Local artists, craftspeople and photographers are opening their doors to the public this weekend to showcase work as part of NiddArt Trail.
The trail, run by community organisation Nidderdale Art Trail, aims to highlight both the artistic talent on offer throughout the district, as well as keep community spirit alive.
It originated as Nidd Art Fest, which ran from 1997 to 2008, and has been known as NiddArt Trail since 2009.
Venues in upper and lower Nidderdale, Pateley Bridge, Bewerley, Knaresborough and surrounding villages will house the works of both professional artists, such as Claire Baxter Gallery and JOT’s Gallery, as well as amateur groups such as Pateley Bridge Art Club, which will hold its summer exhibition in St Cuthbert’s School, and Lofthouse Art Group.
A number of community venues will also host featured works, including Summerbridge Methodist Church and Sawley Village Hall.
St Paul’s Art Group will have a variety of mediums on display, including photography and crafts, with some on sale to the public. The work will be held in St Paul’s United Reformed Church, Harrogate, on 26 and 27 August. Refreshments will also be available.
Poetry readings will also take place at Darley Methodist Church as part of the trail. Reverend Alastair Ferneley of Dacre and Alan Jordan, Lay Pastor in the Methodist Church, will be reciting their own poetry on Saturday, August 19, and Saturday, August 26.
Paintings, pottery and photographs curated by local artists will all be housed in St Andrew’s Church, in Blubberhouses, on 19 and 20 August, as well as 26 – 28 August too.
Treasurer Charles Mellor said:
“It’s very much a community event and is made from a mix of talent and community effort.
“There is quite a spectrum of activity this year.”
Some pieces will be available to buy from both the professional and amateur artists, however many choose to simply be involved in the trail.
“I think people just really enjoy being a part of it.
“Many of the groups and venues involved become very enthusiastic about the trail.”
The participating venues are free to attend and will be open at various times from Friday, August 18 to Monday, August 28.
The trail has been available to view online from August 1.
Find a full breakdown of the participating artists and venues, as well as their opening times, here.
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Reservoir monument restored and returned to Nidderdale Museum
A stone monument built in 1913 depicting Angram reservoir has been restored and donated to Nidderdale Museum.
The reservoir was one of three built in the Nidderdale area between 1896 and 1936 by Bradford Corporation Waterworks Department.
The company also built a railway to transport people and equipment from Pateley Bridge to the three reservoirs – Gouthwaite, Angram and Scar House.
Stonemason Robert Drummond, who was part of a team of stonemasons employed to build the reservoir, created the monument of Angram, which weighs over a ton.
It stood outside the Bradford Corporation Waterworks Office, moving several times before resting in the private garden of one of Mr Drummond’s descendants.
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In 2021, the monument was offered as a donation to the museum by members of the family, and it was accepted.
Stonemasons HA Green & Son from Ripon dismantled it and transported it to their workshop, where the monument underwent a restoration, sponsored by Yorkshire Water’s Beyond Nature Initiative.
On Friday, it was unveiled outside Nidderdale Museum in Pateley Bridge to serve as a reminder of the history of the dams in the area.
Sue Welch, chairman of Nidderdale Museum Society said:
“We are delighted that Yorkshire Water agreed that the monument should come back to Nidderdale and be displayed so that everyone can learn more about the reservoirs and its history.”
The Lord Mayor of Bradford was in Pateley Bridge last Friday to unveil the model (pictured below).

Pictured are (left to right): Joyce Dixon, granddaughter of the stonemason; Sue Welch, chairman of Nidderdale Museum; Cllr Gerry Barker, Lord Mayor of Bradford; Jean Barker, Lady Mayoress of Bradford; Cllr David Ireton, chairman of North Yorkshire Council; Andy Shaw, head of water production for Yorkshire Water
The story of Angram
More than a thousand workers were involved in the construction work, with most of them living on site. During the work at Angram and Scar House the accommodation built was much better than most in the local villages, with electric power, communal buildings, a school and a cinema.
Many stonemasons were employed to build the reservoirs, and one of them, Robert Drummond, created this scale model of Angram during his spare time, working with his son Duncan.
It was finished in 1913 six years before the reservoir opened.
