A monument over 5,000 years old between Ripon and Masham is set to open to the public free of charge.
The Thornborough Henges complex includes three large circular earthworks each more than 100 metres in diameter.
Historic England described the Neolithic site as “probably the most important single ancient site between Stonehenge and the Orkney Islands in Scotland”.
Construction firms Tarmac and Lightwater Holdings have gifted the site into the legal ownership of Historic England, which is a non-departmental public body, although it will be managed by the charity English Heritage.
The site is is located near West Tanfield, between Ripon and Masham, just outside the Harrogate district.
It falls within the Richmond constituency of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who said:
“The Thornborough Henges site has enormous potential to help tell the story of ancient Britain and I very much welcome this announcement about its future – its safeguarding and preservation for the nation.
“Comparatively few people are aware of its significance – both locally and nationally. I hope many more will come to appreciate this little-known gem of our history and while doing so provide a welcome boost to the local visitor economy.”
Historic England said in a statement:
“The earthworks are thought to have been part of a ritual landscape and are probably the most important single ancient site between Stonehenge and the Orkney Islands in Scotland.”
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Thornborough Henges will join various Roman sites on Hadrian’s Wall and Stonehenge within the National Heritage Collection.
The deal started to come to fruition in 2016 and has finally been settled after years of controversy over quarrying in the surrounding area of the monument.
Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England said:
Thornborough Henges and their surrounding landscape form part of the most important concentration of Neolithic monuments in the north of England. They are a link to our ancient ancestors, through thousands of years, inspiring a sense of wonder and mystery. We are thrilled to have acquired this highly significant site for the nation, ensuring that these magnificent monuments are safe and will be preserved for generations to come.
Find out more here.
Ripley Castle garden buildings saved from risk of being lostA collection of grade II* listed Georgian garden buildings in the grounds of Ripley Castle has been removed from the Heritage at Risk Register after more than 20 years.
The register, compiled annually by the public body Historic England, lists historic places at risk of being lost as a result of neglect, decay or inappropriate development.
In a press release today, Historic England said its grants of over £440,000 had helped fund extensive repair work to the orangery (palm house) fire engine house and adjoining pavilions and bothies (potting sheds) in the grounds of the 15th-century castle.
Ripley castle gardens. Pic Historic England
It added they will be used for education and volunteer activities with school children and the local community, including visits and outdoor theatre.
Sir Thomas Ingilby, owner of Ripley Castle, said:
“I’m extremely grateful to Historic England for the help and support over many years which have helped to repair these handsome historic garden buildings which form the centrepiece of Ripley Castle’s beautiful grounds.
“Their restoration will improve the experience of the tens of thousands of people who visit every year. It will also provide educational and leisure opportunities for local schools and groups.”
Ripley Castle. Pic Historic England
The garden buildings are thought to have been designed around 1785 by York-born architect William Belwood.
In 1817-18, a glass roof was added to the orangery to convert it into a palm house. Designed to grow tropical plants, palm houses were a popular status symbol in the 19th century.
The fire engine house is still home to the hand-pulled fire engine which helped protect the castle and village, while a collection of giant ferns now lives in the orangery.
Repair work, which started during the pandemic, included replacing the iron frameworks for the orangery, as well as removing the balustrades, replacing the glass and masonry.
The Temple of Victory at Allerton Park and the Church of St James in Baldersby, which are both in the Harrogate district, have also been removed from the register.
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Drone shots reveal restoration of Harrogate’s Plumpton Rocks
Drone shots taken of Plumpton Rocks over the weekend reveal the newly restored site is looking better than ever.
The Grade II* listed visitor attraction reopened on Saturday after being closed to visitors for almost three years.
The site fell into disrepair towards the end of the last century before Historic England added it to the “Heritage at Risk Register” in 2012.
Since then Historic England has worked with the current owners and spent more than £400,000.
Plumpton Rocks closed again in October 2019 to do further work on the dam and bring it up to standard for the Reservoirs Act 1975, but covid further delayed the works.
Much of the work has been to restore the lake back to how it looked in the 18th century.
Credit – Darren Leeming
The owner of the site, Robert de Plumpton Hunter, told the Stray Ferret that he used artwork created by one of the most famous ever English painters to inspire the restoration.
Turner painted a watercolour of Plumpton Rocks in 1797 and more sketches of the site are stored at the Tate in London, which were used to inspire the refurbishment.
