Owners of a historic Ripon site, which fell into a state of disrepair, have apologised to neighbours as the area is prepared for residential redevelopment.
Leeds-based Graycliffe Homes bought the former Girls’ High School Old Lecture Building, on College Road, as a development opportunity ten years ago.
Over the past decade, the two storey red brick Edwardian building has had windows broken and slates stolen while its grounds became overgrown.
Graycliffe’s managing director, Wayne Butterfield, who has been involved in a major tidy up of the area, told the Stray Ferret:
“It has become something of an eyesore and for that I would like to apologise to our neighbours.
“The new homes development here will see a transformation, that I hope is to the liking of people who live nearby.”
Planning permission was granted by Harrogate Borough Council for the former high school to be refurbished and converted to create eight townhouses.
An architect’s drawing showing how the refurbished building will look. Picture: Graycliffe Homes
There will also be five new-build homes on the site, which will be landscaped, with green spaces retained.
Graycliffe will not carry out the conversion and new build, but it is in discussions with developers who will carry forward the scheme.
Christopher Hughes, chair of Ripon Civic Society, welcomed the activity on site.
He said:
“This is an historically important building dating back to 1908 and we are pleased to see that is is being retained for conversion within the overall redevelopment plans.
“The society has taken a great interest in this site over the years and, at long last and many hold ups and frustrations, we are pleased to see it being tidied up in readiness for disposal to a developer, who will convert the former school building and carry out the other works.”
The building as it currently looks
The former school provided secondary education for girls, until its amalgamation with Ripon Grammar School in the early 1960’s.
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Afterwards, the building was used as part of the Ripon Teacher Training College and later the College of Ripon & York St John.
Following the closure of the training college, it was let to Leeds Metropolitan University whose lease on the building ended in 2012.
Time stands still in Kirkby MalzeardOn an August morning in the peaceful, pastoral setting of the St Andrew’s churchyard in Kirkby Malzeard, it can feel as if time is standing still – and it is.
With a look up to the tower of the centuries-old parish church, villagers and visitors will see that the hands of time are currently unmoved and have been for more than a week.
Following the failure of a spring which saw its pendulum drop and stop swinging, the clock face froze at 11.38 and 30 seconds on Tuesday, August 18.
Parish sexton and verger Cristopher Slater at St Andrew’s Parish Church
The incident came four hours after parish sexton and verger Christopher Slater had checked the church and looked around its grounds, before opening the building for the benefit of regular worshippers and others wishing to make private prayer or simply enjoy the ancient structure.
Mr Slater’s daily visits to St Andrew’s, where he married his wife Mary 56 years ago, are a labour of love and he has particular reason for ensuring that the clock is keeping good time. In 2003, with the help of family, friends and the local community, he raised £3,000 to pay for the clock to have an electronic mechanism installed.
Mr Slater told the Stray Ferret:
“Before then, I had to wind it twice a week – with hundreds of turns each time – one to keep the clock going and the other to set the chimes. It was hard work.”
The new mechanism was installed 17 years ago, after the fundraising campaign which saw Mr Slater carrying a sandwich board around Kirkby Malzeard, containing a message calling for support from businesses and his fellow villagers.
He said:
“I had a lot of help from my friend Kevin Ward, Mary and our daughter Susan. We held raffles with prizes provided by local companies, had open gardens events and sold home-baked cakes and scones.”
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With the target reached, RF Potts of Derby was appointed to convert the clock from one set by hand, to an electronically-driven timepiece.
The company has carried out regular maintenance since and will be back in Kirkby Malzeard soon to complete the highly specialised work required to get the clock with its hourly chimes working once more.
In the meantime, Mr Slater will keep watch on St Andrew’s, carrying out the daily inspections, openings and closings of the building, that have been part of his life for 50 of his 79 years.