Rescuers came to the aid of an 11-year-old boy who got stuck at Brimham Rocks yesterday.
Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association was called to the National Trust-owned site near Pateley Bridge by North Yorkshire Police.
The boy had reached the top of Castle Rocks but then felt unable to get down safely.
Nine members of the volunteer-run association attended the incident.
Its website said:
“A small team was deployed, rigging a rope and lowering him safely and uninjured to ground level, whereupon he was reunited with his grandmother.”
The association has attended several similar incidents at Brimham Rocks this year.
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National Trust plans major £3.6m building project at Fountains Abbey
The National Trust today revealed designs for a new £3.6 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.
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.
How the new entrance and outside seating to the building from the canal bridge might look.
The trust says the plans, which went out to consultation in 2019 before being paused due to covid, will make Studley Royal less “muddled”.
It will submit a formal planning application to Harrogate Borough Council in the new year.
The organisation said in a statement today:
“This area is currently muddled with 20th century buildings and additions which make up an admission point, toilets, and the boundary of the pay-for entry area.
“For years this has created a large number of conservation and operational issues which are not appropriate in a World Heritage Site.
“The updated improvements will consolidate these facilities into one building and improve the way visitors move through this area.”
The trust added the landscape plans would “open up lost views and create walks that echo the original 18th century design”.
How the view of the building from the deer park might look.
New facilities including historical information, accessible toilets and a ‘space to change’ have also been included.
The trust has consulted Historic England, Harrogate Borough Council, World Heritage Site partners and Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on its plans.
It has appointed London heritage architects Feilden Fowles and Edinburgh landscape architects Rankinfraser to carry out the work.
How the new cafe seating area might look.
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.”
The designs and information about the project will be displayed at the Studley entrance from tomorrow until December 22 (excluding December 16) and can also be viewed here.
The trust aims to open the new facilities to visitors in late 2024.
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Fire at Fountains Abbey causes carols to be cancelled
An electrical fault caused a fire at Fountains Abbey near Ripon yesterday.
Ripon firefighters were called to the National Trust-owned property at 12.13pm after staff discovered there had been a small fire.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service‘s incident log said staff on site had already summoned an electrician and firefighters isolated the electricity supply.
A spokeswoman for Fountains Abbey said:
“There was a small electrical fire in the abbey on Sunday morning.
“Ripon fire service were contacted immediately and on arrival, they confirmed the fire was out and had been contained.
“Due to the nature of the fire, as a precaution, we took the decision to cancel Carols by Candlelight – despite its name, the event does require electrical power for a sound system to amplify the service to visitors, and to ensure there is sufficient lighting the abbey for the safety of our visitors.
“We’re very grateful to the fire service for their quick response and support.”
The UNESCO World Heritage Site is is one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries in England.
Read more:
Photo of the Week: Stunning deer stand proud at Studley Royal
The Stray Ferret has launched our new Photo of the Week feature to highlight the beauty of the Harrogate district captured by talented local photographers.
Send your photos to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk for a chance to feature here. We are interested in amateur and professional pictures.
This week we are featuring a stunning shot of a herd of deer highlighted beautifully by the autumnal sun at Studley Royal Deer Park. Taken by Ripon based Mike Smith Photography.
An exhibition of original art by the comedian Vic Reeves is on display at Red House Originals Gallery in Harrogate.
The exhibition, called Yorkshire Rocks and Dinghy Fights, includes several paintings of Brimham Rocks.
Leeds-born Mr Reeves, a keen artist who exhibits under his real name Jim Moir, is a frequent visitor to the National Trust site near Pateley Bridge.
The exhibition, featuring work priced up to £12,500, also includes paintings that show his love of birds and shoes, as well as art highlighting his surreal sense of humour.
Mr Reeves attended the opening of the exhibition, which was extended by a week due to demand. Saturday will be the last day.
Mr Reeves at the opening night. Pic by Robin Clewley.
Dave McTague, who is responsible for marketing at the gallery, said:
“We’ve had a phenomenal response to it. We’ve had people travelling from all over the country.”
Red House Originals Gallery, on Cheltenham Mount, is owned by Richard McTague, nephew of Paul McTague, who owns the McTague of Harrogate gallery next door.
While McTague of Harrogate features traditional art, Red House focuses on pop art, modern art and contemporary work, often showcasing Yorkshire artists.
Dave McTague in front of three of the Brimham Rocks exhibits.
Opening night of the Vic Reeves exhibition.
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Fountains Abbey tops survey of UK’s best historic attractions
Fountains Abbey near Ripon and the Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh have tied in first place in a survey of the best historic attractions in the UK.
The two sites were the joint favourite attractions of 63 that were ranked in a survey of almost 3,000 members of consumer organisation Which?.
The survey looked at nine criteria including overall value for money, helpfulness of staff and lack of crowds.
Both achieved an overall score of 88 per cent, beating well-known attractions including York Minster, Stonehenge, Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London to the top spot.
Fountains Abbey, which is a World Heritage Site managed by the National Trust, is one of the largest Cistercian abbey ruins in Europe. It was a thriving monastic community for 400 years until the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539.
Light shines through the cellarium at Fountains Abbey.
Those who rated the attraction highly praised the ‘calm atmosphere’ and ‘leisurely walks’ on offer in over 800 acres of grounds, with the attraction scoring a full five stars for lack of crowds, as well as how accurately the description matched reality.
The Royal Yacht Britannia, which served the Royal Family for more than 44 years, is now docked permanently on the Firth of Forth in Leith.
Durham Cathedral was the highest scoring free attraction, with a customer score of 86 per cent. It ranked joint fifth in the table overall, tying with Stirling Castle.
