Fundraisers have launched a campaign to renovate an historic Victorian church on the Newby Hall estate between Ripon and Boroughbridge.

The church of Christ the Consoler is at the centre of a renovation project organised by the estate and local villagers. The ‘Friends of Christ the Consoler’ are on a mission to bring life to the church through events while at the same time raising funds to deliver renovation projects.

Priorities include reinstating the church’s boiler and heating system, which has not worked for 30 years. This will help preserve the church’s stained glass, some of which has deteriorated over the years due to humidity levels.

The church was built in the early 1870s with unpaid ransom money in memory of the son of Lady Mary Vyner of Newby Hall who was killed during his attempted rescue from kidnappers in Greece.

She commissioned British architect William Burges to design the church, now an example of Victorian gothic revival architecture. Craftsmen created a rich and colourful interior of fine marble, stained glass, gilded mosaics and exquisite carvings on the organ case.

Burges also designed St Mary’s Church at the nearby Studley Royal estate for Frederick’s sister and her husband, the Marquess and Marchioness of Ripon. Christ the Consoler was the parish church of Skelton cum Newby until 1991 and is now cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust.

The Friends of Christ the Consoler also want to restore the church’s grade one Thomas C Lewis organ. Lewis was one of the leading organ builders of the late 19th century, his works include the one at Ripon Cathedral.

The campaign group is made up of representatives from the Newby Hall estate and Skelton cum Newby Parish Council. The church’s single bell has already been restored and re-strung and now rings for the first time in over 20 years. The group now needs to raise more than £15,000 to reinstate the church’s heating system.

Parish Council chairman Guy Critchlow in the Church

Parish Council chairman Guy Critchlow said:

“The church is in a beautiful location and has some of the finest stained glass in the country. Recommissioning the heating system is the first step to help stabilise the stained glass. Our aim is to bring life to the church through events and raise much needed funds for its restoration and conservation.”

Stuart Gill, commercial director at Newby Hall, said:

“We are delighted to collaborate with the parish council to breathe new life into the church and create an environment that visitors and the local community can share and enjoy.”

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Suspected motorbike thieves were arrested after a police chase in the Cold Bath Road area of Harrogate last night.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement today (March 14) it received a call that four people were interfering with a motorbike parked on Montpellier Parade at around 6pm.

The statement added:

“We immediately deployed police units to the area, and with the assistance of CCTV tracking the suspects, officers detained two people as they were pushing the motorbike away.

“Two other suspects were seen walking up Cold Bath Road, and when officers arrived they ran off. However, officers caught up with them, and they were detained after a short foot chase.”

The males aged 16, 17, 20 and 28 were arrested on suspicion of stealing a vehicle. Two were also arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage, and going equipped for theft.

The statement said:

“We were able to identify the owner of the motorbike, and visited him to update him – he was on the phone reporting the theft when we spoke to him.”

Police added “enquiries are ongoing into the theft”.

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The Black Lion at Skelton-on-Ure looks set to re-open after an 18-month battle by the local community to save it.

The pub between Ripon and Boroughbridge, closed in December 2019 after it was bought by Admiral Taverns.

A public meeting nearly two years ago discovered widespread support for reopening it as a community hub and pub.

In September 2022, the Black Lion was listed as an asset of community value, which gave villagers time to raise funds and bid to buy it.

The Black Lion pictured prior to its closure.

An asset of community value is defined by North Yorkshire Council as ‘a building or land having value to the community that furthers the social wellbeing or social interests of the local community”.

By July last year, pledges accumulated by shareholder contribution had reached £240,000.

The campaign was then boosted by a £300,000 grant from the community ownership fund, which is a £150 million fund set up by the government in 2021 to help community groups take ownership of assets.

It meant the group, which received the backing of Skipton and Ripon Conservative MP Julian Smith, could bid to buy the pub from Admiral Taverns.

After legal delays, the community group announced today it now officially owned the pub.

Community pubs are owned and managed democratically by members of the community. They are leased to tenants who operate them with a community vision.

Rents are set at levels that allow tenants to make surpluses that can be used to maintain the upkeep of the building and pay interest to shareholders

The Black Lion, shuttered, closed, and up for sale

A spokesperson for the Black Lion pub community group said:

“We are pleased to announce that the community of Skelton-on-Ure have just taken ownership of the Black Lion pub. This has come after a huge amount of work by the Skelton-on-Ure Pub and Hub steering group. Thanks to all the people who have helped us achieve this result – it is now great news to finally have the keys.”

