Dog owners in the Harrogate district are being urged to keep their pets on leads by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust following two attacks on sheep at nature reserves last week.
The trust looks after more than 100 nature reserves across Yorkshire, including sites in Burton Leonard, Staveley, Bishop Monkton, Ripon and Upper Dunsforth, near Boroughbridge.
At a reserve in Huddersfield, an attack from a dog left one of the trust’s Hebridean grazing sheep with deep bite wounds.
Meanwhile, at Kilnsea Wetlands in East Yorkshire, pregnant ewes were chased by dogs, angering the local grazier.
As well as posing risks to livestock, dogs have also been trampling rare plants and bird nests.
The majority of ground-nesting birds are in decline in the UK, including curlews, woodcocks and skylarks. If dogs scare birds away from their nests, they leave chicks at risk.
A Skylark, one of the vulnerable ground-nesting birds.
Increasing instances of dogs disturbing wildlife has led the charity to issue the plea for owners to keep dogs on leads.
Rachael Bice, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s chief executive said:;
“Dog walking is one of the best reasons to get outdoors, feel great and enjoy our beautiful countryside – and we thank every responsible dog owner who keeps their dog on a lead and encourages others to do the same.
“Wildlife is suffering huge declines and dogs in wild places can cause problems, especially when many species are breeding and resting close to the ground.”
Jenna Kiddie, head of canine behaviour at the charity Dogs Trust, added:
“Dogs [should be] kept on a short lead, and close to their owners, whenever livestock are nearby, within seeing, hearing or smelling distance or whenever their presence is likely to be expected.
“It is important to remember that chasing is normal dog behaviour, and that any dog is capable of chasing, irrelevant of breed, type, age or size.”
You can find more info about being a nature-friendly pet owner here.
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Harrogate’s Royal Pump Room Museum closes for refurbishment
The Royal Pump Room Museum in Harrogate has closed for a fortnight for refurbishment.
The domed grade two listed building, which was originally a spa water pump house and now tells the story of Harrogate’s spa past, will look different when it re-opens on March 7.
Most notably, the welcome desk that visitors see when they walk in will be returned to its original location in the octagonal room. The Egyptology exhibits have been sent for study at Cardiff University and are not expected to return for two years.
The building, whose notable visitors include Tsarina Alexandra of Russia and novelist Charles Dickens, is operated by Harrogate Borough Council.
The Stray Ferret asked why the refurbishment was being carried out and the cost.
A council spokesperson said:
“This year marks the 70th anniversary since Harrogate’s pump room opened as a local history museum.
“We want to ensure the museum remains open and enjoyable for residents and visitors for another 70, and are excited to announce that we are restoring the original welcome desk back into its position in the octagonal room for which it was designed.
“We are also creating a glass floor above the wells so that these can be seen more clearly and redesigning some existing displays to tell more fascinating stories of Harrogate’s past.”
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Pet crematorium opens today in Harrogate
A pet crematorium opened in Harrogate today.
The crematorium, run by Harrogate Borough Council, gives pet owners the chance to say farewell to their cats, dogs and small animals.
Prices start at £72 for small animals and from £85 for cats and from £115 for dogs.
The ashes will be placed in a scatter tube, which owners can collect, along with a memorial certificate.
The crematorium is located at Stonefall Cemetery and Crematorium on Wetherby Road.
The crematorium is at Stonefall on Wetherby Road.
Councillor Sam Gibbs, the council’s cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, said:
“Pets are like part of the family and they deserve an ending with dignity and respect, just like humans.
“The new pet crematorium will provide the most sympathetic setting for people to say goodbye to their pets.
“This service will also provide people, as well as veterinary surgeries, a local, trusted and reliable pet cremation service – operated by experts in bereavements.”
The Stray Ferret revealed last year the council was set to award a £40,000 contract to create a pet crematorium at Stonefall.
Further information on the facility is available here.
Inside the crematorium
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Clergy race along Kirkgate as part of Ripon’s Pancake Day fun
Clergy raced along Kirkgate today as part of Ripon Cathedral‘s annual Pancake Day event.
The event has become a traditional Shrove Tuesday event in the city, although it was halted during covid.
It sees cathedral clergy, vergers and staff join school children and local residents for races on Kirkgate.
It is one of many Pancake Day events taking place in the Harrogate district.
In Harrogate, the Fat Badger pub is giving people the chance to earn the title of ‘fastest flipper in town’.
The pub is providing pans and pancake mixes for anyone who turns up between 9.30am and 4pm today and fancies trying to complete a short course in the beer garden as quickly as possible while tossing pancakes.
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The Dean of Ripon Cathedral, the Very Rev John Dobson (left), joins in the fun.
A 14-year-old Harrogate girl is to be electronically monitored after being found guilty of another assault.
The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to beating a female when she appeared before North Yorkshire Youth Court in Harrogate on Friday.
She was given a three-month curfew to stay at a named address between 8pm and 7am daily until May 16. The court ruled the curfew was to be electronically monitored.
Magistrates also ordered her not to contact two named individuals and to avoid a particular street, as well as given a £100 fine.
The youth rehabilitation order replaced a previous order issued by magistrates to the same girl on January 27 this year for four counts of assault, one of which was on a police officer, and two counts of arson.
The arson attacks involved setting fire to commercial-sized bins belonging to Primark on Oxford Street in Harrogate and Harrogate Borough Council on Oxford Place in Harrogate on May 23 and May 26 last year respectively.
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Body of man in his 20s found in Harrogate nature reserve
The body of a man in his 20s has been found at Hookstone Wood in Harrogate.