Mr Hunter said:
“You really got a feel of what the landscape looked like 200 years ago, and we were able to use those sketches to aid the restoration. If Turner turned up now he would absolutely recognise the landscape, that is special.”
Read more:
Plumpton Rocks to reopen next weekend after Turner inspired restoration
Plumpton Rocks will reopen to the public next weekend after several years of restoration works — which were aided by 200-year-old sketches by the famous landscape painter J M W Turner.
The Grade II* listed parkland and man-made lake fell into disrepair towards the end of the last century before Historic England added it to the “Heritage at Risk Register” in 2012.
Since then Historic England has worked with the current owners and spent more than £400,000.
The visitor attraction first closed for a major programme of repairs in 2013, which included works on the parkland, the dam and on the lake. It reopened three years later in 2016.
Plumpton Rocks closed again in October 2019 to do further work on the dam and bring it up to standard for the Reservoirs Act 1975, but covid further delayed the works.
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The owner of the site, Robert de Plumpton Hunter, said it will be “lovely to get it back open again”.
He said:
“It’s a great relief to see it done. It needed a bit of a refurb.
“The lake, which was silting up, would have been lost within 10 or 15 years.”
Mr Hunter was keen to restore the site, and the lake, to how they looked in the 1750s. But with no photos available, he was fortunate to draw on art created by one of the most famous ever English painters.
Turner painted a watercolour of Plumpton Rocks in 1797 and more sketches of the site are stored at the Tate in London, which were used to inspire the refurbishment.
Mr Hunter added:
“You really got a feel of what the landscape looked like 200 years ago, and we were able to use those sketches to aid the restoration. If Turner turned up now he would absolutely recognise the landscape, that is special.”
Plumpton Rocks will be open every Saturday and Sunday from September 3 from 11am to 6pm. There are plans to open it on more days in 2023. Dates will be announced on its website.
‘Plompton Rocks’ (1797-8) JMW Turner. http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/D17202
Harrogate’s Sun Pavilion awarded Grade II listed building status
The Sun Pavilion and Colonnade in Harrogate has been given Grade II listed status as part of the Queen’s platinum jubilee.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has announced six new sites across the country will be given the status.
The Sun Pavilion and Colonnade were constructed in 1933 to designs by Leonard Clarke, the borough surveyor, as part of a £60,000 spa development scheme intended to be one of the finest in Europe.
The classical building with Art Deco details was opened by noted medic Lord Horder of Ashford and the opening ceremony was captured on film by British Pathé. The pavilion was designed as a place to take refreshment and rest after taking exercise or after taking the spa waters in the town centre.
After a period of decline in the 1980s, the site was restored following a campaign led by local citizen Anne Smith and supported by celebrities including author James Herriot.
In 1998, the Sun Pavilion was officially re-opened by Queen Elizabeth II, and in 2018 celebrations were held to mark the 20th anniversary of Her Majesty’s visit.
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The five other sites given listed status include the M62 motorway, the Imperial Hotel in Stroud, Gloucestershire, All Saints’ Church in Shard End, Birmingham, the Queen’s Theatre in Hornchurch, Greater London and the Hampshire Archives in Winchester.
The listings aim to highlight some of the important places from the Queen’s reign and to reflect the important social, technical and cultural changes which have taken place over the past 70 years.
Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England which advised on the new listed buildings, said:
“These new listings celebrate the diversity and richness of our heritage overseen by Her Majesty during her 70-year reign, showing how the fabric of the nation has changed and developed.
“These sites cover the length and breadth of the country – from All Saints’ Church near Birmingham, which she opened in 1955 when she was newly crowned, to the high-tech Hampshire Public Records Office, completed in 1993.”
Nigel Huddleston, heritage minister, added:
Plan to demolish Harrogate Debenhams withdrawn“These historic sites provide a fantastic opportunity to reflect on how much life in the UK has changed during Her Majesty The Queen’s 70-year reign. Listing them as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations is a fitting way to pay tribute to the longevity of her service.”
A plan to demolish Harrogate’s former Debenhams store on Parliament Street has been withdrawn.
Wetherby-based property company Stirling Prescient submitted a proposal to demolish the three buildings that Debenhams was situated in and replace them with 50 flats and two commercial units.
The site on Parliament Street has been home to different retailers for more than a century. Before Debenhams, it housed the Buckley’s and Busby’s stores.
However, according to Harrogate Borough Council’s online planning portal, the application has now been withdrawn.
