The River Nidd has turned chocolate brown amid fears for the lives of thousands of fish following an environmental ‘disaster’ over the weekend.

Several miles of the Nidd between Gouthwaite reservoir and Hampsthwaite have been affected.

It is believed safety work by Yorkshire Water at Gouthwaite reservoir, which is just north of Pateley Bridge, may have stirred up silt deposits.

A Yorkshire Water spokeswoman said:

“We’re working with the Environment Agency to investigate what’s caused the sediment in the River Nidd to be disturbed.

“We’ve temporarily suspended some work our capital partners Mott Macdonald Bentley were doing upstream at Gouthwaite reservoir while we investigate.”

The work at Gouthwaite dam

John Shillcock, an ecologist who is president of Nidderdale Angling Club, described the incident as an “environmental disaster”, the scale of which remained unclear. He added:

“It is impossible to know at this stage what the effect has been on the fish and invertebrates.

“There is no sign of rising or dead fish and it is not safe to wade to take invertebrate samples. There is no visibility to know where you are putting your feet.”

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He said Yorkshire Water was excavating a trench as part of a long-term project to install a siphon at Gouthwaite dam to enable it to rapidly reduce water levels in an emergency.

He added it appeared this had churned up 120 years of accumulated silt, which had flowed from the reservoir into the river via the discharge control valves.

Mr Shillcock said the angling club had asked to be kept informed about the works and it wanted to know whether an environmental assessment had been conducted to assess risks ahead of works of this magnitude.

He said the Nidd from the dam downstream was a lovely upland trout and grayling water.

The water, he added had been “crystal clear” and of such quality there had been no need to stock fish for the last three years.

These pictures taken yesterday show the colour of the water.

The Reverend Suzy McCarter has been appointed vicar of Hampsthwaite with Felliscliffe, Killinghall and Birstwith.

Revd McCarter, who lives in Birstwith vicarage, will be installed at an induction service with the Bishop of Ripon, the Rt Rev Helen-Ann Hartley, on July 28 at 7pm in Killinghall.

Born in Northampton, Revd McCarter was ordained in Blackburn Diocese.

She said:

“I then served a curacy in Standish, Wigan and my first appointment as a clergyperson was in the benefice of Harden, Wilsden, Cullingworth and Denholme in West Yorkshire where I stayed for nearly 11 years before moving here.

“We hope to settle and remain here for a nice long time.”

Birstwith and Hampsthwaite churches reopened for worship during Holy Week and are now back to the normal pattern of worship.

Killinghall, however, is having work done to repair the chancel after some water damage to the foundations resulted in the floor sinking.

It is expected to open for worship on May 30.

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Harrogate Gymnastics is to start providing classes in Hampsthwaite next week for children aged four to 11.

The club has 500 recreational members and 200 competitive gymnasts at its Hornbeam Park location.

It had a waiting list to join pre-covid and social distancing measures have reduced the number of people able to attend, prompting owner Chloe Carey to look for a new site.

Classes will take place at Hampsthwaite Memorial Hall for beginner and intermediate gymnasts on Monday evenings.

Sessions will last for 45 minutes to an hour and will cater for up to 12 gymnasts.

Ms Carey, who lives in Hampsthwaite, said:

“We have a waiting list at the club, which has been made worse by the restrictions on numbers during the pandemic and wanted to be able to get the children who want to take part in gymnastics Into classes as quickly as possible, especially having had restrictions on organised sport for the best part of a year.

“With the roadworks in Harrogate it has become increasingly difficult for some of the surrounding villages to get over to Hornbeam so that has become a barrier to participation for some.”

Some equipment is new and some is being transferred from Hornbeam Park.

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People living in the Harrogate district have complained about an increase in dog owners leaving poo bags tied to trees, dumped in bushes or even thrown into private gardens.

Lockdown has led to a puppy boom, with many buying a new four-legged family friend.

However, many people told the Stray Ferret they were fed-up seeing discarded poo bags in our most scenic locations, such as the Pinewoods and Stainburn Forest and were appalled by the “lazy” and “disgusting” behaviour of some dog owners.

Mark Hanford said bags were everywhere:

“The dog poo bag pandemic has been raging for years, it’s an absolute disgrace — it’s everywhere! Crab Lane and St. John’s area is really bad for it!”

“We have a real problem in our lovely village. The majority of the village are disgusted. How do we shame the perpetrators? Or shame Harrogate Borough Council to clear up the mess the overdevelopment of our village has caused?”

Northern Energy has submitted plans to relocate its headquarters from Hampsthwaite to near Marton-cum-Grafton.

The company, which has an annual turnover of £27 million, has been based at its Hampsthwaite headquarters for over half a century.

It supplies more than 50 million litres of oil and liquid petroleum gas across the UK each year.

However, planning documents submitted to Harrogate Borough Council say the business has outgrown its current site:

“Such is the success of the business, the company have now outgrown their current premises on the edge of Hampsthwaite.

“Indeed, the location of the facility, some distance from the local highway network, and the absence of oil and fuel storage capacity on site is now beginning to hinder the business.”

The company wants to build its new headquarters on Limebar Lane, one kilometre from the village of Marton-cum-Grafton.

The plans include 10,000 square feet of office space, a vehicle depot, LPG and oil storage tanks and a new car park.

The site would accommodate 30 office staff and 20 operations staff.

