Cllr Andrew Williams who also received unanimous support when he was re-elected as leader ‘strong-armed’ the ‘reluctant recipient’ of Ripon’s highest office into the chamber, with assistance from Cllr Peter Horton.
He quipped:
Away from the the sights and sounds of the platinum jubilee celebrations across the Harrogate district, it’s a fitting day to remember another royal connection from the Ripon area that goes directly to the Queen, via her great great grandmother, Queen Victoria.
It was Derby Day on Epsom Downs and the world’s most famous race grabbed national and international attention, with the easy winner and 5-2 favourite, Desert Crown, trained by Sir Michael, destined to earn a fortune at stud.
On the boundary wall at the Parish Church of St Lawrence in Aldfield — between Ripon and Fountains Abbey — there is a blue plaque recognising that William Powell Frith, the world-renowned painter, whose signature work was called The Derby Day was born in the tiny village on November 2, 1819.
A portrait of William Powell Frith as a young man. Picture: Mary Evans Picture Gallery
His mother Jane, was house steward to Sophia Lawrence of Studley Royal, before the family moved to Harrogate in 1826 to manage the Dragon Hotel.
Nine years later, at the age of 16, Frith decided to take his prodigious artistic talent to London, telling his family that his aim was to make his fortune.
This was no misplaced boast, as he was entered into the Royal Academy and earned the accolade of being one of Queen Victoria’s favourite painters.
The Queen, who is Victoria’s great great grandaughter, has never won the Classic race as either owner or breeder and the nearest she came was in her coronation year , when her horse Aureole finished second in the 1953 running.
Dreams of a fairy-tale win in platinum jubilee year were dashed when her horse Reach for the Moon was withdrawn from today’s race by joint trainers John and Thady Gosden, after the three-year-old colt suffered a training setback.
For only the third time in her 70-year reign, the 96-year-old Queen is also a ‘non-runner’ at Epsom today, with ongoing health issues meaning she will be watching the race on television.
Frith, who lived to the age of 89, died in 1909 assured that his Derby Day work created between 1856 and 1858 had earned him the fortune that he predicted.
His classic painting and other celebrated works – have put him forever in the frame as one of the world’s best known artists
Read More:
- Where you can go for the district’s jubilee celebrations
- Why was it time for a royal tea at Ripon Cathedral?
70 guests representing Queen’s 70 years attend Ripon tea party
Ripon Cathedral has hosted a tea party at which guests represented every year of her Queen’s 70-year reign.
The 70 attendees ranged in age from one-year-old Hugo Krippner to Lynn Gray, who was born in 1952.
Each invitee brought a guest with them and in total, 150 people were present for the event organised by Canon Aisla Newby and supported by a large team of volunteers
At your tea service … the volunteers ensured guests were topped up with tea and buns.
Another canon of the cathedral, Charles Dodgson, had a son, also named Charles, who wrote under the name Lewis Carroll and was the author of the world famous children’s classic Alice in Wonderland, which featured the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.
Today’s gathering was well-organised in contrast to Carroll’s fictional and chaotic Mad Hatter event and the guests marked the monarch’s reign in an elegant and respectful manner.
Ms Gray who travelled to Ripon from Grassington, told the Stray Ferret:
“It’s an absolute privilege to be here, joining with different generations of people to celebrate the Queen’s jubilee and her incredible service to this country.”
For one-year-old Hugo, whose father Dr Ronny Krippner is Ripon Cathedral’s director of music, high tea was taken in a high chair and today’s get together will be a memory in the family album that he can look back on in future years.
Dr Krippner, whose wife Audrey and three-year-old daughter Sophie also attended, said:
“We are delighted to be part of an occasion which has historic significance for this community and the country.”
Read More:
Harrogate district jubilee: day one blog
This live blog of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is proudly sponsored by Boundless Networks – delivering quality broadband connectivity at a reasonable cost to homes and businesses in the Harrogate district.
The sun is out as four days of jubilee celebrations get underway in the Harrogate district today.