It follows an objection from Emma Gibbens, the council’s conservation officer, who raised concerns that the demolition of the building would harm the local area.
She said:
“The loss of the traditional building form and architectural detail would be harmful to the street scene and character and special interest of the conservation area, the building forming part of the designated heritage asset in a manner that contributes positively to its character.”
A CGI view of the planned apartments at Debenhams on Parliament Street.
Ms Gibbens added that the developer needed to prove that the demolition was justified.
The objection followed similar concerns from campaign group Save Britain’s Heritage, which said the developer had failed to provide “clear or adequate justification” for demolishing the building.
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- Heritage groups say ‘no justification’ for Harrogate Debenhams demolition
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However, Historic England said it supported regeneration of the site but added that there should be a “sensitive conversion” of the two older department store buildings.
Stirling Prescient said in documents submitted to the council:
“The proposals as a whole will strengthen the town’s vitality and viability, increasing footfall and contributing to the local economy.
“The proposal represents a sustainable form of development and therefore benefits from the presumption in favour of sustainable development, meaning planning permission should be granted without delay.”
The Stray Ferret contacted Leeds-based planning consultants Quod, which were the agent for the developer, to ask why the application was withdrawn.
However, we did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Plans to redevelop Harrogate council’s former headquarters set to be approvedPlans to redevelop Harrogate Borough Council’s former headquarters have been recommended for approval next week.
The proposals for Crescent Gardens, which has sat empty for five years, include a two-storey extension, rooftop restaurant, gym and new office space.
The plans have been recommended for approval at a meeting on May 10 after the council’s planning department released a report saying the redevelopment would “increase the vitality of this town centre site and prove beneficial in boosting Harrogate’s economy”.
Harrogate-based property developers Impala Estates are behind the proposals after purchasing the building for £4 million in 2020.
This came after the council moved to its new Knapping Mount headquarters in 2017.
At the time, the council announced it would sell Crescent Gardens to property developer Adam Thorpe who had plans for a £75 million redevelopment including luxury apartments, an art gallery, underground car park, swimming pool and restaurant.
But two years later, Mr Thorpe’s company ATP Ltd fell into administration with debts of almost £11 million, including £24,394 owed to the council.
Crescent Gardens
Crescent Gardens then went back up for sale and was eventually bought by Impala Estates.
Historic England objection
In the report to next Tuesday’s meeting, the council’s planning department said the latest plans from Impala Estates would “alter the locality but on balance are considered acceptable.”
An objection by Historic England questioned the public benefits and said the roof extension should not exceed one storey. The body also said the plans relate “very poorly” to the existing building.
However, the council has argued this view contradicts a previous assessment from Historic England’s predecessor body, English Heritage, which described the building as “poorly proportioned in classical terms” because it was originally restricted to two storeys.
These comments came when English Heritage refused listed status for the building in 2002.
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Meanwhile, the latest proposals have already won the support of Harrogate Civic Society which described the scheme as “excellent”.
The civic society previously said:
Amazing aerial photos of Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough from 100 years ago“The existing roof lends itself to a two-storey extension, something that was advocated many times to Harrogate Borough Council, making use of the original design that envisaged future extensions at roof level.
“We are pleased to see that the building will be retained and refurbished as offices, with a restaurant on the roof and meeting rooms within the historic core, as this will retain a degree of public access and use of the building.”
Amazing photos taken above Harrogate district skies during the first half of the 20th century have been published by Historic England.
The public body this week opened up an archive of over 400,000 shots capturing Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon during a bygone era.
The photos were taken by a company called Aerofilms, which was a pioneering firm of commercial aerial photographers formed in 1919. It combined the fledgling technologies of flight and photography.
We’ve included some of the best photos below but if you visit Historic England’s website and type in a location you will be able to view more from its archive.
The photographers also captured villages such as Pannal during the 1940s when it looked much smaller than the present day.
How has Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough changed since these photos were taken?
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The present-day Prince of Wales roundabout, 1921
West Park Stray, 1921
Knaresborough Road, Granby Road, Skipton Road, 1921
Queen Ethelburga’s school, Pennypot Lane, Harrogate, 1926
Knaresborough Castle and the town centre, 1926
Ripley, 1926
Valley Gardens and the Pinewoods, 1928
Goldsborough, 1928
Knaresborough, 1926
Ripon, Williamson varnish and enamel works, 1932
Knaresborough, 1946
Pannal, 1949
Octavious Atkinson, Starbeck 1952
Harrogate council conservation officer ‘cannot support’ Debenhams demolitionHarrogate Borough Council‘s conservation officer has objected to the demolition of the former Debenhams building on Parliament Street.
