long been a cause for concern in Harrogate and Knaresborough. A Stray Ferret investigation carried out in March 2021 found that just two NHS dentists in the Harrogate district were accepting new patients – one in Knaresborough with a waiting time of two-and-a-half years, and one in Boroughbridge with a waiting time of three years.

Two years later, the NHS website currently lists just two practices in the district as accepting new patients, but only those under the age of 17 – one in Ripon and one in Boroughbridge. None are listed for Harrogate.

Tom Gordon, spokesperson and parliamentary candidate for the Liberal Democrats in Harrogate and Knaresborough, said:

“Patients in Harrogate and Knaresborough are facing an access crisis. Only yesterday I spoke with a family who moved to the area more than 18 months ago, they have been unable to find an NHS dentist and are now paying for private care. This is all too common; families are faced with a bill for private treatment or unacceptable waits to be seen by an NHS dentist.

“As a former health services researcher, I know how important it is that we get to grips with the dental crisis, and the impact that poor dental outcomes have on wider health & well-being.

“I am grateful to the Liberal Democrat MP Daisy Copper for raising this in Parliament and putting more pressure on ministers to act to fix this access crisis.”

The Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, Andrew Jones, was approached for comment by the Stray Ferret, but no response has yet been received.

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Obituary: Magician Bob McBratney 1955-2023

A magician who once claimed to be lobbying to have magic recognised as a sport in the next Olympic Games has died aged 67. 

That episode – which turned out to be a very successful ruse to publicise a magic show in Knaresborough – was just one of many in Bob McBratney’s life, which was marked by kindness and humour. 

Born in 1955, Robert McBratney had a varied career, training as a chef and working at the Grand Hotel in Brighton, and later becoming an antiques dealer. At one point he took up sailing, fitting out racing yachts, and as bosun’s mate on the schooner Sir Winston Churchill, he crewed in the Tall Ships Race to America in 1976, sailing the first leg to the Canary Islands, before joining Master Builder for the second leg to Bermuda.  

Having conquered the sea, he then took to the air, learning to fly light aircraft and earning his private pilot’s licence. In the 1990s, he worked as general manager of Liverpool Festival Gardens and, of significance in his magical career, Mother Shipton’s Cave in Knaresborough, which was run by his brother Frank and, coincidentally, TV magician Paul Daniels. 

When the firm was sold on, Bob, then aged 46, was introduced to magic by a friend, magician Brian Knowles (also known as Brian Le Slie). Bob knew nothing about magic then, and would often say – years later – that he still knew nothing and was just waiting to be found out.

It wasn’t true, though – Bob worked hard, learned the ropes and, performing as Bob’s Your Uncle, became a popular children’s entertainer across Yorkshire and beyond.  

Early in his career, Bob joined the Harrogate Society of Magicians which, according to his good friend James Ward, transformed Bob’s life. Mr Ward said: 

“He, like me, had great help and encouragement from some wonderful magicians.

“Brian Knowles, George Fowler and Denys Hollis – all sadly no longer with us – were regularly on hand for help and advice, as was the late Mike Coyne, a variety hall performer and star of TV’s The Comedians. We both benefited enormously from their input.” 

Performing both for children and as a close-up magician for adults, Bob even put together a compilation of simple tricks for doctors to perform to younger patients, Child’s Play, which proved a sell-out success.  

Bob was resident magician at Lockwood’s restaurant in Ripon, a regular at Knaresborough’s annual FEVA Festival, and even ventured into the world of after-dinner speaking and became a great success on the Women’s Institute speaking circuit.  

In 2007, Bob became president of the Harrogate Society of Magicians and in 2008 he was elected to The Magic Circle. As President of the Harrogate society, he oversaw its 60th anniversary celebrations and arranged countless shows, dinners, society visits and fundraisers, often ferrying members around in his working car, which members fondly re-named the Bobmobile. 

Mr Ward said:  

“Bob always had time for others, and was one of the most selfless people I’ve known. He helped me enormously in my own magical career, finding me jobs, lending me props and teaching me the ropes. 

“We worked together several times over the years, and always had a blast. The last time we worked together was in 2018 when we entered ‘Ripon’s Got Talent’ as the Famulus Brothers, playing a Morecambe and Wise-style magic double act.

“We didn’t win, but – as always with Bob – we had a barrel-load of laughs.” 

Away from the magic, Bob was a tireless worker for local causes and community projects, including village fairs, Harrogate Scouts, the parish council and the church.  