A dog walker is believed to have made the discovery in the nature reserve between the Great Yorkshire Showground and Hornbeam Park yesterday morning.
North Yorkshire Police said in a statement:
“North Yorkshire Police were called at around 8am on February 20 after a member of the public found the body of a man in woodland on the outskirts of Harrogate.
“The ambulance service also attended and provided assistance, but sadly the man, who is aged in his 20s, was pronounced dead at the scene.
“Officers do not believe there are any suspicious circumstances surrounding his death and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
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Harrogate pub hosts free Pancake Day fun tomorrow
A Harrogate pub is hosting free Pancake Day fun tomorrow that gives people the chance to earn the title of ‘fastest flipper in town’.
The Fat Badger will provide pans and pancake mixes and anyone who turns up between 9.30am and 4pm is welcome to make their own treats and then see how quickly they can complete the course.
The event is being held in the pub’s beer garden on Cold Bath Road, adjacent to the footpath so people walking past can see it.
There is no charge to enter and the winner will receive Sunday lunch for two people, including a bottle of wine, at the Fat Badger.
Simon Cotton, managing director of the HRH Group, which owns the Fat Badger, said:
“The rules are simple; it’ll be against the clock and each person will need to make a regular size pancake and successfully flip it twice to be entered.
“One go per person but everyone can enter for free as it’s just for fun and community engagement.”
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Developer apologises for debris in River Crimple at Spofforth
A housing developer has apologised after debris from its site near Harrogate entered a nearby waterway.
Polystyrene and plastic from the 72-home Yorkshire Housing site at Spofforth was floating in the River Crimple in the village over the weekend.
Yorkshire Housing was granted permission to build the homes at Massey Fold in October 2021 after a long-running campaign by some villagers against the development.
Litter strewn across the river and the nearby area. Pic: @spofforthmark
The organisation, which owns and manages about 20,000 homes, said in a statement:
“On Friday, some insulation blew open in the high winds and broke up. The contractor notified the Environment Agency straight away to let them know what had happened.
“Because of the stormy weather over the weekend it wasn’t safe to retrieve and clear-up the debris until this morning. We’re working quickly to do this.
“Windy weather isn’t an excuse and this shouldn’t have happened. We’ve discussed this with the contractor who will ensure any loose materials are secure to prevent this happening again.”
Signs on site say the development, known as Bridgewell, will consist of two, three and four-bedroom homes built in partnership with construction company the Jack Lunn Group and the non-departmental housing agency Homes England.
Villager Mark Lee raised concerns about the incident on social media.
Devastating pollution in Spofforth today, waste and debris from the new development by @JackLunnGroup @HomesEngland @yhousing @EdwardArch the river Crimple is actually blocked by your mismanagement and carelessness! @ClimateDesk @thestrayferret @Harrogate_News @UnderwaterMedia pic.twitter.com/IiszgX96hV
— mark lee (@spofforthmark) February 19, 2023
Conservationist Keith Wilkinson, who is chairman of Nidd Gorge Advisory Partnership and honorary secretary of Bilton Conservation Group, said the incident reinforced the need to look holistically at problems associated with Harrogate’s three rivers — the Nidd, Crimple and Oak Beck.
Mr Wilkinson said contamination from the Nidd tributaries inevitably impacted on the Nidd itself and therefore it would be better to adopt a more strategic view to managing water quality.
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Ambulance workers in Harrogate district on strike again today
Ambulance workers in the Harrogate district are staging another one-day strike today.
Yorkshire Ambulance Service staff who are members of the GMB union have set-up another picket line outside the ambulance station on Lancaster Park Road in Harrogate, close to the hospital.
Paramedics, emergency care assistants, call handlers and other staff are among those taking part in the industrial action, although ambulance workers will continue to respond to the most serious incidents.
Further ambulance strikes are planned on March 6 and 20 and Harrogate District Hospital will be hit by a two-day nurses’ strike beginning on March 1.
GMB national secretary Rachel Harrison urged the government to “talk pay now” and claimed ministers were unwilling to solve the dispute.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay said the strikes “only cause further disruption for patients” and he remained “keen to keep talking to unions about what is fair and affordable”.
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Harrogate hotel begins recruiting — three weeks after laying off 76 staff
The St George Hotel in Harrogate is recruiting staff — just three weeks after it closed with the loss of 76 jobs.
The hotel is due to re-open in about 13 weeks as a pub with rooms rather than a traditional hotel. That is the preferred model of The Inn Collection Group, a Newcastle-based company that bought the historic venue in February last year.
The company is now advertising for a general manager on a salary from £45,000 and a head chef on a salary from £42,000.
A spokesman said the venue was still due to re-open in mid-summer. Scaffolding has gone up outside the building.
Asked about the decision to recruit so soon after making redundancies, the spokesman said:
“There were unfortunately delays to our refurbishment programmes as a result of problems within the construction industry and associated supply chain having a knock-on effect.
“This unfortunately meant in some cases we have had to make some redundancies in order to secure the long-term future for the sites.”
The Inn Collection Group also owns the Ripon Spa Hotel, Dower House in Knaresborough and Dean Court in York, among others.
The St George Hotel, which is opposite the Royal Hall on Ripon Road, grew out of the Chequers Inn and was renamed after George III’s gift of the Stray to the people of Harrogate in 1778.
It was enlarged several times during the 19th century and renamed the St George shortly before the First World War.
It was badly damaged by fire in 1927 and requisitioned by the Post Office and Air Ministry during the Second World War before re-opening as a hotel in 1952. It acquired a spa facility in 1985.
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