Abseil down Brimham Rocks to help neurodiverse children

The charity Autism Angels is giving people the chance to abseil down Brimham Rocks to raise funds.

The organisation is holding its first charity abseil during World Autism Acceptance Week on Saturday, April 6.

Individuals, families, friends, work colleagues and corporate teams can take part at the National Trust site near Pateley Bridge. Registration costs £30.

Autism Angels, which is based at Summerbridge, works with horses to support neurodiverse children and their families.


It relies heavily on donations to provide services and hopes the event will boost its coffers. Further details are available here.

You can also donate on JustGiving, where a fundraising page has been set up with a £4,000 target.

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Storm Pia to bring 61mph gusts to Harrogate district

The Harrogate district could see gusts of up to 61mph as Storm Pia moves in tonight and tomorrow.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning from midnight tonight until 9pm tomorrow.

The forecast shows Pateley Bridge will see the worst of the storm, with gusts reaching 61mph in the early hours of tomorrow morning.

Winds will reach 54mph in Masham, while Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon will see up to 50mph.

Disruption

The Stray Ferret reported yesterday on the disruption already caused by the wind throughout the Harrogate district — now another local attraction has followed suit.

The National Trust announced on social media today that Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, near Ripon, will also be closed tomorrow. It said:

“It’s already getting rather breezy here at Fountains. With wind speeds set to increase overnight and throughout tomorrow we’ve made the decision to close the site tomorrow, Thursday 21 December.

“We don’t like to disappoint anyone, but the safety of our visitors and team is always our top priority.”

The charity advised people to “check our social media channels and website” for updates.

It comes after Mother Shipton’s in Knaresborough announced yesterday it will close tomorrow, while Harrogate’s RHS Garden Harlow Carr cancelled its Glow event amid the weather warning.

The weather warning is in place for the north of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

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Walls in Studley Royal lake risk collapse without repair

Work is needed to repair two walls in the lake at Studley Royal near Ripon that are at risk collapsing into the water.

Studley Royal is a water garden and has pools, canals and cascades fed from the River Skell.

The National Trust, which owns the site, has submitted plans to North Yorkshire Council to repair walls that form part of the weir on the north-east side of the lake. They would be fixed with re-used stone to maintain the historic appearance.

The park was laid out in the 18th century by John Aislabie and was extended later by his son to encompass the medieval Fountains Abbey ruin and other elements of the surrounding landscape.

The plans have been backed by Historic England but it said the works must be done in an “appropriately sensitive manner”.

Planning documents submitted by the National Trust said:

“Following construction of the scheme the flanking walls will be visually improved compared to present, although it will take time before the works weather in.

“The repair works will also serve to protect the weir and cascade outlet from future erosion damage.

“The works are considered to have a minor positive impact on the weir and cascade outlet and Studley Royal Park as a whole.”

One of the damaged walls.

In August, the National Trust revealed £3.5 million plans to improve the UNESCO World Heritage Site, including offering revamped visitor facilities.

The plan called Studley Revealed focuses on the water garden area of the estate and the canal gates area. It will remake landscape features that were at the heart of the original 18th century garden design.

The plans would also see the creation of new welcome and visitor facilities. They would include accessible toilets, a larger café and a space to bring the story of the Water Garden alive.

Justin Scully, general manager of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, said:

“The Studley Revealed project is an exciting part of the ongoing conservation of the Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal World Heritage Site. It has long been our ambition to improve the appearance of this area of the site and how visitors experience it.

“Crucially, it means we can create a place for our visitors to learn more about the fascinating history of Studley Royal, its international significance and our role in caring for it, whilst simultaneously having a more enjoyable and accessible experience.”

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National Trust submits major £3.5m Fountains Abbey improvement plan

The National Trust has formally submitted plans for a new £3.5 million building and landscape project at the Studley Royal end of Fountains Abbey, near Ripon.

The project, called Studley Revealed, aims to create a more accessible café, admission point and toilets and restore historical sightlines to the 18th century Georgian water garden created by John Aislabie.

However, the new building would be situated inside the water garden and only be accessible to people who pay to enter.

Under the proposals, the current tea room on the deer park side, which is free to enter, will close. A kiosk providing drinks and snacks will be built in the deer park car park, accessible to everyone.

The restaurant and parking at the main visitor centre will remain free for all to access.

The trust has submitted its plans to North Yorkshire Council, which will make a decision at a later date.

Studley Revealed

An illustration of the how the view of the building from the deer park might look.

London heritage architects Feilden Fowles and Edinburgh landscape architects Rankinfraser were appointed to carry out the design work.

Justin Scully, general manager of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, said:

“The Studley Revealed project is an exciting part of the ongoing conservation of the Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal World Heritage Site. It has long been our ambition to improve the appearance of this area of the site and how visitors experience it.

“Crucially, it means we can create a place for our visitors to learn more about the fascinating history of Studley Royal, its international significance and our role in caring for it, whilst simultaneously having a more enjoyable and accessible experience.

