Pateley Bridge Archives - Page 11 of 42

Major changes announced to bus routes in Harrogate district

Two new bus routes are set to be introduced in Harrogate this weekend.

The Harrogate Bus Company said in a press release the services would provide ‘new and improved links for housing developments and business parks’.

The company, which is part of French form Transdev, said it has partnered with North Yorkshire Council to bring the new 4, which will link King Edwin Park and the Harrogate West Business Park off Penny Pot Lane in Killinghall to the town centre.

It will also serve Skipton Road and Ripon Road.

The new route, which is being funded by the King Edwin Park housing developer, will run hourly from 7am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday.

In addition, the 6 and X6 will merge to provide an all-day service to Harrogate’s Pannal Ash, RHS Harlow Carr and Beckwith Knowle.

It will operate every 30 minutes, Monday to Saturday, and hourly on Sundays. Extra buses will run every 20 minutes during peak times.

Harrogate Bus Company said it will operate as the current route, but extending to Beckwith Knowle, where there is a business park.

The firm added:

“The route will change on Otley Road and in Pannal Ash so we pick up on the opposite side of the road – this follows customer requests.”

Changes to existing routes

Along with the new routes, the Harrogate Bus Company also announced it would be making changes to existing routes. Some of the details at this stage are vague.

These include:

1 Harrogate – Knaresborough: There will be a full timetable change from Monday to Saturday. Buses will still run every 10 minutes.

2 Harrogate – Bilton: Changes will be made to buses at peak times on weekdays.

3 Harrogate – Jennyfield: Changes will be made to buses at peak times on weekdays.

8 Harrogate – Knaresborough – Wetherby: This route will be taken over by 21 Transport on behalf of the council. The firm said Transdev tickets will no longer be valid on this route.

21 Knaresborough – Boroughbridge: Changes ‘to improve reliability’ will be introduced.

24 Harrogate – Pateley Bridge: Changes ‘to improve reliability’ will be introduced.

36 Leeds – Harrogate – Ripon: Changes ‘to improve reliability’ will be introduced.

S1 Ripley – Rossett School: A new school bus will serve pupils from Ripley to Harrogate Grammar School and Rossett School. It added people in Jennyfields who currently use the 620H should switch to the S1.

S2 and S6 Bilton – Rossett School: The S2 and S6 will merge into a single route, which will follow the route of the regular 2 bus around Bilton. A large double decker bus will be provided which is sufficient for all customers, it added.

S8 Woodlands – Rossett School: Changes ‘to improve reliability’ will be introduced.

620H Dacre – Rossett School: This route will be taken over by another operator on behalf of the council. Harrogate Bus Company said it does not know which firm will take over, but added it will no longer serve Jennyfields. It advised residents to use the S1 instead.

727H Jennyfield – Harrogate Grammar School

The Harrogate Bus Company, which has not released any further information on the changes, said timetables will be available ‘soon’.

The changes will come into effect on Sunday, April 7.

Nidderdale community group issues plea to find home for refugee family

A Nidderdale community group has issued a plea for help to find a refugee family a long-term home.

Nidderdale Community Welcome (NCW), a voluntary group established at the end of 2020, took to the local parish magazine to seek accommodation for a Syrian refugee family.

The group, which helped to find the family their current Nidderdale home, raised more than £13,000 by April 2022 to fund the initiative.

However, according to a local parish magazine, the family’s tenancy is due to end “in a few months”, and they are on the hunt for a new home.

The group said:

“The children have settled in at a local school, the parents have made good progress with learning English and have been seeking employment opportunities.

“The family would like to remain in the area, where they have been warmly welcomed and have settled well.”

Nidderdale Community Welcome issued a plea to anyone that knows of local rental properties, that would be suitable for the family, to get in touch.

The group said the family is looking for a two or three-bedroom house, which will soon become available, with a monthly rent in the region of £800 to £900.

It said anyone that may be able to help should call Bill Hickson on 07831809246, or email him at wgehickson@gmail.com.

New ice cream parlour to open in Pateley Bridge

A new ice cream parlour is set to open in Pateley Bridge tomorrow (March 29).

