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27
Jul
Town council to consider celebrations for Stray's 250th anniversary
Harrogate Town Council is to take the first steps towards celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Stray this week.
Councillors at the meeting on Wednesday (July 29) will discuss the formation of a working group whose task will be to decide what form the celebrations will take, when they will be held, and how.
The Stray was first given protection by the Great Award of 1778, which linked and protected Harrogate's mineral springs, maintaining public access and preserving its open pasture.
The Award stated:
The said two hundred acres of land shall forever hereafter remain open and unenclosed and all persons whomsoever shall and may have free access at all times to the said springs, and be at liberty to use and drink the waters there arising...
At this time, the 200 acres were rough grazing land, with rocks, trees, mires and becks, but through the 19th century the Stray gradually became more like the tamed green space we know today, and grazing came to an end.
This 1829 painting shows a natural pond on what is now the Stray next to the Crown roundabout. Credit: J Stubbs.
The Harrogate Stray Act 1985 made the council – then Harrogate Borough Council, now North Yorkshire Council – protector of the Stray, and permitted the use of up to 3.4 hectares (8.5 acres) of it for spectator events.
A report published for councillors ahead of Wednesday’s town council meeting explains the rationale behind the Stray 250 celebrations:
This milestone presents a unique opportunity for Harrogate Town Council to work with local partners, heritage organisations, community groups and residents to develop a programme of commemorative activities that celebrate the historical significance of the Stray whilst promoting its ongoing importance to the town.
It also lists some of the activities that could be considered, including talks and exhibitions, educational programmes, public art installations, walking trails, and a major civic event marking the anniversary year.
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