Bob was diagnosed with mesothelioma – a kind of cancer – in 2019, but despite not expecting to see the year out, he didn’t give up. He threw himself into working for Mesothelioma Support Yorkshire, performing magic at its get-togethers, taking part in sponsored bike rides and ultimately becoming its ‘poster boy’, ever ready to be interviewed and publicise its work. 

He defied the odds, living longer than expected, largely thanks to the care of his wife, Joanne, son Henry and his care team. It was only in 2022, when he suffered a stroke, that he finally began to decline.

He died at St Michael’s Hospice in Harrogate on February 19. 

Mr Ward said:

“No one ever made me laugh as much as Bob – even after he was diagnosed.

“There were times when we were on the phone every day sharing our love of TV comedies and films, regularly recalling our favourite lines and insisting on reminding each other what they were.

“I’ve lost some very good friends in magic over the past 20 years, but none as close to me as Bob. I loved him dearly, and my world is an emptier place without him. Rest in peace, old friend.”

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Business Breakfast: Small indies to pop up on Harrogate high street

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club!

The second in our series of networking events in association with The Coach and Horses in Harrogate is an After Work Drinks event on February 23 from 5.30pm. Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district, get your tickets now by clicking or tapping here.

Harrogate’s initiative to give more independent retailers a spot on the high street will see a clutch of new names take over a unit in the Victoria Centre this spring. 

Harrogate Pop Up, on the corner of Cambridge Street and Station Parade, was first made available for short-term rent by retail property agent Barker Proudlove in autumn 2021. 

Jessica Swain, from Barker Proudlove, helped set up the pop-up shop. She said: 

“It is fantastic to see the pop-up shop so heavily in demand. Harrogate has such a diverse mix of businesses already and we hope those businesses popping up with us will see a space for them to be part of this community permanently after their pop-up ends.”

This year’s spring line-up includes Beauchamp Accessories, Bamboo Beautiful, Headlock Vintage, We Got U Covered and Martha and Bea:

Beauchamp Accessories, a York firm specialising in Italian leather handbags, will fill the space during February and April, following a series of successful pop-ups in the space in 2022. 

Bamboo Beautiful, which sells sustainable bamboo products including homeware and gifts, will occupy the unit from the March 13 for one week. 

Headlock Vintage will be selling its range of vintage and “preloved” clothing from March 27. 

We Got U Covered returns to the space from the April 10, offering its range of swimsuits, clothing and holiday supplies. 

Martha and Bea will return from the April 17, to transform the space into a boutique of ladies clothing and accessories. 

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Free eco-friendly building course in Harrogate

Harrogate College is hosting a free course where construction business can find out how to build energy-efficient buildings.

Passive House for Construction Professionals and Management is a four-week, one-day-a-week training programme, funded by the government.

The course will start on Tuesday, March 7.

‘Passive houses’ are eco-friendly houses built to be extremely energy efficient. They are designed to remain at an almost constant temperature, reducing bills and emissions.

Passive house in construction

The course is run by Leeds-based passive house manufacturers Pure Haus, who are going to build a mini example-house in the college grounds.

Kevin Pratt, director of Pure Haus, said:

“We’re looking forward to installing a ‘mini pure haus’ at the college… It will be a real eye-opener for students and help educate them about how we need to build homes to play our part in tackling climate change.”

Harrogate college is aiming to achieve carbon zero status by 2035, and is planning a variety of environmentally-focused events for March, which is its Green Month.

Events include a free talk on retrofitting your home on March 16.

Harrogate College principal Danny Wild said:

“It is such practices that we all need to adopt, as organisations and individuals, if we are to make real change, reduce our collective carbon footprint and, of course, save money.”

Work to create Harrogate district’s first mosque continues after asbestos delay

Work on turning Harrogate’s former Home Guard Club into the district’s first mosque is finally going ahead after a delay caused by the discovery of asbestos. 

Harrogate Islamic Association bought the premises at the corner of Tower Street and Belford Road last April and has since been focusing on fixing the roof and making it weather-proof. 

But repair work uncovered unknown quantities of asbestos, which is carcinogenic but had not been identified by any survey at the time of purchase. 

The substance has had to be carefully removed and disposed of by licensed professionals before further work on the building could progress. 

Reda Djamaa, trustee and spokesperson for Harrogate Islamic Association, said:

“We’ve dealt with that problem and now we can carry on with refurbishing the building. Our main aim is to get the ground floor ready for use.” 

Harrogate Islamic Association raised half a million pounds to purchase the building, which stands next to St Peter’s CE Primary School, and must now raise a further £200,000 to gut the building and replace all its timbers.