Treats, which will take over the former Pateley Ice Treat unit, will be the latest addition to the High Street’s hospitality scene.

Owner Janet Chambers, who is originally from Liverpool but has lived in Yorkshire for 40 years, told the Stray Ferret she and her husband took over the business after it remained closed for more than a year.

She said Treats will serve Brymor ice cream, ice cream sundaes, banana splits and milkshakes, as well as vegan ice cream and sorbets, cakes and eventually hot sandwiches and soups.

Ms Chambers added:

“I am excited and nervous about opening. We are hoping to be more than an ice cream parlour and hope to collaborate with our neighbours, such as the new bookshop in Pateley, with events for both adults and children.

“As my background is in art and design I am also hoping to offer art classes and a space for children’s parties.”

Treats will serve a range of ice creams and sweet treats.

Ms Chambers also recently applied to the BBC’s Great British Bake Off, she said, but added due to working full-time she “could not put the usual time and effort into her application”. Instead, she and her husband put their savings into buying the parlour. She said:

“Long-term we are going to re-brand to be called Treats.

“I want it to be a place where people feel they can “treat” themselves, friends and family, and to offer the community something all year round.”

Ms Chamber said the parlour will open Friday to Monday this weekend, plus Tuesday if the weather permits, from 11am to 4pm. It will open Saturday and Sunday thereafter, while in its infancy.

Council confirms increase in car parking charges

North Yorkshire Council confirmed today it will increase all car park charges from April 19.

The Stray Ferret reported last week charges across the Harrogate district were in line to rise.

The council said in a statement today it would increase tariffs by 20% as “part of North Yorkshire’s commitment to maintain and improve its facilities”. It added the decision “was made after careful consideration of several factors impacting the service”.

Karl Battersby, the council’s corporate director of environment, said:

“We continuously strive to improve our parking services to provide a better customer experience. This includes investments in technology upgrades, such as automated payment systems and the installation of electric vehicle chargers to accommodate the growing market.

“We have refrained from increasing our car parking tariff for several years. However, to ensure we can continue to maintain the current provision and not divert funds away from vital frontline council services, we plan on introducing an increase across the car parking tariff that is in line with inflation.”

The statement said the cost of parking facilities, including infrastructure, repairs, lighting, and security had risen “and ensuring a safe and well-maintained environment is essential for the convenience and satisfaction of customers”.

The move affects all parking at council-owned car parks.

The hike in prices comes despite the council increasing council tax bills by 4.99% in 2024/25. It means the amount paid by an average Band D property for council services will increase by £87.80 to £1,847.62. The council faces a shortfall of more than £30 million for the next financial year.

Mr Battersby added:

“We also remain committed to improving public transport provision across North Yorkshire to ensure there are alternatives to car usage, as well as supporting efforts to become carbon neutral by 2030.”

The council plans to draft a strategy this year that will look at parking provision across North Yorkshire to see where future changes and improvements can be made.

30 years of creativity at Pateley Bridge arts and crafts hub

It’s 30 years since a small group of artists, makers and designers moved into a cluster of buildings just off Pateley Bridge High Street.

The newly-created hub aimed to provide individual workshops for craftspeople to grow their businesses while being part of a wider collective and shared experience.

The premises, on the site of the former workhouse complex in King Street, was owned and used by the district council to house everything from bin lorries to rat catchers. But they were just what jewellers Ian Simm and Debby Moxon had been looking for.

‘We found a space that was just the right size’

Ian and Debby were already part of a creative hub based at the Duncan Craft Workshops, a former Otley wool mill that was being converted into offices.

At just the time the group was beginning its search for a new home, the council was looking for its first tenants for the converted municipal buildings. It was a perfect match. Ian said:

“There were four businesses that came from Otley and we were looking for four different-sized workshops. When we viewed the site in Pateley Bridge, we couldn’t believe that each of us found a space that was the just the right size.”

Three decades on, and King Street Workshops are widely known as a place not only where local craftspeople can flourish, but also where visitors and customers can see them at work. Ian said:

“Pateley Bridge is a place people always come to if they are visiting Yorkshire. We get tourists watching us work and asking about things.”

