Forty years ago, Allerton Castle near Knaresborough was in a dilapidated state.
The castle was built between 1848 and 1854 on the estate given to William Mauleverer, who came to England with William the Conqueror.
But when Dr Gerald Rolph bought it in 1983, the roof leaked and it was riddled with rot.
Dr Rolph, an American classic car enthusiast who made a fortune at the pioneering electronics company Tandy Corporation, had considered buying other great British homes but was drawn to Allerton’s Castle’s gothic revival style.
Today it is one of the finest buildings in the north of England. The Great Hall, with its balconies, staircase and hammer-beam ceiling, gives visitors an immediate sense of grandeur.
The Great Hall at Allerton Castle. Pic: Chris Chambers
Dr Rolph not only funded the renovation, but also travelled the world to find the beautiful artefacts that now fill the rooms.
Allerton Castle attracts visitors and wedding parties and has also hosted everything from film crews to Europe’s Strongest Man.
This week, Dr Rolph was awarded an OBE for services to historic preservation and conservation for his restoration of Allerton Castle.
Queen Elizabeth II awarded the honour but covid delayed the ceremony. Now aged 90, and unable to fly, he made a 13-day journey on board the Queen Elizabeth ship to receive the OBE off Jo Ropner, the lord-lieutenant of North Yorkshire, at her Camp Hill home near Bedale.
Dr Rolph with Jon B Wright, a trustee of his foundation.
Looking back at his first visit to Allerton, Dr Rolph told the Stray Ferret:
“It was in a derelict state. Virtually everything has had to be restored, including the roofing, the electrics system and the water system.”
In 2005, just as the restoration was almost complete, fire destroyed about a third of the castle. Undeterred, he simply redoubled his efforts.
In 2016, Dr Rolph gifted the castle, its contents, grounds and estate to the UK charity The Gerald Arthur Rolph Foundation for Historic Preservation and Education, which was formed to preserve Allerton Castle for English and world heritage.
Dr Rolph in Allerton Castle
Dr Rolph, a private man who visits England about three times a year, said the honour meant a lot but he was embarrassed to be catapulted into the limelight.
He said he enjoyed England’s beauty and way of life, but times were changing and the castle was a testament to the country’s heritage.
Did he have a message to local people who have regularly driven by Allerton Castle but perhaps never visited?
“The key thing is for you and your friends and relatives to come here. That’s why it has been preserved. We want you to come here and see Allerton Castle.”
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Royal visitor to Great Yorkshire Show revealed
This year’s royal visitor to the Great Yorkshire Show will be the Duke of Gloucester, organisers have revealed.
The duke, who is a first cousin to the late Queen Elizabeth II, will make his first visit to England’s biggest agricultural show on its first day, Tuesday, July 11.
In 2021, King Charles III and The Queen Consort visited and last year it was the turn of Princess Anne, The Princess Royal.
The duke will be taken on a tour of the livestock and exhibits with show director Charles Mill and lord-lieutenant of North Yorkshire Jo Ropner.
Mr Mills said:
“We are delighted to welcome the Duke of Gloucester to the Great Yorkshire Show for the first time and look forward to showing him some of the highlights including horses, cattle and the latest in farming technology.”
Also attending on Tuesday will be some of the industry’s top-level leaders with MPs on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee.
The chair of the cross-party environment, food and rural affairs committee, Sir Robert Goodwill MP, and committee members will launch a report on the merits and risks involved in species reintroductions in England.
TV presenter Adam Henson will then chair a discussion on the challenges and opportunities for the farming sector.
He will be joined on stage by: Minette Batters, president of the National Farmers’ Union; Mark Spencer, a minister in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Sir Robert Goodwill.
The show will run from Tuesday, July 11 to Friday, July 14.
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Ripon ex-detective named as new deputy lieutenant for North Yorkshire
A Ripon man who served for more than 30 years as a detective with the Metropolitan Police and the National Crime Squad has been named as one of North Yorkshire’s four new deputy lieutenants.
Shafquat “Tom” Ali led complex investigations into serious and organised crime, corruption and homicide as well as sensitive inquiries in both the UK and abroad.
Mr Ali, who lives close to Ripon with his wife, Sarah, and their three children, was appointed by the lord-lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Jo Ropner, who is the king’s representative in the county.
The deputy lieutenants provide specialist local knowledge to the lord-lieutenant, helping her to perform her duties and giving her advice to help foster closer links with the community.
The other new deputy lieutenants are: Rebecca Cottrell, the Harrogate-born wife of the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell; Jan Garrill, the chief executive of the Two Ridings Community Foundation; and Dr Bill Scott, the chief executive of Middlesbrough-based engineering company Wilton Universal Group.