Phase three will see a complete refit of the interior, including a new staircase, plasterwork, doors, windows and wiring, as well as new toilets and ablution areas, all at a cost of £250,000. 

The final phase, costing another £50,000, will add a kitchen, outdoor bollards and railings, and security and lighting systems. 

Mr Djamaa said: 

“We have weekly prayer and we pass round a bucket, and we get some funds from other mosques, but it’s a mosque for the community here in Harrogate, and so most of the money will be coming from the community here too. 

“We hope we’ll be able to get to the next stage within the year, but we’re doing it bit by bit. We’re not in a hurry.” 

In the meantime, the 100-plus members of Harrogate’s Muslim community will continue to meet at in the Quakers’ Friends Meeting House on Queen Parade. 

Picture of the front door of the former Home Guard Club in Harrogate.

The mosque premises have served the community in various ways over the last one-and-a-half centuries.

The former Home Guard Club has served the community in various capacities over the last 150 years. Originally built around 1870 as two cottages, it was converted shortly afterwards into Harrogate’s first cottage hospital until 1883, before serving as Harrogate’s Masonic Hall from 1884 to about 1930. 

At the end of the Second World War it became the home of the 5th West Riding Battalion (Home Guard) Old Comrades Association and Club. 

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New Harrogate district henge could be ‘nationally significant’

A previously undiscovered prehistoric henge may lie under a Harrogate district village, a packed meeting was told this week. 

The massive earthwork, 170 metres in diameter and thousands of years old, was revealed beneath the village of Kirk Hammerton using state-of-the-art multispectral drone imagery techniques by Tony Hunt, who said the find could be “nationally significant”. 

He presented his findings, along with community archaeologist Jon Kenny, at a public meeting of local residents and amateur archaeologists in Kirk Hammerton village hall on Monday. Mr Hunt said:

“The meeting was absolutely astounding. Usually, these things attract maybe 20-30 people, but we had 120 – there were people sitting on the floor, and there were 30-40 who couldn’t make it on the night but want to get involved. 

“Everybody seems to be very enthusiastic about it being a new henge. I’m healthily sceptical, but it’s definitely worth a look. If this is confirmed, it will be nationally significant.” 

A henge is a ring-shaped bank and ditch, usually built around 4,500 years ago for purposes that remain unclear, although experts speculate that they probably had religious or spiritual meaning for ancient communities.

A black-and-white image of the suspected henge, taken from a drone by Yorkshire Archaeological Aerial Mapping.

A black-and-white image of the suspected henge, taken from a drone by Yorkshire Archaeological Aerial Mapping.

There are currently known to be 10 henges in Yorkshire, six of them aligned along a northwest-southeast axis, including the group of three at Thornborough, north of Ripon. The latest discovery, a possible 11th, lies in alignment with these. 

Mr Hunt said:

“Whether these henges are aligned intentionally is up for debate, since for that to hold up you have to disregard quite a few of the others. It may just be that they are positioned along river valleys. 

“They may have been tribal centres, or where the gods live – no people lived in them. They may have represented the border between life and death – at sunset, someone the height of the average Neolithic person standing in the centre of one of these henges casts a shadow pretty much exactly the same length as its radius.” 

A map showing how the most recently discovered henge lines up with several of the others in North Yorkshire, including the three at Thornborough.

A map showing how the most recently discovered henge lines up with several of the others in North Yorkshire, including the three at Thornborough.

Mr Hunt and fellow enthusiasts now plan to explore further at Kirk Hammerton, using geophysical mapping and ground-coring techniques. He said: 

“In a henge, the ditch is on the inside of the earth bank, so we’ll see if we can spot that. If we see something that looks like one, we’ll probably put in a huge long trench from the centre out, through the ditch and earthwork to create a cross-section.” 

Mr Hunt has a degree in archaeological sciences from Bradford University and is currently managing director of DJ Assembly, a York-based micro-electronics company. He also runs Yorkshire Aerial Archaeological Mapping, whose thermal and infrared imaging technology revealed the henge. He said:

“Ten years ago, we thought there were only five henges here in Yorkshire. Now we know there are at least 10. There will be more, I guarantee it.” 

Using his drones, Mr Hunt has recently discovered lost Bronze Age burial mounds and two new Roman marching camps, both in the Vale of York, as well as mass graves at the site near Northallerton of the Battle of the Standard between England and Scotland in 1138. 

Earlier this month, it was announced that two sections of the Thornborough henges, which lie 30 miles to the north-west of Kirk Hammerton, have been donated to the public body Historic England. 

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