Knaresborough has its share of mysteries — did Mother Shipton really predict the future and how did Blind Jack build so many roads?

Now there is a new one: how did a First World War bomb lie undiscovered in the River Nidd for so many years?

The bomb was found in the shallows beneath Grimbald Bridge yesterday by litter picker Simon Briscombe.

Mr Briscombe thought it was a gas canister until the bomb squad turned up and carried out a controlled explosion in a nearby field.

Police closed the A59 for two hours.

It seems miraculous that such a weapon could have lurked undiscovered for more than a century — and how did it get there?

Intriguingly, Kathy Allday, chair of Knaresborough Museum Association, said a British plane came down in the Nidd during the First World War, close to the area where the weapon was discovered.

The pilot was killed and debris was scattered across the river. Could it have been carrying the bomb?

Unexploded shell in Scriven Park

It isn’t the first explosive device found in Knaresborough.

Members of Claro Community Archaeology Group discovered an unexploded shell from the Second World War in Scriven Park while metal detecting several years ago.

Mike Baxter, chairman of the group, says there was a munitions factory at nearby Farnham during the Second World War. He added.

“The Home Guard was supplied with all kinds of horrible phosphorus-type bombs in case we were invaded.”

Read more:

• Watch First World War bomb detonated in Knaresborough
• Bomb squad detonates First World War bomb in Knaresborough
• Meet the Knaresborough woman who is a dog chaperone at weddings

Kevin Earl, a military history enthusiast from Knaresborough, said his gut feeling was that this was a German bomb from the Second World War and if it dated back to the 1914-18 war he could only imagine it had been disposed of in the river.

Knaresborough resident Chris Jenkins got in touch to say:

“The photo of the actual item was an artillery shell.

“You can see the soft metal drive bands on the shell. This makes more sense as I am not aware of Knaresborough being bombed in World War One.

“It’s not uncommon to find war trophies ditched near bridges. Guns and material were brought home and then ditched over the years when it was realised they were not appropriate.”

Simon Briscombe

Mr Briscombe, who stumbled across the weapon, thinks this explanation is plausible. He said:

“Judging by the state it was in when I pulled it out of the river it had obviously been there a long time.

“It’s quite probable that somebody brought it back from the war as a memento and when he died his family chucked it into the river.”

The self-employed electrician said he hadn’t managed to do much work today but was grateful to be alive.

“My phone has been ringing off the hook. I think I’m going to have to knock today on the head. But there could have been bits of me hanging off the bridge!”

North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner looks set to sell Masham Police House as a community asset.

Known locally as “the old police house”, the building was initially used to house the local police constable.

However, since 2003 it has been leased to Mashamshire Community Office, a charity that provides community services, such as tourist information, the community library and arts and crafts.

Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe has revealed the plans as part of a move to relocate police to Masham Fire Station.

Ms Metcalfe said:

“Co-locating services at Masham Fire Station aligns our police and fire service in this area, making effective use of our estate to ultimately maximise investment in frontline services as detailed in my police and crime plan.

“North Yorkshire Police will continue to have a place of touchdown for local officers when needed, and they will continue as usual to work out of Ripon and Pateley Bridge police stations.

“Mashamshire Community Office is a fantastic local asset which has been providing benefit to the public for nearly two decades. I recognise this value on the community and I hope our sale will afford them the opportunity to purchase the property, with a supportive timeline and value agreed for this process.”

Read more:

• Pateley Bridge police station to be sold
• Policing in Ripon comes under a barrage of fire

Mashamshire Community Office will now have the opportunity to raise funds to purchase the police house prior to the building being put up for sale.

The commissioner expects to sell the property next year.

Paul Theakston, chair of trustees at Mashamshire Community Office, said:

“We are very grateful for the opportunity to purchase the old police house, from which the community office has been delivering an ever-expanding range of services into our community for the past twenty years.

“Actually, owning the building will secure our position literally at the heart of the community and ensure that we will be able to provide community services long into the future.”

This is the moment that a First World War bomb was detonated in Knaresborough.

The unexploded bomb was found in the River Nidd during a weekly litter pick by Simon Briscombe, whose partner Rachel Wills owns the Watermill cafe.

The couple wrapped the bomb, which they initially thought to be a gas canister, in sandbags at their home and dialled 101. The bomb squad, police and firefighters rushed to their home at The Chase.

Their house, along with about 30 others on the estate, was immediately evacuated while the bomb was taken to a nearby field and a controlled explosion carried out. The A59 was closed for about two hours.

Local resident Piers Ballance shot the footage below of the detonation in his friend Sam Darnbook’s field off the A59, opposite the Toyota garage.

Mr Ballance said the road was closed from Goldsborough roundabout to Manse Lane while the controlled explosion was carried out.