The Stray Ferret will be covering the festivities and the fun, the street parties and the ceremonies over the next four days in Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Pateley Bridge and Masham, and the villages in between.
We want to hear what’s happening in your town, village or city so email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk and we will add it to the blog.
5.24pm: Will it stay dry for tonight’s beacons?
It’s been a warm and sunny opening day to the jubilee celebrations but it is clouding over.
Beacons are due to be lit across the Harrogate district tonight, with most occurring at 9.45pm. According to the BBC weather forecast for Harrogate, some rain is possible.
Spofforth Castle, Ripon Market Square, Almscliffe Crag in North Rigton, the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, Kirkby Malzeard and Roomer Common in Masham are among the locations taking part.
So too is Knaresborough Castle, where Tamsin from the Stray Ferret will be among the onlookers.
4.35pm: Spofforth hosts children’s party
Fresh from his trip to Blubberhouses, our reporter Tom has been to Spofforth to witness today’s jubilee activities.
You can read his full account here.
4.17pm: Great and the good attend Ripon Cathedral’s civic event
Julian Smith MP
Harry Gration
North Yorkshire dignitaries gathered at Ripon Cathedral today for a service in honour of the Queen.
Those attending included the Archbishop of York, Ripon MP Julian Smith, Grantley Hall owner Valeria Sykes and former Look North presenter Harry Gration.
You can read our Ripon reporter Tim’s full account here.
3.58pm: Human plant pots in Harrogate town centre
Last year there was fake grass in Harrogate town centre — now there are human plant pots. And they’re certainly proving more popular with visitors, who posed for photos alongside them. It’s all part of the jubilee fun. Send us your jubilee pictures to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.
3.27pm: First street party underway in Pannal Ash
Most street parties are on Sunday but the residents of Castle Hill Glade in Pannal Ash thought today might be a more family-friendly day and, judging by the weather forecast, they may have chosen the right day
Rachel Baskin (pictured far left), who applied for the street closure, told us the party idea evolved from covid, when residents living on the cul-de-sac would have socially distanced meetings on Thursdays.
There’s also an informal group called Ladies of Glade, who meet a glass of wine each week.
Residents in nearby streets are bringing their own teas and sitting outside together to enjoy the occasion.
2.55pm: Bilton’s Party on the Pitch proves a hit
People are pouring into Bilton Cricket Club’s free Party on the Pitch event, which runs until 9pm.
We’ve just been down and there is a wonderful atmosphere, which shows there is a great community spirit in Bilton and a thirst for get togethers like this since the demise of Bilton Gala on May Day.
There’s a barbecue, live music and plenty for children to do. People are just rocking up and having a picnic on the pitch.
Matt Thomas, cricket secretary, estimated about 1,000 people were there an hour ago and the number is growing. He added:
“It’s a great opportunity for the local community to get together and have fun.”
There is a collection for Yorkshire Air Ambulance — a cause dear to the club’s heart after a player had a heart attack on the pitch at an away game last year.
1.20pm: Jubilee shenanigans on Harrogate’s Beulah Street
It’s not every day you wander along Beulah Street and see people dressed like this belting out Land of Hope and Glory. But that’s what the jubilee does to you. It’s that kind of weekend.
What’s happening out in Bilton, Starbeck and Jennyfields, or in Pateley Bridge? Wherever you are in the Harrogate district we want to receive your jubilee news and images. Email us and we will add them to this live blog.
1.12pm: Live music all day in Ripon
Among those early to arrive on Market Square was four-year-old Aylar and her mum Susannah (pictured), who were blowing bubbles as the free entertainment started on stage with Lily Worth.
Lily sang a selection of songs from musicals, including the Greatest Showman. There is free live music all day in Ripon’s Market Square.
Meanwhile, a giant TV screen next to Ripon Town Hall linked the city to Horseguards Parade in London, where the Trooping the Colour ceremony, broadcast live on the BBC, marked the Queen’s official birthday.
Lily Worth on stage in Ripon today.
The big screen.