Mr Ali’s work has taken him from investigating major crime gangs on the streets of London to hostile locations in Libya. He has retired as a detective chief inspector, but still assists the Metropolitan Police in a consultancy role, as well as undertaking inquiries for other police services, such as the Police Service of Northern Ireland to re-investigate paramilitary murders.
He has also helped the British overseas territory of Turks and Caicos, following a spike in organised crime-related homicides.
Ms Cottrell, who was born in Harrogate and grew up in Essex, is a trained potter, making and selling pots and teaching ceramics, as well as working in schools supporting children with learning difficulties.
She also supports her husband’s ministry across the Diocese of York and has been a member of the organising group of two Lambeth Conferences, the worldwide gatherings of Anglican bishops and their spouses, which are held every decade.
Mrs Ropner, who has been Lord-Lieutenant for North Yorkshire since 2018, said:
“The new deputy lieutenants bring a great deal of experience and expertise and will play a vital role in helping build even closer links with the community.
“They provide a breadth of knowledge that will prove to be invaluable in aiding the work of the lord lieutenant’s office, and it is a privilege to announce their appointments.”
There are now 38 deputy lieutenants across the North Yorkshire lieutenancy’s area, who have been appointed from sectors including academia, the military, business, the judiciary, farming and the charity and voluntary sector.
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Harrogate cadet centre reopens after £750,000 refurbishment
Harrogate’s joint cadet centre has officially reopened following a £750,000 refurbishment of the drill hall.
The centre, on Strawberry Dale, is home to both the town’s army and air cadets and also houses the region’s first virtual reality aviation centre for cadets.
The Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association for Yorkshire and the Humber hosted the official opening by Jo Ropner, the lord-lieutenant of North Yorkshire.
Ms Ropner unveiled the commemorative plaque with representatives of the town’s army and air cadets looking on.
Thursday’s opening was also attended by Harrogate borough mayor Victoria Oldham.
Mayor of Harrogate Victoria Oldham with the RFCA chairman and chief executive.
The funding was provided predominantly by the RAF, with support from the Yorkshire Cadet Trust and the Royal Flying Corps.
RFCA chief executive Jason Wright said:
“The refurbishment of Harrogate joint cadet centre has transformed the experience of the 100 or so local cadets who parade here every week.
“It’s created bright, attractive classrooms, offices for our adult volunteers, a wonderful drill hall and has even made room for Yorkshire’s first virtual reality training centre.
Mr Wright said 28 other cadet squadrons also used the virtual reality training centre.
Mr Wright added:
Lord Lieutenant pays tribute to the Queen from North Yorkshire“We couldn’t be more delighted that the benefits this new development is already bringing to young people in the town and we are delighted that His Majesty’s lord-lieutenant in addition to Harrogate’s mayor have been able to join us for its official opening.”
A tribute has been paid by the Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Jo Ropner, following the announcement of the death of Her Majesty the Queen.
She said:
“It is with the most profound sadness that I have learnt of the death of Her Majesty the Queen.
“Her unfailing commitment to our country and to the wider Commonwealth throughout the past 70 years has been an inspiration to us all.
“On Her Majesty’s 21st birthday in 1947, the then Princess Elizabeth vowed that her ‘whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service’ in an address broadcast to the Commonwealth, a commitment which was reaffirmed during her Coronation in 1953.
“That her life was so blessedly long, and that her youthful vow was kept so carefully, is an accomplishment for which we, as a county and as a nation, will be forever grateful.”
The Queen’s death was confirmed by Buckingham Palace just after 6.30pm this evening.
She died at Balmoral this afternoon, after it was announced earlier today that doctors were concerned about her health. Her immediate family gathered at the Scottish estate through the day.
Visits to North Yorkshire
Ms Ropner highlighted the Queen’s links to the county over her long reign. She said:
“Her Majesty visited North Yorkshire on numerous occasions, including the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate to mark its 150th anniversary in 2008 and the Maundy Thursday service at York Minster in 2012, and the county’s residents always welcomed the Queen with warm enthusiasm.
“I had the privilege of meeting Her Majesty at Buckingham Palace when I was appointed as Lord Lieutenant in 2018, and I know from personal experience that every engagement was conducted with grace and genuine interest, that every person felt the spark from meeting not only their monarch, but a truly remarkable woman whose commitment to her role will be remembered for generations to come.
“On behalf of the people of North Yorkshire, York and Teesside, I shall be expressing my heartfelt condolences to Her Majesty’s family.”
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