Established in 1932 by Ralph Robinson, the grandfather of current chairman, Howard Illingworth, the company originally began collecting milk from farmers and supplying coal to local people.

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A Hampsthwaite cafe set on the edge of Nidderdale, where the owner takes pride in making all of the food from scratch, is a hidden gem for walkers and cyclists.

Ten years ago this week Sophie Jacob, flanked by her husband Steve and three teenagers took on a derilict building in the picturesque village with a lot of ambition.

Alot has changed since then. On a sunny weekend like this, in normal times, Sophie’s Coffee Shop is buzzing with lots of people passing through the village.

Sophie had only ever cooked and baked for friends and family before the cafe started. While it may take a lot of time in the day, she was determined to make all the food fresh.

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She has so much pride in her food that she once dreamed of earning a Michelin Star. It may not be something Sophie is still chasing but she is still open to the possibility.

Over the years Sophie has expanded the menu, released a cook book, built a pizza oven in the back garden, taken on the village shop and a holiday cottage.

Sophie, on the cafe’s ten year anniversary, told the Stray Ferret:

“We always bake a lot in the morning. Sometimes we get so busy that we start to run out but I can always make some more.

“There is nothing more rewarding than baking. It may not always go to plan but when it’s fresh from the oven, they love it and that’s just fab. That keeps me going.

“I have always liked baking, I feel lucky to have found it. My mum always used to tell me that I should be doing something with it, she inspired me.

“When we first opened she used to come here to work every morning. She would go home absolutely shattered but she loved it. I love it too.”

Sophie’s Coffee Shop is currently serving takeaway drinks, cakes and pizza on the weekends but she is looking forward to the day when she can reopen fully, hopefully in May.

This is part of the Stray Ferret’s ‘hidden gem’ series. We are trying to highlight small independent businesses. They need to be tucked away but growing in popularity with an eye-catching and unique product or approach. Send us an email with your nominations.

The Harrogate district has recorded a further 30 covid cases today.

According to Public Health England figures, the number takes the total amount of cases since March to 7,238.

Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day covid rate of infection has fallen to 88 people per 100,000.

The rate for North Yorkshire stands at 83, while the England average is 116.

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Killinghall and Hampsthwaite remains the area with the most covid cases in the last seven days, with 23 infections.

Boroughbridge and Marton-cum-Grafton is the second highest in the district with 15.

No further covid deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital.

There have been 633 covid infections recorded in the Harrogate district in the last seven days, according to government statistics.

The infection rate has rocketed over the last month and the current seven-day average rate is now 494 people per 100,000.

But there are considerable variations within the district.

The government breaks each district into smaller areas known as middle super output areas, each with a population of about 7,200 people.

According to the latest figures, the middle super output areas with the most current infections are central Harrogate and central Knaresborough.

The more rural Pateley Bridge and Nidd Valley, which has been consistently less affected throughout the pandemic, has the fewest current infections.

Most infections

1 Central Harrogate 76

2 Knaresborough Central 61

3 Harrogate West and Pannal 59

4 Killinghall and Hampsthwaite 53

5 Starbeck 47

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Fewest Infections

1 Pateley Bridge and Nidd Valley 13

2 Hookstone 17

3= Dishthorpe, Baldersby and Markington

3= Spofforth, Burn Bridge and Huby 19

5 Masham, Kirkby Malzeard and North Stainley 21

The coronavirus rate of infection for the Harrogate district has increased for the first time in almost a month.

The seven-day average rate of infection peaked at 303 people per 100,000 on 9 November.

It then fell rapidly to 85 on 30 November, according to the data from Public Health England.

But yesterday’s latest figure, which is for the seven days to December 3, showed the rate had gone up on three consecutive days and is now 95.

That is still below the North Yorkshire average of 105 and the England average of 148.

But it does suggest the sharp downwards trend went into reverse before the end of lockdown on December 2.

Read more:

• Thirty two new covid cases in district reported today
• Two further covid deaths reported at Harrogate Hospital

The district’s R number, which refers to the rate at which the virus is spreading, remains low at 0.4.

This means every 10 people infected will pass it on to another four.

Killinghall and Hampsthwaite is still the local area with the most positive cases, having recorded 21 in the last seven days.

The Harrogate district is set to end the second lockdown with a far lower rate of covid than when it started.

Government figures today reveal the district has an average seven-day rate of infection of 92 people per 100,000, compared with 277 people per 100,000 on November 5.

This means the rate has fallen by about two-thirds since lockdown began.

The England average is currently 154 and the North Yorkshire average is 107.

The R number has fallen from a peak of 1.6 last month to 0.6 today. This means every 10 people with covid will infect another six.

Public Health England recorded another 18 positive test results today, which is well below the 95 on November 9.

Read more:

• All 285 year 11 pupils at Harrogate Grammar sent home due to covid
• Pateley Bridge: no covid cases for 10 days but pubs stay shut

There were no further deaths reported today at either Harrogate District Hospital or in the district’s care homes.

Killinghall and Hampsthwaite remains the district’s covid hotspot, with 26 infections in the last seven days.

The next highest is Ouseburn, Hammerton and Tockwith with 18.

Pateley Bridge and Nidd Valley, Masham, Kirkby Malzeard and North Stainley and Ripon North and West have not recorded a single new infection for at least seven days.