1.01pm: Blubberhouses flower festival tells Queen’s story
Our reporter Tom has been to Blubberhouses, where a jubilee-themed flower festival is underway.
You can visit it at St Andrew’s Church in Blubberhouses, just past Fewston Reservoir off the A59, from 11am to 4pm every day over the four-day weekend.
Further details are here.
12.26pm: Bishop leads county service of celebration
Ripon is pulling out the stops this weekend with activities galore, and Ripon Cathedral is at the heart of things. The Bishop of Ripon has tweeted about a service she led this morning.
https://twitter.com/HartleyHAM/status/1532321794765488128
12.05pm: Ripon mum wins Bettys Jubilee Bake Off
Ripon mum Lori Hendry (pictured holding the cake) has beaten three other shortlisted bakers to win the Bettys Jubilee Bake Off.
Lori’s Victoria sponge decorated with red, white and blue icing adorned with a crown and Union Jack flags wowed the judges. You can read more here.
11.10am: Free rides, entertainment and face painting in Valley Gardens
Free events are taking place in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens until 6pm. It’s very much a family occasion: kids can meet Elsa, Batman and Cinderella (pictured above), ride on the runaway train, climb a wall, jump on a bungee trampoline, watch jugglers — all for free.
Elsewhere in Harrogate, on a section of the Stray, which has been renamed Jubilee Square, people can watch a big screen of the BBC coverage of the jubilee.
10.27am: Recycling depots open as usual
North Yorkshire County Council tweets that its household recycling centres are open as normal this bank holiday weekend.
All our household waste recycling centres are open, as usual, from 8.30am to 5pm, throughout the Queen's #PlatinumJubilee bank holiday weekend.
Find your nearest site and what items you can take athttps://t.co/llRAH0z30s pic.twitter.com/rASZiF1jhk
— North Yorkshire Council (@northyorksc) June 2, 2022
9.32am: Bishop Monkton choir starts the jubilee weekend
Bishop Monkton kicked off the jubilee weekend last night a community concert given by a choir developed on Zoom during the pandemic.
The choir entertained an audience of 120 in the village hall with a show titled Seven Decades of Song, featuring music from the 1940s to the present day. The concert included hits from musicals like Oklahoma and the Sound of Music as well as more recent numbers from Leonard Cohen and Gary Barlow.
The choir grew out of the village’s Singing for Fun group, which had started just before the pandemic and which kept going through the covid lockdowns by meeting on Zoom. The show included a live rendition of a song called Lockdown, written during covid by the village’s jubilee queen, Pauline Beecroft, to the tune of the Petula Clark 1960s hit Downtown.
The concert ended with the singing of Jerusalem, Land of Hope and Glory and the National Anthem.
Thanks to Colin Philpott for sending us this jubilee news in Bishop Monkton. What’s happening where you are? Message us your jubilee news and pictures at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.
8.52am: Free music all day in Ripon
The stage is set in Ripon for the biggest royal party of the ancient city’s long history. Lily Worth will kick off a day of free music at 10.30am and she will be followed by Ripon’s own talented singer-songwriter Freddie Cleary.
Later, tribute acts will sing the songs of Stevie Wonder, Cilla Black, George Michael, the Everly Brothers and Katherine Jenkins. For nostalgia lovers, there will be wartime songs of Vera Lynn and others from 4.50pm.
Organisers Ripon City Council are hoping that the blue skies that have started the day will remain over the town hall and stage facing onto Market Square, where large crowds are anticipated.
8.45am: Stray Ferret journalists set to hit the road
Tim will be in Ripon all day and for the lighting of the beacon.
Tom plans to head to Blubberhouses and Spofforth
John will be in and around Harrogate
Tamsin will be in Knaresborough for tonight’s beacon lighting.
Say hello if you see us in our Stray Ferret hats and please send us your photos to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk and we will do our best to upload them on to our blog throughout the day.
North Yorkshire dignitaries honour the Queen at Ripon Cathedral
Sun glinted off the many chains of office hung around the necks of dignitaries attending the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee service in Ripon today.