Mr Scully added the project had been delayed by covid “but it gave us extra time to consider the feedback from our consultation in 2019 and we’ve been able to update our plans”

The trust estimated that the new facilities will open in 2025, should planning approval be granted.

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Poet Laureate unveils poem carved into stones at Brimham Rocks

Poet Laureate Simon Armitage was in Nidderdale yesterday to unveil one of his poems carved into stones at Brimham Rocks.

Simon Armitage, who has been Poet Laureate since 2019, composed Balancing Act based on the popular Nidderdale attraction. The work was commissioned by the National Trust. 

Within the poem, the Yorkshire-born poet illustrates why the rocks are such a significant spot for both visitors and nature.

Two large stones – which double-up as an art installation – each showcase a verse of the poem. They have been positioned at Brimham on the north moor,  next to the rocks to offer a place of reflection and serenity.

The poem was carved by the National Trust’s lead specialist craftsperson, Richard Dawson, into Yorkshire sandstone called Witton Fell.

The stone was chosen because its colour and texture is representative of Brimham’s stone formations.

Pic: National Trust Images / Annapurna Mellor

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Mr Armitage said:

“It was a chance to get reacquainted with the rocks. I’d explored them as a child and in my memory, they were almost mythical or pieces of an alien landscape.

“Coming back to the area as an adult and a poet they were no less fascinating and mysterious but carried new messages connected to the environment, the precarious state of nature and the importance of wild spaces to our well-being.”

Brimham Rocks has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The status, attributed by Natural England, is used to protect environmental heritage sites in the British Isles from development, insensitive land management, or pollution.

Pic: National Trust Images / Annapurna Mellor

Mr Armitage continued:

“I also discovered that Brimham Rocks is more than just the stones, and the poem is a celebration of the wider ecosystem, from some of its more glamorous and obvious manifestations to micro-organisms, open moorland, and seemingly empty skies.”

Justin Scully, general manager at Brimham Rocks and Fountains Abbey, said:

“We are delighted to be working with Poet Laureate Simon Armitage and to have a physical representation of his poem Balancing Act as a permanent art installation on the moor at Brimham.

“We want to make Brimham Rocks feel more relevant to people and their everyday lives. We want it to be a place of reflection and inspiration, where visitors can come and spend some quiet time connecting with nature as well as a place where they come to climb, hike and play.”

More information on the poem and other ongoing events at Brimham Rocks can be found here.

Comedian Hugh Dennis to reveal Studley Roger’s secrets on TV this week

Comedian and presenter Hugh Dennis will be on TV revealing the archaeological secrets of a lost mansion at Studley Royal on Thursday (June 22). 

The Great British Dig episode, which was filmed over five days last September in the deer park next to Fountains Abbey, follows the show’s resident experts as they learn more about a mansion that stood there until 1946, when it burned down.  

The gutted house was demolished, and it was only years later, during Storm Arwen in 2021, that a tree on the site of the former mansion was blown down and its roots exposed some interesting masonry. 

The episode Studley Royal – the Missing Georgian Mansion will be aired for the first time on Thursday, June 22 at 9pm on More 4. 

Mark Newman, National Trust archaeologist, said: 

“There has been National Trust archaeological research at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal for 37 years, but no matter how much we discover there always seems to be more to find. It’s a rare and exciting opportunity to have a programme like The Great British Dig getting involved with our archaeological research. Understanding the detailed history of our properties, and the archaeological riches they conceal, is undoubtedly a ‘long game’. 

“The discoveries we made were extremely exciting and moved on our understanding of a number of Studley Royal’s mysteries considerably. We really look forward to them being revealed on air on 22 June, and to further explorations that will no doubt tell us even more.” 

The Studley Royal episode is followed on Thursday, June 29 at 9pm by The Great British Dig at National Trust Cherryburn in Northumberland, The Birthplace of a Celebrity Illustrator. 

The Great British Dig presenter Hugh Dennis, whose father John was Bishop of Knaresborough from 1979 to 1986, said: 

“It was a genuine treat to be able to dig at not just one, but two National Trust properties at Studley Royal and Cherryburn. We unearthed some amazing finds, met some great volunteer staff who were more than happy to get their hands dirty, and ate our fair share of scones too.” 

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Cattle introduced to Brimham Rocks

The National Trust has introduced cattle to the moorland at Brimham Rocks in Nidderdale.

A herd of Belted Galloways will graze the vegetation from June to October as part of the site’s moorland management plan.

The trust said grazing will improve the moorland at Brimham as well as improving the habitat for ground nesting birds.

A fence has been erected around the cattle’s roaming area on the south and north moors. To maintain Brimham moorland as open access land, gates have been installed on public rights of way as well as on the most popular desire lines.

Natural heather moorland habitats are rarer than rainforest. According to the Moorland Association, 75% of the world’s remaining heather moorland is found in Britain and that habitat has been declining rapidly.

The moorland at Brimham has the distinction of being home to three local varieties: ling heather, bell heather and cross-leaved heath. Unattended bracken will damage the heather moorland beyond repair, according to the trust.