The aqueduct built to transport the water from the reservoirs to the water filtration plant at Chellow Heights near Bradford was a major feat of engineering, transporting the water underground for over 30 miles purely by gravity.
There is no pumping involved. The system is still in operation today, providing water to the Bradford area.
Nidderdale Museum, in the Old Workhouse, Pateley Bridge is a volunteer-run independent museum with 12 rooms full of items and information from the past 200 years of Nidderdale life.
It is open from 1.30pm to 4.30pm daily except Mondays over summer.
Investigation continues into Pateley Bridge petrol station attempted arson
Investigations are ongoing into an attempted arson at a petrol station in Pateley Bridge, police have said.
The incident happened between 1.45am and 2.45am on Sunday, May 14, at the Dales Market Corner petrol station in the town.
According to North Yorkshire Police, two men walked onto the forecourt, placed a backpack in the area and set it alight. The backpack then self-extinguished.
Two men were arrested in connection with the attempted arson following the incident.
A 45-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson, while a 36-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson and criminal damage.
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Both have since been released on conditional bail and no charges have been issued.
A police spokesperson said today that an investigation into the attempted arson is ongoing.
Jill Cowling, detective inspector from Harrogate CID, said previously:
Nidderdale Showground: new cash-only parking system announced“We’re treating this incident as deliberate, and enquiries are continuing. Thankfully no one was injured, but we will be increasing police activity in the area to provide additional reassurance to the public.
“As part of the ongoing police investigation I’m now appealing for people to come forward about any suspicious activity at the location on the night of Saturday 13 and in the early hours of Sunday 14 May 2023.”
New parking arrangements have been announced for Nidderdale Showground in Pateley Bridge.
NIdderdale Agricultural Society, which owns the showground, said in a statement today it had severed ties with a private company and brought the car park management in-house.
It hopes this will end a turbulent period since it ended a 21-year lease agreement with Harrogate Borough Council to operate the car park last year.
However, neither a date for the new system nor the amount that will be charged, is yet known. Parking is currently free following the breakdown of the arrangement with the private firm.
For many years, the car park was one of three covered by the annual £12 Pateley Bridge parking permit.
The decision to switch to a private company led to some people unaware of the change being fined £60 by automatic number plate recognition cameras.
The society said in a statement today:
“Following a series of challenging months, during which both our society and car park patrons endured a nightmare experience under the management of an external company, we are pleased to announce that we have severed ties with them and terminated their contract.
“Moving forward, we have decided to bring the car park management entirely in-house, ensuring greater control and accountability.
“In the near future, we will be installing a new pay station, featuring a simple cash-only system. With this new setup, tickets will no longer be issued, streamlining the process for visitors.”
The statement said all proceeds generated will continue to be allocated towards the maintenance of the car park and the show field. It added:
“Additionally, we are committed to implementing a comprehensive camera system to monitor the car park and pay station.
“This measure aims to address issues such as vandalism and persistent abuses of the facilities. By adopting this down-to-earth and hassle-free approach, we aim to create a safer and more secure environment for everyone.”
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Nidd Plus could run services from axed Pateley Bridge children’s centre
A Nidderdale councillor has called for a children’s centre that is closing in Pateley Bridge to be repurposed by community organisation Nidd Plus.
Nidderdale Children’s Centre, based at St Cuthbert’s Primary School in the town, is one of five Sure Start centres North Yorkshire Council will close following a public consultation over spring.
The centre opened in opened September 2010 and was backed by £590,715 of taxpayers’ money but it did not reopen after the pandemic.
The council estimates it will save £13,400 a year in running costs by closing the building and North Yorkshire Council’s Conservative executive met yesterday to rubber-stamp a report that recommended the five closures.

Nidderdale Children’s Centre was based at St Cuthbert’s school.
However, during the meeting Andrew Murday, the Liberal Democrat councillor for Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale, intervened to tell councillors Nidd Plus has a plan to use the space for “multi-generational” support services.
Nidd Plus currently has a hub in the town which includes a small library, a desk for council and police matters and a tourist information point.
It also provides transport for residents so they can attend support centres outside of Nidderdale.