The great and good had gathered for the North Yorkshire Civic Service at the city’s ancient cathedral, which is itself in celebration mode as it marks the 1,350th anniversary since being founded by Wilfrid, who went on to become Ripon’s patron saint.
The service in honour of Her Majesty took place some 37 years after she visited the cathedral with her late husband Prince Philip to hand out Maundy Money to church workers and volunteers,
The Very Revd John Dobson, the Dean of Ripon, led the service and key moments within it were performed by the Archbishop of York the Most Revd and Right Honourable Stephen Cottrell and the Rt Revd the Lord Bishop of Leeds Nick Baines, as well as the Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire Mrs Jo Ropner and the High Sheriff of North Yorkshire, James Lambert.
The unmistakable Harry Gration who attended this morning’s service.
Among the congregation, was Harry Gration, the retired presenter of BBC TV Look North, who is a deputy Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire.
The Mayor and Mayoress of Ripon Cllr Sid and Mrs Linda Hawke, pictured with Valeria Sykes.
From the business world, Valeria Sykes, owner of Grantley Hall hotel and wellness spa, was present and posed for a photograph with the newly-installed Mayor and Mayoress of Ripon, Cllr Sid Hawke and his wife Linda.
Ripon’s MP Julian Smith on his way in to the cathedral.
Local and national politics was represented, with the city’s Conservative MP, Julian Smith and Cllr Andrew Williams the Independent leader of Ripon City Council both present.
Cllr Williams, who was also elected by a landslide margin to the new North Yorkshire unitary authority, attended with newly-elected city councillor Jackie Crozier. They are pictured below.
Cllr Williams, told the Stray Ferret:
“It is absolutely marvellous to see Ripon host the civic service for the county in this very special platinum jubilee year.
“As a city, we are extremely proud of our royal roots and with events at the cathedral, Market Square and Spa Park, all elements of the community and people of all ages, are coming together over the extended Bank Holiday. to celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime event.”
Read more:
- The icing is on a royal cake for Ripon competition winner
- Ripon joins in district-wide celebrations of the Queen’s Jubilee
New platinum jubilee horn adds to Ripon’s rich royal history
History will be made in Ripon on Saturday night when the Platinum Jubilee Horn, made to mark the Queen’s remarkable reign, is blown for the first time.
The horn, commissioned by the city council to provide Ripon’s citizens and visitors with a ceremonial means of celebrating Her Majesty’s 70 years of service, will be presented to Cllr Sid Hawke, the Right Worshipful the Mayor of Ripon by John Richmond BEM.
Mr Richmond, an honorary freeman and former Mayor of Ripon, has the distinction of being the only person to carry out the internationally famous setting of the watch ceremony while in mayoral office, when he acted as a ‘stand-in’ hornblower in December 1975.
He told the Stray Ferret:
“It is an incredible honour to be asked to present the new horn in a city which takes great pride in its royal heritage.
“This goes back to Alfred the Great who, in 886, presented Riponians with their first ceremonial horn as a ‘thank you’ for their courage in fighting off a Viking raid.”
John Richmond BEM and Freeman of the City of Ripon who made history in 1975, will present the new Platinum Jubilee Horn.
The presentation will take place on Ripon Market Square at 8.45pm in time for the setting of the watch ceremony at 9pm.
The horn was made by Duncan Grimmond, a locally-based craftsman who has made several horns for the city council over the last four decades.
Mark Sidwell, musical director of Ripon City Band, advised Mr Grimmond on the process of making the horn, which is believed to be from an African buffalo and has silver mountings.
The mountings include the Commemorative jubilee hallmark and the inscription reads Presented by Ripon City Council to the City of Ripon on the occasion of HM Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee – June 2022.
Cllr Andrew Williams. leader of Ripon City Council who proposed the commissioning of the new horn, pointed out:
“This will be a permanent reminder of our jubilee celebrations this week which promise to be the most comprehensive anywhere in North Yorkshire”
The nightly setting of the watch has continued un-broken for 1,136 years and is believed to be the world’s longest continuously-held ceremonial event.
