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17
Jun
Plaque unveiled to Britain’s ‘greatest female cyclist’ at her Harrogate home
A plaque was unveiled at a house in Harrogate today (June 17) that was once the home of cycling legend Beryl Burton.
Beryl’s achievements are often overlooked because women's cycling did not become an Olympic sport until 1984 although the Guardian described her as ‘the greatest British female cyclist of all time’ in 2012.
She won seven world titles and more than 90 domestic championships between 1959 and 1986.
Beryl died of heart failure aged 58 in 1996 while out on her bike on Skipton Road in Harrogate.
Born in Leeds, she raced for Knaresborough Cycling Club and moved to Harrogate with her husband Charlie in about 1976.
They lived in several houses around the town until her death.
Beryl’s daughter, Denise Burton-Cole, was among the guests at 9 Mount Parade, where her parents lived from 1978 to 1983, at today’s unveiling.
Denise, who won a cycling world championship bronze medal for Britain in 1975 and now lives in Hutton Conyers, near Ripon, said her parents moved to Harrogate because her father, Charlie, who died aged 93 in 2023, got a job at Ron Kitching’s cycling business.
She said she was “deeply honoured” to be invited to the ceremony in a town that held happy memories, adding:
My mum trained and raced from here and she really enjoyed Harrogate.
She wouldn’t have said it out loud but deep inside she would have been really thrilled by this honour and my dad would have had a big smile on his face.
(from left) Denise Burton-Cole, Konak Meze owner Firat Bulut, the current homeowner and mayor Viv Poskitt
Harrogate’s cycling mayor, Councillor Viv Poskitt, unveiled the plaque.
Cllr Poskitt, who cycled from Manchester to Leeds last weekend, said:
“I wish I could have met Beryl and now I feel I sort of have. A big thank you from Harrogate town for her part in world cycling.”
The current homeowner said he had no idea the property was once owned by Beryl Burton when he bought it in 2023.
It was the 99th heritage plaque displayed by Harrogate Civic Society.
Members of Harrogate Nova Cycling Club, which shared the costs of the plaque, were among those present.
Turkish restaurant Konak Meze, which is next to the house with the plaque, hosted a celebration afterwards.
You can watch a video of the unveiling on the Stray Ferret facebook page here.
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