Cllr Murday said:
“The centre at St Cuthbert’s school is a very large room. I visited it last week. It’s not been used at the moment and nor will the school find any use for it in the future. There’s a facility there that could be used.”
The councillor said if Nidd Plus were to take over the space it could offer a much larger library for residents and it would also be able to offer some support services in the town without the need for residents to travel long distances.
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He added:
“We have the support of Nidd Plus to develop the centre. At the current time the library facility is tiny but this room and building offers opportunities to expand those services.
“Nidd Plus is providing transport for all sorts of people to go as far as Harrogate to access day centres. If we’re allowed to use this centre it would be a great opportunity to provide a daily multi-generational service. I commend Nidd Plus for bringing forward a plan to use this in a way that would benefit our community throughout Nidderdale.”
In response, the council’s corporate director of children and young people’s service, Stuart Carlton, said the council would be “more than happy” to speak with Nidd Plus about the building’s future.
Michael Harrison, the Conservative executive councillor for health and adult services, said the closure of the children’s centre “shouldn’t prevent costed plans coming forward” about the future of the building.
Cllr Harrison added:
Yorkshire Party mayoral candidate quit after ‘chicken policy disagreement’“I know from personal experience what a good community anchor organisation Nidd Plus are.
“I know the decision today doesn’t stop plans coming forward. They have to be robust but there’s nothing stopping them coming forward.”
The Yorkshire Party candidate to be North Yorkshire mayor next year quit the party after a disagreement over a policy to hand out free chickens.
Keith Tordoff, who is from Pateley Bridge, pledged in an interview to give three chickens to 20,000 households in North Yorkshire.
But the policy had not been discussed in detail with the Yorkshire Party and thus Mr Tordoff will now seek election as an independent candidate.
He announced his resignation from the party this week.
Other disagreements included the Yorkshire Party’s website ‘not being up to date’ and there not being enough volunteers.
Mr Tordoff said:
“They don’t like stories like the chicken story.
“They really tried to clamp down and said that shouldn’t have been released.
“I’ve been contacted by one of the largest egg producers in the country saying they want to offer help.
“It stimulated the imagination of people but the Yorkshire Party leadership didn’t think it was appropriate and would make the party look a bit foolish or silly.”
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Mr Tordoff also said he recorded a promotional song based on the lyric in Dire Straits’ Money For Nothing ‘your chicks for free’.
He said:
“They didn’t want me to release that.
“It’s not going to diminish anything but unfortunately they couldn’t quite see through it.
“I don’t think they quite have the drive, the vision, the imagination, or my appeal to people to work on projects.”
Although he wished the Yorkshire Party the best, Mr Todoff said its leadership “went over the top” on their crackdown of his policy.
He said:
“They couldn’t grasp it.”
Yorkshire Party co-leader Bob Buxton said:
“Keith is used to being independent.
“He came up with the chicken story and that perhaps took away the emphasis from more substantial policies.
“I’m not saying it’s a bad policy but I would have liked to have fleshed it out a bit more.
“He’s very autonomous.
“It was all very polite but he felt and we felt it was best to part ways.”
The party will field a different candidate following the by-election in Selby and Ainsty triggered by Boris Johnson ally Nigel Adams.
Pateley Bridge man resigns as Yorkshire Party mayoral candidateA Pateley Bridge man who was selected to stand for the Yorkshire Party for Mayor of York and North Yorkshire has resigned from the party.
Keith Tordoff announced his candidacy for the role just over a week ago.
However, in a statement, he said he had decided to resign from the Yorkshire Party “with immediate effect” in order to stand as an independent.
Mr Tordoff, a former police officer, detective and specialist fraud investigator who owns Tordoff Gallery in Pateley Bridge, said the move would allow for “freedom and flexibility” in his campaign.
His statement said:
“The freedom and flexibility of being an independent candidate allows for Keith to appeal to all sections of society and members of all political parties as well as deliver on all relevant issues affecting the people who live, work or visit North Yorkshire.”
The move comes after Mr Tordoff, 67, released a list of pledges last week, which included giving 2,000 households three chickens each.
He said this would save 100 tonnes of food waste each month and improve the health of poorer households.