It has survived the Black Death, other plagues, world wars, civil war and, more recently, the covid pandemic lockdowns, which saw Ripon’s team of four hornblowers keep the tradition alive by sounding their blasts behind closed doors at their homes.
Read more:
Jubilee pennies handed out to Ripon pupils
Ripon’s extensive celebrations for the Queen’s platinum jubilee, are growing by the day, as June 2 fast approaches.
The latest initiative has seen Rotary Club of Ripon Rowels give specially ‘minted’ wooden pennies to every pupil at the 17 primary schools in the city and surrounding villages.
The pennies, which have been delivered to the schools this week by club members, feature the official platinum jubilee logo on one side and the club’s logo on the other.
They have been made by a team of workers at Jennyruth Workshops, which is a social enterprise that works with people with learning disabilities,
Workers at Jennyruth Workshops produced the 2,200 platinum jubilee pennies. Picture Jennyruth Workshops
Club member David Suddards, who has delivered pennies to Greystone Outwood Academy Primary, told the Stray Ferret:
“We have had 2,200 made by the our wonderful friends at Jennyruth Workshops, so that we can give them as a memento of the Queen’s magnificent 70-year reign.”
The pennies are being presented to primary schools by the Rotary Club of Ripon Rowels.
“The idea came from our president Bernard Thain, and we all thought it was a marvellous way of giving the children something that will be a lasting reminder of the platinum jubilee and what Her Majesty has done for this country.”
Mr Suddards, whose prized possessions include a specially-made spoon that he and children across the country were given to mark the Queen’s coronation in 1953, added:
“Club members have been delivering the wooden pennies to all schools in Ripon and outlying villages, before they break up for the Whitsun holiday and we hope that this special gift will add to the enjoyment of this very special occasion.
Read more:
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- Plans to convert former Ripon Choir School to housing approved
New Ripon mayor joins a rollcall rich in history
Sid Hawke received warm applause from fellow councillors, civic dignitaries and family and friends when he received Ripon’s ornate and historic chain of office this week.
The newly-installed Right Worshipful The Mayor of Ripon, was born and bred in the city.
He previously served as mayor from 2008-2009, meaning his name now appears for the second time on a roll of honour dating back to 1604, when Hugh Ripley became Ripon’s first mayor.
The celebrated rollcall of former first citizens. includes George Frederick Samuel Robinson, the First Marquess of Ripon and Viceroy of India from 1880 to 1884 , who was born at 10 Downing Street on October 24, 1827 when his father, Viscount Goderich, was briefly resident there as Prime Minister.
After serving as mayor in 1895-1896 he presented Ripon Town Hall to the municipality in 1897 — just one of his many acts as a major benefactor in the city, that also saw fittings from St Mary’s Church on the Studley Royal estate where he had lived, bequeathed to St Wilfrid’s Catholic Church on Coltsgate Hill, following his death in July 1909.
In a city steeped in history, the stately Regency period town house that became Ripon Town Hall, has been a fitting setting for the mayor making ceremony since it was first used as the location for council meetings,
Following age-old tradition, Cllr Hawke was ‘dragged’ into the elegant council chamber before accepting his place in the hot seat, with the unanimous approval of his fellow councillors.
Councillor Sid Hawke was ‘dragged’ into the council chamber by fellow councillors Andrew Williams and Peter Horton.
“I don’t think Sid will be winning any acting awards.
“Cllr Hawke’s heart and soul is in this city and I am delighted to propose him as mayor, sure in the knowledge that he and his wife Linda as mayoress, will represent Ripon with dignity in this year of the Queen’s platinum jubilee.”
Councillors voted unanimously to install Sid Hawke as the Mayor of Ripon.
There were equally warm words for Cllr Eamon Parkin who, from May 2019 to May 2022, made history by becoming the first mayor of Ripon to serve in three consecutive years.
Civic duties in much of his period in office were severely curtailed by covid lockdowns and Cllr Williams said:
“You and your consort Nigel have represented Ripon through a most difficult time and done so in a most gracious way. We thank you for all that you have done for this council and for the city.”