He said:

“We saw several police officers and army personnel at the site of the detonation.

“The explosion surprised us all as we did not expect it to be as loud. We felt the shockwave go through us.”

Read more:

• Bomb squad detonates First World War bomb in Knaresborough
• Knaresborough daredevil, 70, performs 50th skydive

Meanwhile, Ms Wills said her and her partner were left in shock after finding the bomb.

She said:

“We’re still in shock. If Simon had known what it was he wouldn’t have moved it.

“The police were horrified because he brought it home in the car and there are a lot of speed bumps in Knaresborough. But we didn’t know what it was.”

The bomb squad was called to Knaresborough this evening when an unexploded First World War bomb was found in the River Nidd.

Simon Briscombe, whose partner Rachel Wills owns the Watermill cafe, found what he initially thought to be a gas canister during a weekly litter pick.

But when he got home and cleaned the gunk off the item, which he found beneath Grimbald Bridge, he became suspicious.

The couple dialled 101 and after sending a photo, the bomb squad, police and firefighters rushed to their home at The Chase.

Rachel Wills and Simon Briscombe

Their house, along with about 30 others on the estate, was immediately evacuated while the bomb was taken away and a controlled explosion carried out nearby. The A59 was closed for about two hours.

Read more:

• Meet the Knaresborough woman who is a dog chaperone at weddings
• Knaresborough daredevil, 70, performs 50th skydive

Ms Wills said:

“We’re still in shock. If Simon had known what it was he wouldn’t have moved it.

“The police were horrified because he brought it home in the car and there are a lot of speed bumps in Knaresborough. But we didn’t know what it was.”

The bomb was wrapped in sandbags at the couple’s home for about an hour until the bomb squad arrived.

The bomb wrapped in sandbags at the couple’s home.

Ms Wills said:

“We do litter picks on our own every week and have found some really strange things — last week we found a sewing machine from 1898. But we’ve never found a bomb.

“In a way I’m relieved that we found it rather than a group of kids.”

Police close the road.

A drone photograph has shown that work on the Harrogate’s first Lidl is taking shape.

The photo, taken by drone photographer Darren Leeming, who lives near the site, shows the roof covered in solar panels.

But a considerable amount of building work still has to take place before the Lidl can open.

The supermarket is being built on the site of the former Lookers car dealership on Knaresborough Road.

How the supermarket will look.

Councillors granted planning permission to the German chain in August and work on site began in February.

It will be the first Lidl in Harrogate, although there is already one on Chain Lane in Knaresborough.

The new store will be open from 8am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday.

The Stray Ferret asked Lidl for an update on work and an expected opening date but has yet to receive a reply.

A French-themed open day will be held to officially launch the new boules courts in Darley this weekend.

Darley Playing Fields Association is inviting the community and visitors from further afield for wine, cheese — and of course, a game of petanque.

Taking place this Saturday, May 21, from 2pm, it will be an opportunity to see the work that has gone into creating Darley’s new community facility at the playing fields.

Association chairman Mark Simpson said:

“It’s aimed at the local community and will be a relaxed affair with the aim of getting the availability of petanque known and getting people to have a go.”

Read more:

• Historic Darley Mill to be converted to housing
• Harrogate petanque club prepares to move home

The courts have been available to play on since Easter, with a few informal teaching sessions taking place.

They were created by the playing fields association with funding from the National Lottery Community Fund, while Darley and Menwith Parish Council supported the work and funded two benches by the courts to mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee.

Artists, sculptors and ceramicists at Harrogate College are preparing to stage their first North Yorkshire Open Studios event.

The artists, who are studying for master’s degrees in creative practice, will showcase their work on June 4. Visitors will be able to view and buy items.

North Yorkshire Open Studios gives artists the chance to open their studios, network, and show and sell their work directly to the public over the first two weekends in June.

The artist-led event is run by a voluntary steering group of North Yorkshire based artists.

Dr Annabel Smith, programme manager, MA creative practice at Harrogate College said the event would give many college students the opportunity to showcase their work, adding:

“The NYOS event has grown to become one of the major events in North Yorkshire’s cultural calendar, as well as one of the north’s most prestigious open studios events.

“The college is honoured to be included this year and is highlighting and showcasing work produced by our year 1 and year 2 MA creative practice students.”

The exhibited work will include ceramics, paintings, printmaking and textiles and will be on view to the public in the college’s canteen.

The show takes place at the college, at Hornbeam Park, from 9am to 5pm.

Read more:

• New group launches for Harrogate women with menopause
• Why are film crews flocking to the Harrogate district?

Skipton and Ripon Conservative MP Julian Smith has called on the government to negotiate a settlement over the Northern Ireland protocol rather than make changes unilaterally.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to visit Northern Ireland today amid reports that the government is set to introduce legislation that would override part of the Brexit agreement.

