Today’s strong winds are having an impact on local attractions on Christmas Eve.
The ice rink at Crescent Gardens in Harrogate announced on social media it would be closed for the second time in recent days due to wind.
It said:
“Due to the Met Office yellow warning for today being wind gusts up to 61mph, it will be unsafe conditions to ice skate.
“It is with great regret that we have therefore made the difficult decision to close the ice rink for Christmas Eve.
“We plan to reopen the ice rink as usual on Boxing Day but please keep an eye on our social media.”
RHS Garden Harlow Carr has also closed due to the weather. It posted on social media:
“Unfortunately due to the forecast of strong winds, the garden will be closed all day on Christmas Eve. Betty’s will be open from 8am and the garden centre (except the glasshouse) will be open as usual.”
Mother Shipton’s in Knaresborough has said it will be closing slightly earlier than scheduled on Christmas Eve due to the weather warning.
A yellow weather warning is in place with gusts of up to 66mph forecast in the Harrogate district.
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Free walking tours of Knaresborough get underway
Free weekly walking tours of Knaresborough have been introduced.
Professionally trained tourist guide Margy Longhurst is leading 60-minute tours every Wednesday — market day.
Those taking part will learn about the historic market and castle and much more.
Ms Longhurst said:
“The aim is to welcome visitors and newcomers to Knaresborough and give them an insight into the town’s history and places of interest.”
The not-for-profit tours get underway at 11am and 1pm at the Market Cross.
Margy Longhurst
Walkers will learn about the nearby statues and painted windows depicting colourful local characters, notably the Tudor prophetess Old Mother Shipton and Blind Jack, musician and engineer extraordinaire.
Moving along to Green Dragon Yard, medieval and Georgian buildings will be pointed out, including the Old Flax Mill, which played a key role during the heyday of the town’s linen industry.
Arriving at Knaresborough Castle, visitors will be guided round the ruins and hear stories of its association with royal monarchs such as King John and Edward II.
They will then experience the beauty of the view over the River Nidd and hear more about the surrounding places of interest, before being escorted back to where the tour commenced.
People can just turn up at the meeting point on Wednesdays at the Market Cross but the number of participants is limited to 16 on a first-come, first-served basis for health and safety reasons.
Free group tours for local charities and educational institutions can also be arranged by emailing Margy at margylonghurst@hotmail.com
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Jonathan Ross petrifies his pants at Knaresborough’s Mother Shipton’s Cave
A TV programme next week will show Jonathan Ross petrifying his pants on a visit to Mother Shipton’s Cave in Knaresborough.
Jonathan Ross’ Myths and Legends will feature the presenter travelling the UK on the hunt for incredible tales as old as time.
He visited England’s oldest tourist attraction, Mother Shipton’s Cave, while filming the four-part series last summer.
The episode, due to broadcast on Monday, shows Ross learning about the legend of the Yorkshire Prophetess, who is said to have been born more than 500 years ago and foretold the Great Fire of London and the defeat of the Spanish Armada.
During his visit Ross visited the cave’s petrifying well, which can turn everyday items to stone. For centuries it was believed to be magic, but we now know it is due to the unusually high mineral content in the water.
The team at Mother Shipton’s asked Ross if he would like to donate anything to be petrified by the well to mark his visit, and he donated a pair of orange boxer shorts, which he affectionately called his lucky pants.
Visitors can now see Jonathan’s pants hanging from the petrifying well.
Once they’ve fully turned to stone, they’ll be on display in the museum alongside other donated items including Queen Mary’s petrified shoe, John Wayne’s petrified hat, and Bobby Davro’s petrified sock.
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A Mother Shipton’s spokesperson said:
“We loved having Jonathan Ross visit us last summer, he was such a down to earth and funny chap – exactly as you see him on television.
“He was genuinely interested and fascinated by the story of Mother Shipton and awestruck by the geological phenomenon that is the petrifying well.
“He also spoke very highly of our beautiful town of Knaresborough and very much enjoyed chatting with the locals in the pub in between filming.
“We are providing him and his team with regular updates on the petrification progress of the bright orange pants he left with us!”
Jonathan Ross’ Myths and Legends airs on Monday at 9pm on More 4.
Mother Shipton’s in Knaresborough closes due to high winds
One of the Harrogate district’s leading attractions has closed for the day because of strong winds.
Winds have been stronger than expected today, which along with heavy rain has made conditions across the district hazardous.
Mother Shipton‘s tweeted at about 11.30am that the site, which is surrounded by trees near the River Nidd, had decided to shut.
https://twitter.com/Mothershiptons/status/1578330752697004032
The Stray Ferret is unaware of any other organisations affected by today’s weather, but if you know of any email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.
Rain is forecast to move away this afternoon, giving way to a pleasant weekend, with temperatures around 15 degrees centigrade.
https://twitter.com/metoffice/status/1578331885922557953
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Harrogate firefighters called to midnight hay fire
Firefighters from Harrogate dealt with a hay stack fire shortly after midnight today.
The crew were summoned to Little Ribston, near Knaresborough, at six minutes past midnight and requested assistance from a second fire engine.
According to North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service‘s incident log, firefighters used one hose reel jet to dampen down the fire and set up a water relay.
About half an hour earlier, Knaresborough firefighters were called to reports of a fire on Harrogate Road, near Mother Shipton’s cave.
The incident log said:
“Crew located an unattended bonfire. They used knapsack sprayers to dampen down the surrounding area.”