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At the other end of the table was Shakespeare’s birthplace, the playwright’s childhood home in Stratford-Upon-Avon, with a score of 63 per cent. While respondents praised the building’s cultural significance, it scored just two out of five stars for value for money and facilities, and rated no more than three stars in any category.
Guy Hobbs, acting editor of Which? Travel, said:
“This year two very different but equally impressive historic attractions topped our survey, and it’s easy to see why. Both Fountains Abbey and the Royal Yacht Britannia offer a unique day out with visitors telling us they enjoyed the opportunity to immerse themselves in a slice of history for the day.
Which? surveyed 2,944 members between April and May 2022.
Boy, 13, rescued at Brimham Rocks
Rescuers came to the aid of a teenage boy who got stuck at Brimham Rocks at the weekend.
Volunteers from Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association were summoned to the National Trust-owned site at about 2pm on Saturday.
A 13-year-old boy had climbed to the top of one of the rocks but then felt unable to navigate his way down safely.
The rescue association’s website said:
“Local members were able to calm the casualty until team vehicles arrived and a safe means of lowering the casualty back to the ground was rigged and a successful rescue was carried out.”
Derek Hammond, a volunteer for the rescue association, told the Stray Ferret it was a simple rescue and the boy did the right thing by seeking help rather than putting himself at risk of harm by trying to get down when he didn’t feel safe.
Eleven volunteers took part in the incident near Pateley Bridge, which was the group’s first call-out for two weeks.
While they were dealing with it they then received a second call, alerting them to concerns that a cave diver at Goyden Pot, near Lofthouse in Nidderdale, had not returned at the expected time.
The rescue association’s website said:
“As the controllers were working to call in specialist divers for this incident news was received that she had returned safely so the team stood down and diverted attention to an ongoing incident at Brimham Rocks.”
Read more:
Nidderdale wellness retreat shares its harvest for healthy eating
Within a stone’s throw of Brimham Rocks there’s a newly-created oasis of calm and quiet reflection.
The community herb and vegetable garden at the Acorn Wellness Retreat in Hartwith, has been designed to add to its holistic, healing approach and aim of improving people’s health and wellbeing with a diet of wholesome food.
As well as providing a ready supply of fresh produce used as ingredients in nutrition-rich dishes for guests, a weekly harvest of the herbs and vegetables is being shared with the neighbouring community.
A harvest for health – Acorn Wellness Retreat owner Katie Kavanagh is sharing the goodness of the garden with the neighbouring community
Acorn’s owner Katie Kavanagh, who opened the not-for-profit enterprise in 2017, told the Stray Ferret:
“We have people who come here for recovery, rest, retreat and sanctuary, often after treatment for serious illnesses such as cancer.”
She added:
“We also have a surrounding community of friends and neighbours and through sharing the items grown in the garden, we hope to be able to give something back to them.”
The new facility, created from sustainable materials by Ben Green of Springer Land & Property Services, includes a hazel bower, raised planters and seating areas.
The newly-opened garden at Acorn Wellness Retreat
To mark the opening, Acorn’s Helen O’Connor, a psychologist and forest bathing therapist, led a mindfulness session after attendees received a posy of freshly-picked herbs grown in the garden.
She asked the retreat’s friends, neighbours and her colleagues, to join with her in enjoying the peace of the new area by listening to the birdsong and attuning themselves to the natural rhythms of the countryside setting.
Ms. Kavanagh pointed out:
“We have planted a seed that will grow and thrive, while providing another means for enabling us to be at one with the natural environment and the healing qualities that this offers.”
Read More:
New Dales bus service from Knaresborough and Harrogate
A new bus service will operate from Knaresborough and Harrogate every Sunday from this weekend for the summer season.
Eastern DalesBus 825 will run to Ripley, Brimham Rocks, Fountains Abbey, Kirkby Malzeard, Masham, Leyburn and Richmond.
It will continue every Sunday and bank holiday until September 25, departing from Knaresborough bus station at 10am and stand three at Harrogate bus station at 1020am.
Eastern DalesBus 825 is run by York-based Reliance Motor Services , which provides rural bus services in North Yorkshire, as part of the DalesBus network, with support from the National Trust and North Yorkshire County Council’s Locality Fund.
Full timetable details are available in a leaflet available from Harrogate Bus Station and here.
Other DalesBus services running from Harrogate include double-decker DalesBus 59 on Saturdays to Blubberhouses, Bolton Bridge and Skipton, and DalesBus 74 on Saturdays to Ilkley, Bolton Abbey and Grassington.
DalesBus 24 runs daily between Harrogate and Pateley Bridge, with onward connections on Sundays and Bank Holidays to Upper Nidderdale and Grassington.
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Second climber rescued from same rock at Brimham Rocks
A second climber has been rescued from the same rock at Brimham Rocks in the space of two months.
A male, believed to be aged 17, summoned help after a colleague of his fell on his way down and needed help from an ambulance.
Eight rescuers from Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association spent almost two hours helping the teenager last week.
He was trapped on the same rock at the National Trust-owned site, near Pateley Bridge, where a similar incident took place two months ago.
Upper Wharfe Fell Rescue Association help another climber at the same rock in February.
Derek Hammond, a controller at the association, said the isolated rock was popular with visitors who found it easy to climb but less easy to descend.
Mr Hammond said Brimham Rocks “wasn’t particularly dangerous” but attracted vast numbers of visitors, many of whom were not equipped for climbing.
He added:
“We would far rather come out and help someone rather than wait until they are injured. I know it can be embarrassing but if you are in any doubt as to your safety, call for help.”
The association’s website said of the latest incident:
“Team members once on scene were quickly able to rig ropes, to safely access and lower the young man back to the ground.”