It’s difficult to think of any street in the Harrogate district that tops Waterside in Knaresborough for tourism and history.

Situated alongside the River Nidd, it’s the perfect place for a stroll, a coffee or an ice cream, and maybe even a spot of boating. 

The characterful properties include one built as a hunting lodge for King John in about 1200. Little wonder the place is flooded with visitors in summer and at weekends. 

But Waterside’s enduring popularity hides an uncomfortable truth — it’s been getting a bit shabby.

The number of litter bins has been reduced, street cleaning has gone downhill and lampposts are rusty and dirty. There is even a question mark now over the future of the public toilets.

Waterside is far from the only street to have suffered from council funding cuts. But while others complain, members of Waterside Residents’ Association are fighting back.

The association, which has 22 members representing residents and businesses on Waterside and the adjoining Water Bag Bank, is taking on many of the little jobs that the council no longer does.

We met about a dozen members last week as they hung decorative lights on trees.

Treasurer Judi Graham said:

Chairman Matt Hare concurs: 

Several residents said they feel ignored compared with Knaresborough town centre. Geographically they're not far away at all, but the steep divide can make Waterside feel like another place entirely. They say they miss out on hanging baskets for businesses and Christmas lights, even though Waterside is the first port of call for many Knaresborough visitors.

The group did, however, recently secure two grants from Knaresborough Town Council for a total of £1,300, which funded the lights they were installing when we met, and other odd jobs. This, and a £500 float, is all the group has. Their richest asset is the time they’re willing to give to improve the place they love. 

They meet quarterly and seem in good spirits working together. “It’s a great community here and everyone is getting involved,” says secretary Angela Mountain, who took us along Waterside to show what members have been up to.

Besides the decorative lights, they’ve put up ‘no fouling’ notices for dog owners, decorated and painted lampposts, erected ‘no parking’ signs, painted the handrails on the steep Water Bag Bank, decorated the junction with Water Bag Bank, planted flowers, cut back vegetation and improved Viaduct Terrace, which is the seating area beneath the viaduct.

The viaduct may be one of North Yorkshire’s treasures, but it can literally be a mess for residents living beneath it, due to the volume of pigeon poo scattered everywhere.

That’s one thing residents have little control over. They focus on the small things that can make a big difference, but they are also wary of the fact that the more they do, the more the council may be tempted to retreat.

Land train

A land train was supposed to be trialled on Waterside last month to make it easier for people to navigate their way to and from the town centre without having to negotiate the steep hill. But the trial, announced by Knaresborough & District Chamber, was postponed for unspecified reasons. 

There's now talk of it happening next year, but those we spoke to hated the idea, saying it would simply be impractical on such a busy and narrow thoroughfare, which is still open to traffic despite the number of pedestrians.

Mr Hare says it would be an “absolute nightmare” and Ms Mountain adds: “It would be chaos when tourists drive down. We have no objection to the train itself, just the route down Waterside. It could still go from Conyngham Hall up to the town centre.”

It's clear people here care passionately about their neighbourhood. Whether they should have to do jobs their council taxes used to fund is a moot point. But there's little doubt thousands of people's trips to Waterside are brightened by their community efforts.