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Mother Shipton’s delays reopening again due to landslide
Mother Shipton’s Cave in Knaresborough has been forced to delay its reopening again after heavy flooding caused a landslide onto a path.
The famous tourist attraction was due to reopen this weekend after clearing up the debris from recent floods but has now had to delay its reopening for a second time until March 19.
The “slight landslide” has fallen onto Beech Avenue, which is the site of some of the oldest and tallest beech trees in the country, from a bank above.
The landslide has left the well-trodden footpath, which runs from the steps used to access the petrifying well to the entrance of the museum, impassable. Therefore the decision has been taken to delay reopening for another week until the footpath can be made safe.
Jay Stelling, marketing coordinator, said supporting structures were installed last year to prevent damage like this but the strength of the recent storms meant the landslide couldn’t be avoided, adding:
“Our maintenance team had been attempting to clear the pathway and put plans in place to prevent further problems with landslides while we were closed during the winter.
“To rectify this issue permanently we are waiting on permission from the council to gain access above Beech Avenue to assess and establish the remedial work required in order to prevent this problem in the future.”
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Ms Stelling said the slope had experienced a “noticeable shift” in recent years due to climate change. She added:
“We are devastated that this is the case and we are doing everything we can to get the site safe and on top form to welcome back visitors.”
The attraction will open on weekends from March 19 and on weekends and weekdays from April.
Calls for more police as anti-semitic graffiti remains in KnaresboroughAnti-semitic graffiti is still covering some of Knaresborough’s key monuments, amid calls for more police officers to patrol the streets.
The town’s 12th century castle and statues of Blind Jack and Mother Shipton on Market Place were defaced in an overnight attack on Saturday night.
Crude images and Nazi swastikas remain sprayed on the side of the castle and the bronze statues in the Market Place are still discoloured.
The castle graffiti is situated in full view of Knaresborough police station, which has cameras on top of the roof.
North Yorkshire Police said in a statement today:
“We have launched an investigation in to the graffiti from the Castlegate area of Knaresborough. All lines of enquiry are currently been pursued.
“North Yorkshire Police takes all reports of hate crime seriously. Anyone who is the victim of a hate crime is encouraged to report the incident to police via 101.”
Harrogate Borough Council said in a statement today it was aware of the vandalism and was looking into the best way for it to be removed but gave no timeframe.
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Councillor Andrew Paraskos, cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, said:
“It is incredibly disappointing that someone, or a group of individuals, have found it appropriate to deface the heritage of Knaresborough in this way and we will be doing what we can to identify those responsible.
“If any members of the public witnessed any of the damage being carried out, or if any businesses have their own CCTV in the area that has captured any relevant footage, I would encourage them to contact North Yorkshire Police as soon as possible.”
Steve Teggin, a local business owner and the chair of Knaresborough Chamber of Trade, said anti-social behaviour was becoming a serious concern for local businesses.
He said further action needed to be taken, including more police officers in the town:
Swastikas sprayed as Knaresborough monuments desecrated“The chamber and traders are getting quite concerned. Ninety per cent of people visiting Knaresborough are great and contribute to the economy but there are some letting us down. There just isn’t enough police presence and people thing they can get away with stuff.
“We need more police on the streets.”
Some of Knaresborough’s most famous monuments were vandalised in a shocking rampage last night.
Nazi swastikas and naked genitals were graffitied on to the wall of the town’s 12th century castle.
Whoever did it climbed up the side of the castle into the castle’s King’s Chambers, which is in full sight of Knaresborough police station.
Town centre statues of Blind Jack and Mother Shipton were also covered in spray paint overnight. Several signs and information boards were covered in paint.
The Stray Ferret spoke to shocked locals at the castle and in the Market Place today, where the bronze statues of road builder John Metcalf, better known as Blind Jack, and prophetess Mother Shipton, had been desecrated.
Knaresborough castle
One local resident, who asked not to be named, told the Stray Ferret:
“I’m shocked and disgusted that this has taken place. It’s absolutely vile.”
Another person visiting the town said:
“Who in their right mind does this kind of thing?”
The Stray Ferret has chosen not to show the graffiti on the castle wall, which contains a hateful anti-semitic message as well as swastikas and crude sexual imagery.
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Harrogate district attractions still open during half-term
Despite rising covid levels, many popular venues in the Harrogate district are still planning to hold half-term activities.
From wicked woodland walks to Halloween haunted villages, events are still scheduled to go ahead.
Many require pre-booked tickets, and have made covid-compliant adjustments.
Fountains Abbey is going ahead with its annual Fountains by Floodlight event, which will take place every evening between October 19 and 25. However, this year it will replace the usual choir with recorded music.
Jennifer Taylor, senior visitor experience officer at the site, said:
“We have worked hard to adapt the event to keep everybody safe.
“There are a few changes this year. We have limited tickets which must be booked in advance and only the abbey ruins will be illuminated.”
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Other attractions have adopted a spookier theme.
Newby Hall, near Ripon, is turning its miniature railway into a ghost train and Lightwater Valley, which is also near Ripon, is opening up a Halloween trick or treat street as well as its usual rides.
In Knaresborough, Mother Shipton’s Cave is offering a spooky forest and haunted village experience, while Birchfield Farm in Summerbridge is inviting families to pick their own pumpkins during October.
Stump Cross Caverns, in Greenhow Hill, is running potion workshops on October 31 and November 1.
With covid restrictions liable to change, do check with the venues to see if their plans change.