The protocol was agreed as part of post-Brexit trading arrangements, but has faced scrutiny following the Northern Ireland Assembly elections on May 5.

Unionist politicians have raised concern about how the measures are working and refused to engage with the assembly, meaning a new administration cannot be formed.

Mr Smith, who was the government’s Northern Ireland secretary from 2019 until 2020, called for ministers to negotiate a settlement.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning:

“The protocol is popular with business. 

“There are major technical issues, but business likes the fact that they face both ways to the UK and EU markets.”

He called for both EU and UK government negotiators to come up with a “fudge” over the protocol:

“I think we need the EU and UK negotiators to spend some positive time in a locked room and come up with a deal.

“We need a political deal. We need a fudge.”

Read more:

• Conservative councillor Victoria Oldham nominated as final Harrogate mayor
• Sid Hawke to be Ripon’s next mayor

A car flipped on to its roof when it swerved to avoid a deer on the A1 near Boroughbridge in the early hours of the morning.

According to North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, the vehicle left the road and one person was stuck inside.

Its incident log says firefighters used “stabilisation and extrication gear” to free the trapped person.

Harrogate fire station said this morning that one female was out of the vehicle when firefighters arrived and another female was trapped inside. Both are believed to be unharmed after the second female was freed.

The incident, which occurred at about 2.30am, was one of two serious traffic accidents logged in the Harrogate district last night.

At 9.40pm, Ripon firefighters were called when a car collided with a house on Kingston Avenue in the city.

The incident log says:

“No people were trapped, one male occupant of car was treated for a minor ankle injury by paramedics.

“Crews assisted ambulance and police at the scene and gave advice.”

Read more:

• Sid Hawke to be Ripon’s next mayor
• Parents describe ‘chaotic’ morning after Boroughbridge school bus cut

Whether it is fantasy films or period dramas, the Harrogate district has become a hotspot for film crews to shoot big productions.

This past year has seen Harrogate town centre and Fountains Abbey play host to major film and television stars, including Simon Pegg and Bridgeton star Phoebe Dynevor.

Earlier this week, Pegg was spotted shooting a scene for his upcoming film Nandor Fodor and The Talking Mongoose on Crown Place.

Simon Pegg filming in Harrogate on Monday.

While the district can offer picturesque scenes for Netflix and film productions, local industry officials say there is more to Harrogate which attracts crews.

Film crews love Harrogate

Chris Hordley is production liaison and development manager at Screen Yorkshire, a body which helps production companies film projects in the region.

The organisation helps major films get off the ground in Yorkshire by giving them location options and helping find crew members to support shooting scenes.

Read more:

• The Witcher: First pictures of Harrogate district filming for major Netflix show
• Simon Pegg shoots new film in Harrogate
• All Creatures Great and Small donates food to Knaresborough charity

Mr Hordley said while Harrogate is a perfect place for fantasy films, period dramas and other series, its hospitality is part of the reason why production teams keep coming back.

“They love it.

“A lot of the feedback we get is that it is well placed for hotels. If they [the crew] are not from Yorkshire, they get places to stay over.

“They will say to us: ‘I loved it so much that I booked a weekend for my family’. We get that a lot.”

He added that the ability to get from the centre of Harrogate to another location, such as Newby Hall near Ripon, in a short space of time was also part of the appeal.

“You can also get to lots of interesting locations in a short time. It’s a good place.”

More productions to come

Areas of the district have hosted many major productions over the years.

The Nidd Gorge viaduct was used to film a scene in Paddington 2 and Plumpton Rocks and Fountains Abbey feature in the The Witcher, a popular Netflix series.

Plumpton Rocks and Fountains Abbey both star in The Witcher.

Mr Hordley said Screen Yorkshire has a database of around 1,500 locations in the region, which they offer to production companies.

This includes landscapes, historic buildings, private businesses and major cities like Leeds and York.

Mr Hordley added that Yorkshire and Harrogate is often used to portray a different place because of the history and heritage locations.

“A lot of what we do is portraying Yorkshire as somewhere else.

“Yorkshire and Harrogate is really good for storytelling for past and present, feature and fantasy.”

All Creatures Great and Small

Mr Hordley pointed to All Creatures Great and Small, which is filmed mainly in Grassington but also in Harrogate as an example of a successful historical series that has put the district on the map.

More recently, Simon Pegg’s upcoming film, Nandor Fodor and The Talking Mongoose is a film based on the story of the para-psychologist from the 1930s and was shot in Harrogate.

When asked whether people in the Harrogate district can expect to be on television screens more in the future, he said:

“You absolutely can.

“We have been working hard on more projects. There are projects that will be happening in Harrogate.”