Makers at work

Ian and Debby create handmade jewellery for commissions as well as selling pieces from their workshop and in galleries and craft shops across the UK.

They are one of the few jewellers in the country to specialise in heat-treating, marking and texturing titanium, a dull grey metal which, when heated, transforms into a spectrum of lovely colours.

Their business, Moxon and Simm, is the last of the original King Street group, after glassblowers Andrew Sanders and David Wallace retired last year. As craftspeople have moved on over the years, new ones have seized the rare opportunity to be part of this rarely-found type of creative hub.

Alongside Debby and Ian, there is currently the ceramicist Fiona Mazza, mosaic artist Ruth Wilkinson, furniture maker Augustus Stickland and sculptor Joseph Hayton.

Joseph moved in 13 years ago and has found the workshops suit his business perfectly. His current unit is large enough for the specialist equipment he uses, as well as giving him space to display his work. He said:

“There are not many places like this around that are open to the public. Most of us have a showroom as well as a workspace. The unique thing about this place as opposed to art galleries is that you can see how we work.

“When visitors drop by, I always show them the tools and describe how I do things. If you are interested in how things are made or you want to commission a piece you can see behind the scenes.”

Sculptor Joseph Hayton in his workshop.

Like most businesses, those at King Street Workshops took a bit of a hit during the pandemic but the customers and tourists have returned. Joseph said:

“Pateley Bridge is quite a busy little place, particularly through the summer. We get a lot of tourists visiting us, people wandering in from all over the place. The workshops are interesting places, they’re a creative space and a great place to visit.”

Joseph mainly works to commission, with projects ranging from stone lettering to garden sculptures in stone or bronze. He has customers from the local area, across the UK and, occasionally, abroad. He is currently working on a very large ornate fireplace for a property in Rome. He added:

“King Street Workshops have been great for me; most of my business has come through being at this site. It’s got a creative ethos and it’s great to work alongside other people who are making things. It’s a shared experience and a brilliant little community.”

Ian, Debby, Joseph and the others will be celebrating three decades of the King Street Workshops at the beginning of June, inviting people to watch them at work and view displays of their creations.

The gallery on the site will also host a retrospective of sculptor Roy Noakes, who lived in Nidderdale in his later years.

Photo: Some of the craftspeople currently based at the King Street Workshops, from left, Augustus Stickland, Fiona Mazza, Ian Simm, Debby Moxon and Joseph Hayton.

Four fire crews tackle blaze at Pateley Bridge caravan site

Four fire crews were called to a blaze at a caravan site in Pateley Bridge in the early hours of this morning.

Firefighters from Knaresborough, Grassington, Ripon and Harrogate rushed to the scene at 1.12am on Monday, March 18.

An investigation into the cause of the fire at the unnamed site is ongoing, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said.

A spokesperson added:

“The fire caused damage to a toilet block at the site with an attached workshop also suffering slight fire damage. Crews prevented the fire spreading any further.”

Fire crews extinguishing the flames in Pateley Bridge

Grassington Fire Station posted on social media:

“In the early hours we were sent to a building fire near Pateley Bridge alongside, Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough Fire Station.

Crews worked hard to prevent the fire taking the adjoining building before extinguishing the flames.”

The campsite engulfed in smoke

Grassington fire services at the scene last night

The wreckage at Pateley Bridge Caravan site

Read more:

Discounted entry to Harrogate district attractions with National Lottery this weekend

National Lottery Open Week is set to offer free and discounted places for visitors across the Harrogate district this weekend.

This year’s Open Week event takes place March 9-17 and will include RHS Harlow Carr, Fountains Abbey and Nidderdale Museum.

Venues funded by National Lottery will offer discounted entry for visitors who can use their National Lottery ticket or scratch card as entry. To redeem this offer people must be able to produce proof of purchase.

Offers are available locally at:

RHS Garden Harlow Carr

Visitors can enjoy two tickets for the price of one this weekend at Harrogate’s RHS Garden, near Beckwithshaw. The deal runs from March 11-17 and visitors can explore the gardens 2,000 plant varieties.