Mr Tordoff also said his priorities would be to make North Yorkshire an economic powerhouse; improve transport links and connectivity, especially for rural communities; making North Yorkshire a safer place to live, work and visit and to make North Yorkshire a world leader in sustainability.
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The 67-year-old, who was born and raised in Leeds, was awarded an MBE in 2018 for services to business and the community.
Mr Tordoff has also previously stood as an independent candidate in both 2021 North Yorkshire Police, Fire Crime Commissioner elections, finishing in third place.
Zoe Metcalfe, the current North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner who lives in Aldborough, has announced she hopes to be selected by the Conservatives in the mayoral election.
New parking arrangements at Nidderdale Showground due “shortly”New parking arrangements at Nidderdale Showground in Pateley Bridge are due to be revealed “shortly”.
NIdderdale Agricultural Society, which owns the showground, ended a 21-year lease agreement with Harrogate Borough Council to operate the car park and appointed a private company last year.
The move was controversial because the car park was previously one of three covered by the annual £12 Pateley Bridge parking permit and some people unaware of the change were fined £60 by automatic number plate recognition cameras.
But the cameras are currently not working, and Pateley Bridge Town Council‘s monthly meeting last week heard the agricultural society was “desperately trying to get out of the contract” with the private company.

The parking meters at the showground are not currently working.
The council said it had received an email from the agricultural society saying “it had realised what they have done is wrong and has damaged their reputation” and they wanted “a more supportive approach” from the town council. The council sympathised with their situation and agreed.
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Speaking after the meeting Cllr Andrew Murday, a town councillor who also represents Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale on North Yorkshire Council, said it was “an unsatisfactory situation that I hope can be resolved” between the agricultural society and the private company.
A spokesperson for the agricultural society said:
“The current car park system has closed down and we will release a statement shortly with the new plans.”

The car park at the showground.
North Yorkshire Council looks set to press ahead with the close of a children’s centre in Pateley Bridge.
The authority has proposed to close five centres across the county as part of cost cutting measures.
Among them is Nidderdale Children’s Centre, which is based at St Cuthbert’s Church of England Primary School in Pateley Bridge.
The council has recommended consulting on closure of the facility, which it says has not reopened since the covid pandemic.
Instead, officials have proposed giving the space back to the school in a bid to save the authority £13,400 a year.
Council officials launched a consultation back in March over the planned closure.
In a report due before the authority’s executive next week, the council said just one response was received in relation to the Pateley Bridge facility.
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The respondent did not agree with the closure and cited “lack of resources within the locality, requesting that the centre be retained for the development of groups to support children and their families”.
In response, council officials said:
“As evidenced in the report to exec member dated 7 March 2023 there was very little use of the building therefore it would not be financially viable to reopen this building.
“Within the Nidderdale locality there are currently several groups that provide support for children and their families.”
The centre opened in September 2010 as a designated children’s centre. It was backed by £590,715 worth of Sure Start funding from the Department for Education.
The council said it does not anticipate that the government will request any of the money back.
Centres in Eastfield, South Craven, Kirbymoorside and Wensleydale will also be considered for closure.
Senior councillors will consider the proposal at a meeting on June 20.
Call for speed bumps on Pateley Bridge High StreetPateley Bridge Town Council is to investigate the possibility of installing speed bumps on High Street following a complaint by a resident.
The unnamed resident, who lives on Kings Court, wrote to the council calling for speed bumps at the top and bottom of the narrow street.
They said it would deter “speeding cyclists, motorbikes and boy racers”.
At their monthly meeting last night, town councillors agreed to look into the idea, although any final decision would be taken by North Yorkshire Council, which is the highways authority.
Andrew Murday, who is a town councillor and also the Liberal Democrat councillor for Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale on North Yorkshire Council, said he would look into the criteria for allowing speed bumps.
Cllr Mike Holt said the issue of speeding on High Street, which cyclists approach downhill in all directions, had been debated many times and speed bumps were the only realistic option, although he added the faded double yellow lines could be re-painted.
Cllr Neil Thompson said illegal parking on the street was the main problem, although it was mentioned that disabled people with Blue Badges were entitled to park on double yellow lines for up to three hours and this had to be taken into account.
Councillors agreed to consult on the idea before contacting North Yorkshire Council if the idea was viable.
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