Cllr Parkin, who has accepted the post of deputy mayor, thanked the many volunteers and unsung heroes that supported the community during his term of office and also thanked those who supported his charity appeal, raising £14,000 to be shared between Vision Support Ripon and the city’s Christmas Lights fund.
The chain of office continues in the hands of newly-installed mayor Cllr Hawke, who said:
“The last few years have been hard for everyone because of covid, but I’m not going to look back and instead, Linda and I are looking forward to representing Ripon and seeing our city go from strength to strength.”
Picture: Ripon’s newly-installed Mayor and Mayoress of Ripon, Councillor Hawke and his wife Linda, are pictured with their Chaplain, The Rt. Revd Bishop of Ripon Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, the city’s serjeant at mace Jonathan Owens (left) and city councillors.
Plans for a £6million extension to the south side of Ripon Cathedral’s west-facing frontage are on hold and alternative proposals have been put on public display.
The Ripon Cathedral Renewed Project, which aims to provide 21st century facilities for the cathedral’s parishioners, choristers, the wider community and an ever-increasing number of visitors, already has £4 million in pledges.
But it needs to secure a further £2 million if ambitions are to be achieved.
Signs at the exhibition, being held in the north transept, explain that the alternative plan has been brought forward after reservations were expressed about the previously proposed extension
The new plan, captured in this artist’s impression, involves creating new indoor and outdoor space.
Proposals involve a standalone two-storey development to the north of the iconic building on an area of land that also houses the Old Courthouse Museum and the Royal British Legion Garden of Remembrance.
Proposal to close Minster Road to through traffic
They also include the suggested closure of Minster Road to through traffic, to provide a safe link for pedestrians and people in wheelchairs or families with prams and buggies, to move between the cathedral and the new building.
The proposal includes the provision of pedestrian-friendly links between the cathedral and the new building and into the Cathedral Car Park.
The community consultation aims to gauge views on the design of the new building, landscaping of the site and the Minster Road proposal.
Approval required at every level
A message from the Dean of Ripon, the Very Revd. John Dobson, thanks donors who have already pledged support to the Ripon Renewed Project and adds that the bid to make the vision a reality is ‘nearer than ever before.’
He points out that in addition to obtaining further financial pledges:
“We need plans that will attract approval at every level.”
The wooden model on display shows the new two-storey building to the right and its relationship to the cathedral.
The new building would incorporate indoor toilets, including a Changing Places toilet for disabled people, a café/refreshment area, improved shop, meeting room, new facilities for the choir school and additional storage capacity to take the pressure off use of space in the cathedral.
A national treasure
When the Ripon Renewed project that was announced Dean John, said:
“It is clear that the development of the cathedral is vital to bring this national treasure into the 21st century.
“As custodians of this fantastic building we are only too aware of the legacy we uphold. We have this ancient history, this wonderful architecture – what we haven’t got are the facilities that people need.
“Each generation has, over 13 centuries, taken on what has been handed to it and made its own contributions. We take none of this for granted and we have a responsibility, in our generation, to make our contribution now.”
The site for the proposed new building, is to the right of the Old Courthouse Museum and adjacent to the Royal British Legion Garden of Remembrance
Serving future communities
He added:
“Over the last few years it has become increasingly obvious to a growing number of people that the development of Ripon Cathedral is vital as we seek to serve the communities of the region now and in the future.”
The community consultation will help to shape a formal planning application that will be submitted to Harrogate Borough Council and people who go to view the plans, are asked by Dean John to fill out a short questionnaire available at the exhibition.
If successful, plans would see the first major development in hundreds of years of the cathedral’s facilities, for a building containing the oldest built fabric of any English cathedral – St Wilfrid’s Crypt – dating back to 672 AD.
Ripon Grammar School is making its sports pool available to local primary school children for swimming lessons.
The importance of children learning to swim is paramount, particularly in a city that has the rivers Ure, Skell and Laver, a canal, and a lake near the racecourse.
