The historic Harrogate Arms is set to reopen as a café tomorrow.
The grade two-listed building, which closed a decade ago, will finally be brought back to working order.
Originally built in 1844 by Henry Wright, the then-owner of the estate, the Harrogate Arms and Bath House were set in pleasure gardens, which are now part of The Royal Horticultural Society’s Garden Harlow Carr.
The Harrogate Arms had several faces during its time, including a hotel, inn, nightclub, restaurant and pub, before closing to the public in 2014.
But the RHS was granted listed building consent in 2019 to convert the site into a café.
The horticultural charity today said it has been “working hard to restore the premises”, which will offer indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a menu focused on “seasonal ingredients”.
It added the café will offer a breakfast, lunch and an all-day menu, along with artisan coffee.
The new landscape of RHS Garden Harlow Carr by planners Gillespies.
In a press release, the RHS said:
“Each day will feature a special menu utilising produce directly from our Kitchen Garden to champion the use of fresh ingredients.
“It will also showcase some fantastic ways for preserving foods from the garden from the summer so they can be used in the colder and less productive months. Think anything from pickled cucumber to chilli oils and kimchi!”
New jobs will be created as part of the café opening, the charity said, adding it hopes to use as much locally sourced produce as possible.
Liz Thwaite, head of RHS Garden Harlow Carr, also said:
“We can’t wait to re-open this building which holds so many memories for members of the local community and really look forward to welcoming them back to the brand new Harrogate Arms Café.
“This project has been a long time in the making, as we wanted to create something fresh and exciting for our visitors that celebrates our rich heritage.”
The Harrogate Arms Café will open to the public from around 11am tomorrow (April 25), an RHS spokesperson said.
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RHS plans Harlow Carr service yard redevelopment
The Royal Horticultural Society has tabled plans for a major redevelopment of its service yard at Harlow Carr in Harrogate.
The organisation plans to build a workshop and machinery store, composting store, staff welfare building, events store, poly tunnel and glasshouse on the site.
In proposals lodged to North Yorkshire Council, the RHS said the redevelopment would help to support the “operation of the garden in a highly sustainable way”.
It added that the current facilities at the service yard were “nearing the end of their economic life” and in poor condition.
The site would continue to be used for horticultural support staff at the gardens, the documents added.
In plans submitted to the council, it said:
“As an existing operational site, the redevelopment of the horticultural service yard will improve the functionality and sustainability of the RHS garden.
“The design of the proposal will support the objectives of the Harrogate Local Plan to support business and tourism expansion in existing locations, whilst respecting and improving the character of the wider landscape and positively enhancing the natural and built environment.”
The Stray Ferret contacted the RHS to ask how much the redevelopment would cost.
In response, a spokesperson for the RHS said:
“The RHS has numerous projects to develop all of our sites. At RHS Garden Harlow Carr, we are improving our existing nursery and staff facilities to make them more efficient, and therefore more sustainable and greener.
“We are unable to give an estimate on costs due to ongoing discussions with proposed contractors.”
North Yorkshire Council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.
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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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Car bursts into flames at Harlow Carr
Visitors leaving RHS Harlow Carr in Harrogate on Saturday were shocked to see a car burst into flames in the car-park.
The car, believed to be an 11-year-old, yellow, three-door Vauxhall Corsa, was seen with smoke coming out from under its bonnet, before the fire took hold.
One visitor, Kim Jones, told the Stray Ferret:
“We were just coming to the exit at Harlow Carr and suddenly a huge plume of smoke appeared in the car-park. Then one of the cars just went ‘whoosh’ and burst into flames.
“There was at least one explosion – something in the car exploded – but fortunately it didn’t get to the petrol tank.”
Firefighters were called to the scene at 4.43pm and kept bystanders at a distance while they put out the blaze.
Ms Jones said:
“I thought it was my car at first, but it turned out to be a car a couple of spaces away from mine. It was quite late in the afternoon, so fortunately there weren’t many other cars there at the time.”
The cause of the fire is not yet known, but the Stray Ferret has contacted North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service and RHS Harlow Carr for more information.
Photo: Kim Jones.
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Banana plant flowers at RHS Harlow Carr for first time
A banana plant has flowered at RHS Garden Harlow Carr in Harrogate for the first time.
Known as a Musa basjoo, the flower was planted at the gardens in 2019.
It started to flower this summer and stands at 15 feet with green, paddle-like leaves that can each grow up to three metres long.
Its creamy yellow flowers are often followed by yellowish-green fruit.