The Royal Horticultural Society received £4 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund towards a six-year gardening project that includes developing the world’s first centre of horticultural excellence.

The Main Borders at RHS garden Harlow Carr.

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden

The offer is available March 9-17 for visitors to explore the monastery and estate grounds near Ripon free of charge. The National Lottery has supported Fountains Abbey in vital conservation work.

Fountains Abbey

Nidderdale Museum

The local and social history museum in Pateley Bridge is offering free entry on March 16. Tickets usually entry costs £5 with free accompanying children.

Nidderdale Museum has benefited from a grant from the National Lottery fund to start work to make the museum sustainable.

Nidderdale Museum

There are also nearby offers with Beningborough Hall and Goddards in York offering the same deal as Fountains Abbey plus Leeds Library offering free tours.

For the Harrogate district offers booking in advance is not required. Proof of purchase of a National Lottery game can be either a hard copy ticket or digital.

New bookshop to open in Pateley Bridge

A new book shop is set to open in Pateley Bridge.

Paper People Books, which will take over the former JOT Gallery site on the High Street, will stock books and literature for different age groups.

Owner Kerry Thorpe, who moved to Pateley Bridge six months ago, said the shop will offer adult fiction, children’s literature, books on the local area and more.

There will also be a large children’s room with games and puzzles to encourage young ones to read and play.

Ms Thorpe told the Stray Ferret:

“Reading should be fun, not a chore and we want people to feel happy and spread a bit of joy when coming into the shop.

“I’m a former art teacher and always loved books and people, using your imagination and being creative. I’m dyslexic myself and wanted to show books are for everyone.

“I work with children who say they can’t do certain things because they find reading, spelling and traditional work difficult.

“If you have an idea and really believe in something you can do it with hard work. This is something I wanted to show my children too.”

Ms Thorpe added the book shop will be a “good addition to the town”. She hopes to run various in-store initiatives to help people in the wider community.

These include a ’till round-up scheme’, whereby people round up their payment and the extra money is donated to local schools to fund new books for children.

Ms Thorpe also said the team are working with Bark and Read, a Kennel-club owned foundation, which invites children to read with their support dogs. She said the charity will hopefully visit the Pateley Bridge shop once a month to run sessions.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“We are super excited to be opening, we hope to bring a bit of fun to reading, inspire others and work with local schools and people to really make this a success.

“We feel everyone needs a book in their lives, we are all so busy and sometimes it’s just great to switch off, read a book and really escape.”

Paper People Books will have two official opening weekends: March 23 and 24, and March 30 and 31.

The shop will then open Tuesday to Friday, as well as weekends during the summer.

The Stray Ferret’s daily newsletter gets a fresh new look

As the Stray Ferret enters its fourth year of providing the best media coverage of the Harrogate district, we have given our daily newsletter a makeover.

The newsletter provides a round-up of what our journalists have been up to. The new look makes it easier than ever to get a snapshot of what is happening, with links to all the articles.

It includes a nightly introduction from Stray Ferret editor John Plummer as well as a round up of our daily news content, plus Photo of the Week, lifestyle features and in-depth topics.

Mr Plummer said:

“We hope the fresh new look appeals to readers. We are very grateful to everyone who reads the Stray Ferret and hope you continue to support independent local journalism in 2024.”

You can sign up here to the newsletter to keep up to date and get the latest news straight to your inbox.

River Nidd bursts its banks as Storm Gerrit hits Harrogate district

A Met Office weather warning for rain and strong winds was active in the Harrogate district from 3am to 6pm today. Here’s a look back at how the weather affected the district.

5.26pm: Flood alert issued for River Ure

Until today, all the local flood alerts were for areas alongside the River Nidd. But at 4.48pm this afternoon the Environment Agency issued one for the lower River Ure. The alert is for a wide area, including Ripon. It says:

“Areas most at risk include low-lying land including agricultural land and local roads in the areas around Masham, Boroughbridge, Aldborough and Bishop Monkton.”