Wetherby-based property company Stirling Prescient is behind a proposal to demolish the three buildings that Debenhams was situated in and replace them with 50 flats and two commercial units.
The site on Parliament Street has been home to different retailers for over a century. Before Debenhams, it housed the Buckley’s and Busby’s stores.
But the developer has said there is no market for the building to be reoccupied as a department store, and the 1902 and 1920-era buildings should be torn down.
‘Harmful to the streetscene’
The council’s objection was submitted last month by Emma Gibbens, principal conservation officer.
Ms Gibbens wrote:
“The loss of the traditional building form and architectural detail would be harmful to the streetscene and character and special interest of the conservation area, the building forming part of the designated heritage asset in a manner that contributes positively to its character.”
Ms Gibbens added that the developer needed to prove that the demolition was justified.
She wrote that redevelopment of the site was possible in a way that did not involve the demolition of historic buildings.
She added:
“If demolition can be proven to be required, then a revised scheme would be required for a replacement building; otherwise, the historic buildings should be retained and the later parts replaced with buildings that enhance the conservation area.”
The council’s planning committee will decide on the proposal but the objection by a senior council official is a blow to the developers.
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- Heritage groups say ‘no justification’ for Harrogate Debenhams demolition
- Plans submitted to demolish former Harrogate Debenhams
The council joins two influential heritage groups in submitting objections to the plans.
In January, Save Britain’s Heritage said the developer had failed to provide “clear or adequate justification” for demolishing the buildings.
The public body Historic England has also submitted an objection to the plans. Whilst welcoming the regeneration of the site, it said there should be a “sensitive conversion” of the two older department store buildings.
But the demolition has been supported by Harrogate Civic Society, which said it accepted the building was “very difficult to convert in a logical and practical way”.
However, the group objected to the height of the replacement building, which it said was “overpowering.”
Strengthen the town
A CGI view of the new apartments on Parliament Street.
The developer Stirling Prescient said in planning documents that there was no scope to convert the building into smaller units “due to its internal layout and the age of the building”.
Stirling Prescient said:
“The proposals as a whole will strengthen the town’s vitality and viability, increasing footfall and contributing to the local economy.
“The proposal represents a sustainable form of development and therefore benefits from the presumption in favour of sustainable development, meaning planning permission should be granted without delay.”
Heritage groups say ‘no justification’ for Harrogate Debenhams demolition
Two influential national heritage groups have issued strong objections to plans to demolish the former Debenhams building on Parliament Street in Harrogate.
Wetherby-based property company Stirling Prescient is behind a proposal to demolish three buildings and replace them with 50 high-end apartments along with two commercial units.
The site has been home to different retailers on Parliament Street for over a century. Before Debenhams, it housed the Buckley’s and Busby’s stores.
But in documents submitted to the council, the developer said the buildings need to be demolished as their size means they are no longer viable for retail.
‘Historic and architectural value’
Campaign group and charity Save Britain’s Heritage submitted an objection to the plans this week, saying the developer had failed to provide “clear or adequate justification” for demolishing the 1902 and 1920 era buildings.
Another building next to Westminster Arcade that was added in the 1960s is also set for demolition.
The group says the two older buildings have “considerable historic and architectural value” and “add greatly” to the character and significance of Parliament Street.
It adds:
“No evidence or analysis has been provided to show unequivocally why the buildings cannot be retained and refurbished. Demolition is an extreme response to development in such a historic context, and therefore sets a commensurately high threshold for justification.”
Busby’s on Parliament Street. Copyright: Walker-Neesam Archive.
Read more:
In December, the public body Historic England also submitted an objection to the plans.
Whilst welcoming the regeneration of the site, it said there should be a “sensitive conversion” of the two older department store buildings.
It said:
“We have particular concerns over the proposed demolition of the early 20th century buildings on the corner of Oxford Street and Parliament Street contributing positively to the appearance and character of the conservation area, for which there is no clear and convincing justification.”
A CGI view of the new apartments on Parliament Street.
Stirling Prescient said in planning documents:
“The proposals as a whole will strengthen the town’s vitality and viability, increasing footfall and contributing to the local economy.
“The proposal represents a sustainable form of development and therefore benefits from the presumption in favour of sustainable development, meaning planning permission should be granted without delay.”