“The real work is only now about to commence as the fabric of the building has suffered during the years of closure and general lack of upkeep. The volunteer management team will now welcome any volunteer help, contributions and donations.”

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Northern Powergrid will begin a £5.5m scheme to make the electricity supply in the Harrogate area more reliable next week.

The company, which manages the electricity network for 3.9 million people, has said the upgrade will “improve the resilience and reliability of the vital local electricity network”.

But it will cause disruption to motorists on some of Harrogate’s busiest roads, including Ripon Road, Clarence Drive and Jenny Field Drive, where the work will start.

Upgraded cabling will be installed in 22 areas of Harrogate. Work will begin on Monday, March 18 and is due to end in September.

It will require having open excavated trenches in the roads. The trenches will be protected by barriers and some locations will have two-way traffic lights.

Northern Powergrid revealed the plans at a drop-in session on Tuesday night at Harrogate’s Crown Hotel, which businesses were invited to attend.

The Stray Ferret, which attended the meeting, was told Northern Powergrid and North Yorkshire Council have been in talks about the work for over a year in consultation with local councillors, Harrogate Business Improvement District and Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce.

Northern Powergrid operates to five-year plans and is currently working to its 2023-2028 plan, which includes upgrading its network. Once its plans are approved by a regulator, the company can receive funding from a fund, which is sourced from a percentage of bill payers’ money.

A similar scheme to upgrade York’s network, costing £1.5m, is currently underway.

Northern Powergrid five million pound investment route

A spokesperson for Northern Powergrid told the Stray Ferret that the upgrades were essential. They said:

“These upgrades are what Harrogate needs to improve reliability, The works are being done to future proof the town. We Invest ahead of need, we don’t wait until there is no power we are doing it before it is needed.”

Northern Powergrid said the increasing number of electric vehicles, housing and hospitality venues made it essential to act now.

It added that businesses and houses now required a range of electric outlets and an increasing number of venues including hotels and pubs were changing from gas to electric to meet net zero goals, putting more demand on the power supply.

Steve Crawford, project manager said:

“With the decarbonisation agenda there is a real uptake in electric power. All of this technology requires electric power reinforcing to meet this increased need.

“This work will create capacity for new developments and low carbon technology connections to support the town’s economic growth. Now is the right time for Harrogate the upgrades are what the town needs right now.

“It allows future services to progress but we can’t tell how long these reinforcements will last. We wouldn’t spend more than the area needs but we can’t afford to wait until it is broken.”

When and Where

Residents will receive letters up to two weeks in advance of work beginning, the company said. The project will start next week on Jenny Field Drive and is due to end at Majestic Court in September.

Full list of Northern Powergrid times and dates for the investment works

The impact

Work is expected to take place from 8am-5pm but Northern Powergrid have purposely avoided the Crescent Road, Ripon Road and King’s Road junction to reduce disruption.

It said access for residents, businesses and emergency vehicles will be maintained disruption would be minimised by, for example, avoiding work near Harrogate Ladies’ College during term time. Public transport will continue.

The last major Northern Powergrid work in the area took place almost eight years ago near David Lloyd, where the company’s substation is located. It said the David Lloyd to Penny Pot Lane section will take the longest time to upgrade due to there being a single circuit along the route.

Mr Crawford said:

“People won’t notice a difference, we hope the upgrades will be seamless, which for us is a good thing if people cannot tell. People don’t notice power until it has gone so we are working behind the scenes and there should be no interruptions to power.”

Sharon Incerti, project manager said;

“No one is expected to be off supply and there are no planned outages for the work to go ahead. There can always be faults but they are not expected. This is a really positive scheme for Harrogate.

“It will be some short term disruption to meet Harrogate’s wider and ever-changing needs.”

To keep up to date check www.onenetwork.com and contact generalenquiries@northernpowergrid.com for any further information.

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The company that operated The Inn at Cheltenham Parade in Harrogate is to be wound-up by liquidators.

A notice on public records website The Gazette said The Inn Harrogate Ltd appointed insolvency firm Begbies Traynor as liquidators to wind up the business on March 8.

The Inn at Cheltenham Parade, which remains open, is a bar, restaurant and hotel with 14 rooms. The venue was known as Harrogate Brasserie until it rebranded as The Inn at Cheltenham Parade in 2019.

The exterior of the Inn at Cheltenham Parade

We contacted the pub and the liquidators for further information.

Adrian Sykes, who is listed as a director of The Inn Harrogate on the Companies House website, said:

“I ran The Inn at Cheltenham Parade as a tenancy. The limited company has been put in to liquidation. But someone else has taken the tenancy on from the landlord so it is trading as normal under the same name. All staff and suppliers have been transferred over to the new company.”