Pupils from St Wilfrid’s Catholic Primary School are saving money on coach hire costs by using the grammar school’s pool.
The primary school’s headteacher Jill Allen said:
She said:
“We are very grateful to have use of the pool. It is a walk across the field rather than a long trudge to the new baths or coach which we can’t afford. The children all love it!
“We are now on track to ensure all Year 6 children can swim 25 metres before leaving primary school, despite the disruption of the past few years,” she said.
More than one million children in the UK are believed to have missed out on swimming lessons during the pandemic, and there are fears this could lead to a ‘lost generation’ of swimmers, with many leaving primary school unable to meet the minimum national curriculum standards.
Mrs Allen thanked RGS’s ‘tremendous’ sixth form students for supporting Year 5 and 6 pupils, including those in the water helping youngsters who were unable to swim.
“At the other end of the scale one child achieved her gold award and others silver and bronze.”
RGS director of sport Adam Milner said he was delighted the local community was able to access the RGS pool. He said:
“As a state school, we are lucky to have it and are pleased it’s helping more children to learn to swim, a vital life skill every child should have.
“We hope it will also help those primary school pupils who go on to attend Ripon Grammar School with their transition to secondary school. Hopefully there will be opportunities for other schools to join us in the pool in future.”
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Nidderdale luxury glamping site expands
Yurtshire, in the Nidderdale countryside, is drawing on the power of nature, to create a revitalising experience for visitors from across the Harrogate district and further afield.
The 93-acre site, which features Eavestone Lake, is being developed by Tom Sterne, whose family are long-term investors in the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors, in Ripon and surrounding areas.
Located between Ripon and Pateley Bridge, just off the B6265 road, the site with its nine luxurious tree yurts, opened last summer.
Following the high demand of a staycation year, three more units are being added, after planning permission was granted by Harrogate Borough Council.
Plans are also in hand to add spa-type facilities and services, including a sauna, facial and body massages.
The site features the 13-acre Eavestone Lake
Mr Sterne, who has more than ten years of experience of outdoor hospitality-based business, gained through his operation of hire company Yorkshire Yurts and YurtBar, which caters for the corporate entertainment market, told the Stray Ferret:
“I’m using the expertise that I have gained to create a new facility to satisfy the needs of people who are increasingly focused on wellness, lifestyle issues and the environment.”
He pointed out:
“Our site has an abundance of natural assets, including forty acres of forest, a 13-acre lake and the biodiversity that goes with them, from birds, butterflies and insects to clear night-time skies that are perfect for people whose spirits are lifted by looking at the stars.
“The aim is to harness and harmonise with all aspects of the natural environment – woodland, water and wildlife – to provide guests with a restful and regenerative stay that is good for mind, body and the healing process.
“That is why people wanting to find a peaceful and idyllic place to go on retreat, represent a growing part of our business.”
The yurts have been designed to provide a five-star level of luxury
In the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Yurtshire is surrounded by stunning scenery, that would not look out of place on a canvas by the landscape master painter J.M.W. Turner.
Views from the decking of each Yurt site, which has its own private hot tub, underline why nearby Grassington was chosen for filming of the smash-hit Channel 5 programme All Creatures Great and Small.
Each of the nine placements has its own private hot tub and decking area
With Grassington and other attractions, such as Fountains Abbey, Studley Royal, Brimham Rocks and Stump Cross Caverns, drawing more staycationers to Yorkshire, there is scope for Yurtshire to build on a successful first season.
Nicola Warters, pictured here with Tom Sterne, says the yurts provide five-star luxury in idyllic surroundings
Yurtshire manager Nicola Warters, said:
“We are providing the type of luxury accommodation that can be found in a five-star hotel, but instead of waking up surrounded by bricks and mortar, our visitors are in the heart of the woodland and arise to the sound of birds singing.
“Some also come for the pleasure of picking out the star constellations, as they relax in the soothing waters of their hot tub. It’s therapeutic on every level.”
Read more:
- The natural beauty of Fountains Abbey captured on camera
- Stars of All Creatures Great and Small stars seen in the Harrogate district