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Brimham Rocks

Alec Boyd, area ranger at Brimham Rocks said reintroducing cattle was “a very important step to improving the condition of the moor”, adding: 

“We are using cattle instead of sheep or horses because the cattle rips and pulls rather than nibbles at the vegetation.

“They also eat on the move, a little here and a little there, and are less selective than sheep or horses – they aren’t as choosy about what they eat. This helps create a varied age structure that will benefit other species that call moorland their home.”

Belted Galloways are hardy but placid, which means they are unlikely to be fazed by members of the public and their dogs.

A trust spokesperson said it acquired Brimham Rocks in 1970 and there has not been any grazing since then, but it is thought grazing took place prior to this.

Further information is available here.

Hunt is on for the best photos of the Skell Valley

The winners of a new photography competition are to have their pictures included in an exhibition in Ripon this autumn.

The competition, which has been launched by the Skell Valley Project in collaboration with the National Trust, Nidderdale AONB, Ripon Museum Trust and Ripon City Photographic Society, is for people of all ages and abilities.

Entrants must submit impactful images taken somewhere in the Skell Valley that capture its landscape, wildlife and nature or its cultural and historical features. A map of the area is provided with the competition information to locate where photos are taken.

Map of the Skell Valley, running from Dallow Moor in the west to the city of Ripon in the east.

A map of the area is provided with the competition information to locate where photos have been taken.

Stuart Ward, president of Ripon City Photographic Society, said:

“The landscape around the River Skell offers great raw material for taking inspiring photographs – from the wild moorland of Dallowgill at the top of the valley through to rolling farmland in Nidderdale AONB, Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal World Heritage Site, Hell Wath Local Nature Reserve and the historic City of Ripon – it’s a photographer’s paradise!”

The Skell Valley Project is a four-year scheme led by the National Trust and Nidderdale AONB to rejuvenate the 12 miles of the River Skell.

The project is working with local partners, landowners, farmers, and volunteer groups to improve the landscape’s resilience to climate change, help nature to thrive, protect and conserve its heritage and increase people’s access to green space following the coronavirus pandemic.

The £2.5 million project is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, European Regional Development Fund, Wolfson Foundation, Royal Oak Foundation and other funders and donors.

Josie Campbell, senior project co-ordinator of the Skell Valley Project, said:

“Whether you’re a smartphone user that takes the odd snap or a more experienced photographer who’s a dab hand with a macro lens, we’re looking for entries from anyone inspired to capture the unique character of the River Skell and its surroundings.”

Competition entrants are welcome to submit a maximum of three photographs to skellvalleyprojectteam@nationaltrust.org.uk. The closing date for entries is midnight on Tuesday, August 1, 2023. For more information about the competition and how to submit photographs, see the National Trust website.

Entries will be judged by a panel including members from Ripon City Photographic Society, Skell Valley Project and Ripon Museum Trust.

The 20 winning photographs will be displayed as part of an outdoor exhibition at Ripon Workhouse Museum between Saturday, September 23 and Sunday, November 5, 2023.

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Nidderdale hosts green week events to tackle climate change

A series of environmental activities are being held in Nidderdale as part of the Great Big Green Week, which runs from June 10 to 18.

The green week, which first started in 2021, encourages community action to tackle climate change and protect nature.

Organised by the Climate Coalition, which includes organisations including the National Trust, WWF-UK and the RSPB, it sees tens of thousands of people take part in events ranging from litter picks to seaweed foraging to tackle climate change.

The activities in Nidderdale include a low impact lunch at Summerbridge Methodist Church, a biodiversity walk and talk at Bank Woods in Summerbridge, a community litter pick in Glasshouses

Make It Wild, Church in the Dale, Nidderdale Climate and Environment Group are among those organising the local events.

Details of these and other events being held during the green week are available here.

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Ripon businesses prepare to host theatre festival events

Ripon businesses are preparing to host events across the city as part of the second theatre festival.

Across a five-day period, Ripon Theatre Festival will hold over 50 events, with a variety of pop-up performances, plays and music.

The festival reported audiences of more than 2,500 people at its inaugural event last year. Now, the organisation aims “to build on the incredible first year response” this year.

Fountains Abbey and The Old Deanery are among the larger spaces that will hold performances, while the Market Place, Minster Gardens, and Ripon Spa Gardens will be transformed into festival zones to bring attendees a range of activities, from street theatre to circus acts.

The event aims to cater for a range of ages, with The Little Ripon Bookshop and the Crypt in Ripon Cathedral putting on puppet shows and storytelling.

Katie Scott, festival director, previously told the Stray Ferret:

“A key aim is to make the festival as affordable and accessible as possible with a wide range of free entertainment popping up at locations across the city centre.”

In line with the festival’s aim, pop-events will be free of charge or “pay what you can”. The festival will also include ticketed theatre performances with many taking place in Ripon Arts Hub.

Ms Scott added:

“The festival is also working with charity Ripon Dementia Forward to provide a sensory theatre show brought directly to two local and friendly community spaces.”

The event will take place from June 7 to 11.

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