Russ Watkins, floral team leader at RHS Garden Harlow Carr said:
“The plant originally came from the garden of one our horticulturists and was later brought to Harlow Carr where it has really thrived.
“The banana plants play a key role in the design of the sub tropicana garden at Harlow Carr, really adding to the jungle feel, transporting our visitors from Yorkshire to the tropics. We can’t wait to see how it develops over the coming weeks.”
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The flower is expected to open out more over the coming weeks.
The plant will then be carefully wrapped again in November, to ensure it stays cosy and protected throughout the winter.
Harlow Carr bus service to stop running this weekendA popular bus service which connects Harrogate town centre with one of the UK’s finest horticultural gardens will stop running this weekend.
Harrogate Bus Company’s X6 service, whose passengers are eligible for a 30% discount on entry to RHS Harlow Carr, was launched in July but was only ever intended to run until today (September 3).
The timetable change is one of several announced by the bus company, all of which will come into force on Sunday.
The schedule for the number 1 bus between Harrogate and Knaresborough will be changed slightly to improve reliability, although the frequency will remain the same.
On the number 2 service between Harrogate and Bilton, there will be minor changes to departure times from Knox into Harrogate.
Some afternoon departures on the number 8 bus between Harrogate, Knaresborough and Wetherby will have new times. The 4.21pm from Knaresborough to Wetherby will run at 4.41pm, the 4.55pm from Wetherby will run at 5.15pm and the 6pm from Harrogate will run at 6.15pm. There are no changes to Saturday the service.
There will also be some changes to the 620H (Dacre to Rossett School), 720H (West Tanfield to Ripon schools), S2 (Bilton to Rossett School), S3 (Penny Pot to Rossett School), S6 (Bilton to Rossett School), S8 (Woodlands to Harrogate) & S36 (Ripon to St John Fisher) buses to ensure the services run reliably and meet the school starting and finishing times.
Updated timetables can now be downloaded from the Harrogate Bus Company website.
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Review: Oddsocks’ Much Ado About Nothing draws the picnicking crowds
Lauren Crisp is a book editor, writer and keen follower of arts and culture. Born and raised in Harrogate, Lauren recently moved back to North Yorkshire after a stint in London, where she regularly reviewed theatre – everything from big West End shows to small fringe productions. She is now eager to explore the culture on offer in and around her home town. You can contact Lauren on laurencrispwriter@gmail.com
From the moment I arrived at Harlow Carr on Tuesday evening, it was apparent that this was no ordinary event. I watched as theatregoers young and old descended in their droves, weighed down with picnic hampers, wrestling with folding tables and chairs and wearing enough layers to make you question whether they were planning on camping overnight. I wondered if I had accidentally happened upon Harrogate’s very own Glasto.
But these people knew something I didn’t: that the Oddsocks’ summer do is the place to be. The touring company has been around for years – 34, in fact – and for around 20 of those, has stopped off in Harrogate. Relaxing into my (rented) deck chair in the gardens, in full and beautiful bloom, I marvelled as, all around, the generations gathered in groups, freshly baked goods emerged from Tupperware and prosecco flowed into plastic flutes. Oddsocks’ Harrogate audience, it seems, is a seasoned one.
The Bard’s consummate comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, is Oddsocks’ 2023 summer piece and, in its suitably Shakespearean outdoor setting, is a production bursting with energy and humour, interspersed with musical ditties, gags galore, improvisation and audience participation, with a small but perfectly formed (and very silly) cast of people who undoubtedly enjoy what they do.
Oddsocks has, in its own words, an “irreverent style” in bringing Shakespeare to life and, amidst the slapstick humour and modern additions, there is both a respect and a cheeky disdain for the Bard and his oft tricky text that can, for the modern theatregoer, prove challenging to unravel.
The approach is one that works to make the production appeal across the generations: quirky and fresh, lacking condescension or the need for a knowledge of the First Folio. “You don’t have a clue what I’m going on about, do you?”, joked one player, to an audience that clearly didn’t quite follow her drift – but far from feeling foolish, the crowd delighted in being made to feel part of it.
Perhaps not one for the serious Shakespeare-lovers; but, for those in search of a civilised summer evening’s entertainment spent with family and friends, this is just the ticket. I’ll be back next year, albeit wearing another layer or two, and having prepared the perfect picnic in advance.
Oddsocks’ Much Ado About Nothing at RHS Harlow Carr is on tonight and is part of the Harrogate International Festival. For more information on this evening’s performance and this summer’s events click here.
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