5.10pm: Harrogate trains affected by flooding at Horsforth

Rail operator Northern has announced rail replacement transport on Harrogate services due to flooding at Horsforth. It posted the following information on X:

Further rail replacement transport has been sourced:

17:00 Harrogate – Leeds (York Pullman)

17:40 Harrogate – Leeds (J&B)

18:40 Harrogate – Leeds (J&B)

19:00 Leeds – Harrogate ( York Pullman)

4.37pm: It’s go for Glow at Harlow Carr

The Royal Horticultural Society has posted on social media that its Glow event at its Harlow Carr gardens is going ahead. The charity said:

“RHS Glow is going ahead tonight. Sorry for the uncertainty the weather has been causing us! But following Met Office advice, we understand the weather is due to clear so Glow can proceed.”

3.54pm: Strong wind alert

The Met Office weather warning for rain is due to end at 6pm today. At precisely the same time, a separate warning will become active for winds.

Gusts of up to 45 mph are forecast locally overnight. The wind warning is active until 3am tomorrow.

3.06pm: Council issues flood advice amid road closures

How are the roads looking where you are? An awful lot of rain has fallen — do let us know by emailing information and photos from where you are to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk so we can update this live blog.

North Yorkshire Council has posted on social media that the A684 between Aysgarth and Worton and Bruntacres Road at Hawes have been closed due to rising river levels. Neither is particularly close to the Harrogate district but the council has nevertheless urged anyone worried about the storm to get information on issues such as requesting sandbags and protecting your home to visit here.

2.35pm: Nidd bursts banks at Knaresborough

The Nidd at Knaresborough. Pic: Andrew Pinder

Andrew Pinder took this photo by the footbridge over the Nidd, looking upstream, in Nidd Gorge. Mr Pinder said:

“Whilst the Nidd appears to have burst its banks, on Waterside it was still contained. When the photo was taken, the level was about 1.2 metres above normal.”

1.39pm: New flood alerts issued

The Environment Agency has added flood warnings on the middle and lower reaches of the Nidd to go with the one already in place on the upper Nidd.

The middle Nidd flood alert area includes land around the middle Nidd and its tributaries including Thornton Beck, Newton Beck, Oak Beck, Cow Dyke Beck, Bilton Beck, Frogmire Dike and Syke Dike.

The yellow lines indicate the areas at risk of flooding alongside the Nidd.

The lower Nidd alert says area includes land around the lower River Nidd and its tributaries including Sand Beck, Sike Beck, Pool Beck and Great Gutter.

11.10am: RHS expects Glow event to go ahead tonight

RHS Garden Harlow Carr has posted on social media to say:

“The garden is open as usual today, and we expect our Glow event can go ahead tonight. We are nevertheless keeping a close eye on the weather, so please check back in case anything changes.”

9.56am: Flood alert issued for Crimple Valley

A second flood has been issued locally by the Environment Agency. This time it is for the River Crimple, The areas most at risk include land around the River Crimple and its tributaries, including Horn Beck, Clark Beck, Hookstone Beck, Rud Beck, Toad Hole Beck and Park Beck.

An Environment Agency map showing the area at risk of flooding.

The alert says:

“Flooding is possible from 11:30am on Wednesday. Further rainfall is forecast over the next few days. We are monitoring rainfall and river levels and are checking rivers for blockages in the area.”

7.52am: River Nidd flood alert

A flood alert has been issued for the upper River Nidd catchment area as Storm Gerrit hits the Harrogate district.

At 7.01am this morning, the Environment Agency issued its first flood alert for the district.

It said flooding is possible on land around the upper River Nidd and its tributaries, including How Stean Beck, Blayshaw Gill, Ramsgill Beck, Lul Beck, Foster Beck, Fosse Gill, Fell Beck and Darley Beck in the Pateley Bridge area of Nidderdale.

An Environment Agency map of the area at risk of flooding.

The alert added:

“Further rainfall is forecast over the next few days and into the weekend. Please avoid using low-lying footpaths near local watercourses and do not walk or drive through floodwater. Please consider putting your flood plan into action.”

The ice rink in Harrogate announced on social media it will once again be closed for the day due for the day.

We will bring any further storm updates throughout the day.