The Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate could cause disruption on the roads in the week ahead as visitors flock to the town.

All 140,000 tickets have been sold for the annual event, which starts on Tuesday and ends on Friday.

The sheer volume of traffic can cause problems at the beginning and end of each day, though significant improvements have been made to reduce the queues seen in the past.

Melisa Burnham, highways area manager for North Yorkshire County Council, said:

Whether you're planning to visit the show or hoping to avoid any hold-ups as you travel elsewhere, here is all you need to know to keep you moving this week.

 

Road closures

Wetherby Road

Wetherby Road and surrounding streets are set to be the most affected as traffic orders prioritise getting visitors to and from the showground with minimal queuing..

Signs are already in place down the A658 directing show traffic towards Harrogate.

On all four days of the show, traffic will be one-way from the Kestrel roundabout to the showground, from 6am to 2pm.

This will then reverse at 2pm to enable cars to leave the site towards the Kestrel roundabout.

 

Forest Lane and Rudding Lane

A traffic order will be in place to prevent vehicles turning right from Wetherby Road onto Rudding Lane. The restriction does not apply to buses or to residents.

Drivers will also be prevented from travelling north across the A661 from Rudding Lane to Forest Lane.

 

Hookstone Drive and surroundings

Waiting will be prohibited along Hookstone Wood Road, Hookstone Oval and Woodlands Green, from 6am to 9pm on all four days.

Wayside Walk, Wayside Close, Innisfree Close, Wayside Avenue, St Leonards Road, Windsor Road, St Helen’s Road and Apley Close will have no waiting orders for the first 50m from the junction with Hookstone Drive.

 

Deighton Road and Spofforth Lane

A one-way order will be in place from the junction of West View in North Deighton to the junction of Ribston Road, just north of Spofforth.

It will bring traffic west towards Harrogate from 6am to 2pm each day before being reversed to take vehicles away from 2pm until 8pm.

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Accessing the showground

People driving from east of Harrogate, including Knaresborough and villages towards York, are being asked to follow signs to bring them onto the A658 and the A661 one-way route.

Those travelling from Leeds and the south via the A61 will be directed onto the A658 and in towards the showground from the Kestrel roundabout.

The A661 from Wetherby through Spofforth is not designated an official route and people are asked to avoid using it. An alternative for those travelling from the south is to continue to follow the A61 into Harrogate, then turn right onto Hookstone Road and follow signs towards Hookstone Drive.

People travelling from the west, as well as Ripon, should follow signs for the B6161 from the A59 at the former Old Spring Well junction to the north-west of Harrogate.

From there, they will travel to Beckwithshaw before being directed onto the B6162 Otley Road towards Harrogate and signposted to car parks.

 

Alternative options

Bus and rail access to the showground is possible on all four days.

The Harrogate Bus Company runs a free shuttle bus from the town centre to the showground, departing every 20 minutes.

It travels between Harrogate Bus Station and the white gate at the northern end of the showground. The double-decker buses will have low floors and space for pushchairs.

https://twitter.com/greatyorkshow/status/1545389677653508097

The nearest railway station is Hornbeam Park, from where there will be a signposted walking route via the 'showground greenway' across the Crimple Valley.

Look out for up-to-date travel news during the show on the Stray Ferret.