Some of the Harrogate district’s most famous scenes and landmarks have been captured by members of Knaresborough Camera Club.

The club, which meets weekly and welcomes new members, sent us a selection of photos to showcase to a wider audience.

They capture everything from an aerial view of Oakdale Golf Club in Harrogate to Ripon Canal to sculptures at the Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park at Grewelthorpe.

We love showing great photos of the Harrogate district. If you would like us to consider yours for publication, please email details to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

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Oakdale golf course in Harrogate by Mike Morley.

Ripon Canal by Mervin Straughan

Ripley Castle deer by Mervin Straughan

Himalayan Gardens, Grewelthorpe, by Mervin Straughan

Newby Hall, by Mervin Straughan

The Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park near Ripon is set to reopen today. The 45-acre site in Grewelthorpe is home to 80 outdoor sculptures and nearly 20,000 plants.

The gardens were shortlisted for the BBC Countryfile Magazine awards 2020 and were winners of the Yorkshire in Bloom tourist attraction award in 2018 and 2019.

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A spokesperson for the gardens said:

“We believe that being outdoors and in beautiful gardens is restorative and important for people’s wellbeing. It can be a source of much-needed tranquillity in these super-anxious times.

“We are, however, mindful that the safety of visitors and our staff is our number one priority. We’re pleased to welcome visitors, that they may enjoy the blooms of spring in a safe and tranquil environment.”

The gardens have implemented additional staff training and measures to ensure key points, such as the visitors’ entrance, are safe. Natural materials have been used to create one-way systems and social distancing markers. Visitors must book tickets in advance. The plant sale area will be open and the tearoom and refreshment horsebox will be serving takeaways.

The spokesperson added:

 “Thankfully, our attraction benefits from being in the great outdoors with plenty of space.”

The actor Joanna Lumley, who is patron of the gardens, said:

“They are a slice of paradise. Gardens are the greatest healers on earth, and as our stressful anxious lives tie us up in knots, we may turn to the sweet silence of the great green earth for solace.”

Yorkshire Water spent an hour jet washing more than 1,000 litres of water through a sewer in Grewelthorpe to remove a fatberg of wet wipes.

The underground blockage between Ripon and Masham prompted the water company to issue a plea today to only flush the three Ps — pee, poo and (toilet) paper — down the loo.

Wet wipes are the most common cause of blockages and can lead to flooding.

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Mark Hammond, head of customer field services at Yorkshire Water, said:

“We are regularly called out to remove blockages caused by wet wipes in our region. That’s despite our warnings and information on packets not to flush them.

“We spend millions of pounds every year on clearing these blockages. It’s money which could be spent on improving our network and investing in technologies.”

Yorkshire Water also revealed its blockages team removed four large buckets of wet wipes from its sewer network in York this month.

A recent survey by the company found 21% of people flushed wet wipes down the toilet.

The Oxford English Dictionary added the word ‘fatberg’ in 2015. It is defined as a large mass of solid waste in a sewage system made up of fat and personal hygiene products.

A one-way system and additional staffing will be implemented to enable Grewelthorpe’s Himalayan Gardens and Sculpture Park to re-open tomorrow.

The visitor attraction – named Yorkshire in Bloom Tourist Attraction of the Year in 2018 and 2019 – features more than 80 outdoor sculptures around its grounds. Operations manager Naomi Hutchinson said it could only open if visitors follow social distancing guidelines:

“We believe that being outdoors and in beautiful gardens is restorative and important for people’s wellbeing. It can be a source of much-needed tranquillity in these super anxious times, and with 45 acres, the Himalayan Gardens offers the open space needed.

“We are however mindful that the safety of visitors and our staff is our number one priority. We’re pleased to welcome visitors and that they won’t miss out on the final blooms of spring, but our re-opening depends on all following the social distancing rules.”

The gardens’ new one-way system has been created using natural materials including stones, plant pots and wooden signs. While public toilets will be open, with social distancing in place, and plants will be on sale, the tea rooms will remain closed for the first week.

A booking system will also be in place to control numbers, so visitors will need to book in advance for a specified day via the attraction’s website.

Huge demand

Meanwhile, Newby Hall is set to open its grounds from Wednesday for season ticket holders, and from Saturday for the public. Its other attractions, including the railway, restaurant and teddy bears exhibition, will remain closed, and additional safety measures will be in place for visitors, including more toilets.

Booking will be essential, with slots set to go on sale on Newby Hall’s website on Tuesday, June 2.

Newby Hall and the Himalayan Gardens are the latest tourist attractions to announce they are opening their gates. RHS Garden Harlow Carr last week saw huge demand for access to its grounds as it opened bookings on its website.

The National Trust has not yet opened its properties in the Harrogate district, but slots to visit others around the country sold out quickly last week.

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