Begbies Traynor did not respond to our request for further details.

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North Yorkshire Police has issued CCTV images of two men they want to speak to after alcohol was stolen from a Ripon supermarket.

In a statement yesterday, police said two men stole over £500 worth of champagne and spirits from the Sainsbury’s at Ripon Market Place.

The incident took place on Wednesday February 7 at 5:35pm.

The statement added:

“Please get in touch if you recognise either of the people in the images as we believe they may have information that could help the investigation.”

Any information should be emailed to  Fiona.Wilding@northyorkshire.police.uk or dial 101, select option 2 and ask for Fiona Wilding. Quote reference number 12240023658.

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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The Newton House Hotel in Knaresborough has rebranded as Orchard Club.

The 12-bedroom hotel, which is situated in a grade II listed building on York Place, was acquired by Lamb and Flag Enterprise Ltd after former owner Denise Carter retired in 2022.

The rebrand is part of a wider plan to create meeting rooms and other facilities for guests and residents, as well as accommodation.

The Newton House Hotel in Knaresborough has rebranded as Orchard Club.

A spokesperson for Orchard Club said:

“The rebrand was prompted by a desire to see the beautiful buildings in York Place improved and utilised further. It’s part of a long-term strategy on the part of Orchard Club to provide enhanced facilities for Knaresborough.

“Over time, the hope is to create additional bedrooms, a café/bistro and spaces available for community hire.”

One of the redecorated rooms in Orchard Club.

They added:

“The car park in the former Newton House Hotel will be turned into a beautiful orchard-themed garden dining area with a dozen fruit-bearing trees, providing a haven for wildlife and customers alike.

“Car parking will still be provided at the rear of number 9 York Place, which will itself be used to extend and enhance the hotel facilities.”

Each room in the hotel, which is based on a ‘tranquil orchard’ theme, has been renamed and redecorated with a particular fruit.

Richard Venable, director of Lamb and Flag Enterprise, said:

“Orchard Club is set to be a landmark destination for holidaymakers and business people, as well as a popular cafe and bistro for hotel guests and Knaresborough residents.”

The 300-year-old building, which is rumoured to have been built with stone from Knaresborough Castle, became a hotel in 1981.

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Northern Powergrid has begun work on James Street in Harrogate following last weeks power cuts.

Access to the pavement outside department store Hoopers has been diverted onto the road using barriers while the electricity provider conducts repairs.

Multiple businesses along Harrogate’s premier shopping street were affected by intermittent power cuts for five consecutive days last week.

It left several shops unable to trade for periods, forced a dentist to stop emergency surgery mid-surgery and prevented a café from making treats.

Stores along the street will remain open this week while work is carried out.

A spokesperson for Northern Powergrid said:

“Our engineers are carrying out investigative work to enable us to identify and repair the fault as soon as possible.

“Intermittent faults can be located anywhere along the local underground route. We use special monitoring equipment to locate the fault, so we can complete a permanent repair to the affected network to prevent further disruption.

“The works will be ongoing for the next couple of days, with a view to completing the excavation works on or by Friday 15 March. We apologise to customers for any inconvenience and thank them for their continued patience.”

Work is set to finish on Friday

Northern Powergrid has announced plans to spend £5.5m on improvements in the area.

The company is hosting a drop-in session today (Tuesday, March 12) from 4pm to 7pm at the Crown Hotel to discuss the plans.

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The family-friendly Deer Shed Festival has today announced its full music line-up for 2024.

The event, which takes place at Baldersby Park, Topcliffe from July 26 to 29, features diverse acts ranging from the African rhythms of KOKOKO! to LVR, whose members include Poet Laurette Simon Armitage.

Other headline acts include UK singer-songwriter Katherine Priddy, feminist quintet Nana Benz Du Togo and Leeds-based Deadletter plus Flamingods, The Coral, Bombay Bicycle Club and CMAT.

Deer Shed 2023

Also announced today are Oneda, Jessica Winter, Chalk, Lizzie No, Frankie Archer, The Itch, Dana Gavanski, Ellur, tinyumbrellas, Morgan Harper Jones, Lily Lyons, Aayushi, Our Man in the Field, Kathryn Williams and Withered Hand, Man/Woman/Chainsaw, Katie Gregson-MacLeod, Group Listening & Niki Stevens.

The comedy line-up, shows, films, science, sports, workshops, wellbeing and literary and spoken word are all still to be revealed.

Deer Shed has stages, tents, workshops, sports activities and outdoor fun for children and families to enjoy together. Tickets are on sale now.

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