Lightwater Valley will reopen next weekend, with new attractions and activities to attract families of younger children.

The adventure park near Ripon said visitors can expect a new discovery woods, dodgems, new food outlets, a hall of mirrors, an old-school amusement arcade and a new character for children to meet.

Ebor the Lightwater Dragon will meet and greet visitors and have his photo taken.

The friendly dragon is part of the park’s re-brand towards younger children aged up to 12 and will be at the centre of the daily entertainment programme throughout the year.

Discovery Woods will include a lakeside nature trail, a mud kitchen and cloud gazing.

Read more:

• Baby and toddler groups back on after the pandemic
• More children’s activities announced for Ripon Cathedral Spring Show

The park would not be complete without its rides, of which it has more than 35.

Some old favourites like the Eagle’s Claw, Skyrider and the Lady Bird rollercoaster will reopen alongside some gentler rides such as the carousel and the Lightwater Express train.

The Eagle’s Claw

The park has not confirmed if larger rides like the Ultimate will reopen but with its focus now on younger children some rides no longer fit the brief.

Treetop Trails, where visitors can walk across trampoline nets high above the park, will reopen.

A scenic 42-mile walk between Bradford and Ripon has been created that takes in Saltaire, Fountains Abbey and Brimham Rocks.

The Burley Bridge Association and Ramblers Lower Wharfedale, who devised the route, have invited ramblers to join them for the inaugural walk on Friday April 29. There will also be several guided walks spread out over the bank holiday weekend.

It will begin at Bradford Cathedral between 9am and 10am and will continue to Saltaire (4.5 miles) then to Burley (8 miles).

The third stage to Thruscross Reservoir (10 miles) will take place on Saturday April 30, starting at 10am from Burley Station, with mini-bus transport provided back to Burley. There will be a small charge to cover costs.

The fourth stage from Thruscross to Brimham Rocks (8.5 miles) will take place on Sunday May 1 and the fifth stage from Brimham Rocks to Ripon (11 miles) will take place on Bank Holiday Monday, May 2.

David Asher, secretary of the BBA said:

“It links the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Saltaire and Fountains Abbey and goes through some of the best scenery that West and North Yorkshire has to offer.

“From a hidden green corridor starting near the centre of Bradford, to upland moor landscapes with extensive views, stunning wooded valleys, and past dramatic geological formations such as Brimham Rocks.”

“There are also loads of bridges to cross including the 13th century Butterton Bridge which features on the waymarks along the route. The Wharfe can be crossed either by the stepping stones or by Denton Bridge depending on the water level.”

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• Consultation on bid to join bridleways in Harrogate’s Crimple Valley

The walk finishes at Ripon Cathedral and all walkers are invited to the Ripon Beer Festival that takes place that day. It is being hosted by the Cathedral as part of its 1350th birthday celebrations.

If you want to book, send names and phone numbers to burleybridge@gmail.com

From facilities designed for the seriously rich to listed buildings of religious and historic significance, the Ripon Civic Society’s design awards shortlist embraces a wide range of architectural splendour.

Grantley Hall, the multi-million pound luxury hotel, fine dining and wellness retreat, is among the contenders in the Best New Building category for the Hazzard Silver Cup.

Grantley Hall is also shortlisted for the best restored building award, where it is competing again, amongst others, St Wilfrid’s Catholic Church at Coltsgate Hill. where renovation was made possible because of the £500,000 raised by parishioners and grant funding.

Opened in 1862, the Grade II* listed building is recognised as one of finest parish churches in England.

The Pugin reredos that provides the backdrop for the high altar at St Wilfrid’s was refurbished as part of the church’s restoration.

St Wilfrid’s is also shortlisted for the society’s Craftsmanship Award, where it again competes against Grantley Hall.

Both face stiff competition in this category from Ripon Cathedral’s Fallen Angels project, which saw the restoration of carvings and canopies in the medieval quire.

Ripon Cathedral’s Fallen Angels project is shortlisted for the civic society’s design awards. Picture: Ripon Cathedral

Grantley Hall is also in the running for The Younge Rose Bowl for Best Environmental Improvement, where it is up against Ripon City Wetlands, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Oscar’s Wood and High Batts Nature Reserve.

Ripon Claro Lounge is shortlisted in the Best Contribution to City Centre Revitalisation category

Contenders for the Taylor plate for Best Contribution to City Centre Revitalisation are the Claro Lounge and apartments in Market Place South, The Magdalens pub in Princess Road and The Water Rat at Bondgate Green.

Society chairman Christopher Hughes, said:

“Our usual biennial awards last held in 2018 have, as a result of covid restrictions in 2020, become quadrennial this year, and whilst we were anticipating a larger-than-usual response we have almost been overwhelmed by the quality and quantity of nominations submitted.

“Over the past few weeks our four judges have been considering and fine tuning a list of over thirty submissions, many of which had award-winning potential.

“Finally, and with not a little difficulty, we’ve arrived at a shortlist of which we are extremely proud and which we believe showcases the remarkable quality of projects in our part of Yorkshire”.

Read more:

• The curtain’s up on plans for Ripon Theatre Festival
• Ripon man has Whisky galore to auction for Falklands veterans charities

The award presentations will take place at Ripon’s Workhouse Museum on the evening of Thursday, April 7.

The winners of two of the awards — The John Whitehead Award for Civic Excellence and the Helen Whitehead Award for Best Project — will be announced on the evening.

With perfect timing, yesterday’s bright sunshine marked the start of Holi and saw a celebratory event at Ripon Library.

The Hindu festival signals the arrival of spring — focusing on love, new life and reconciliation.

Following the Diwali celebration staged at the library in November, Sarita McDermott, owner of the Realitea Indian bistro and tearoom on North Street, brought an insight into the culture of her native country.

Supported, once more, by a team of dancers from Jennyruth Workshops and the library’s outreach librarian Claire Thompson, the event provided an authentic taste of Indian culture, through readings, music, dancing and food.

Ms. McDermott, told the audience:

“Holi is all about making a fresh start, forgiving and forgetting, loving and looking forward, as we leave the cold winter weather behind us and enjoy the spring and sunshine.”

Part of the Holi Festival celebrations involve coating people with brightly-coloured powder paint. Picture: BBC

The festival features dancing, singing and, at some locations (though not Ripon Library), the throwing of powder paint and coloured water, in celebration of the Hindu god Krishna and the legend of Holika and Prahlad.

Ms Thompson, who gave a reading about Holi, told the Stray Ferret:

“It’s a pleasure for the library to hold brilliant events such as this, which enable people, particularly children, to learn about different cultures and how festivals are celebrated in other countries, just as we celebrate Easter and Christmas in this country.”

Read more:

Public leisure centres in the Harrogate district are experiencing their greatest investment ever.

Harrogate Borough Council is spending more than £40m on new pools in Ripon and Knaresborough and on a major refurbishment of The Hydro in Harrogate.

Mark Tweedie, managing director of Brimhams Active, oversees 250 staff responsible for delivering services at these sites as well as several others.

Brimhams is the council-owned company set up last year to promote health and wellbeing in the district.

It operates swimming pools in Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough, Pateley Bridge and Starbeck. All of these sites, except the magnificent old Starbeck Baths and the soon-to-be-rebuilt Knaresborough Pool, also have leisure or fitness centres.

Mark Tweedie with Jack Laugher at the opening of Ripon’s new facility.

Brimhams also oversees Fairfax Wellbeing and Community Hub in Harrogate, Jennyfield Styan Community Centre, a children’s nursery and the Harrogate Turkish Baths.

Mr Tweedie, 54, a former PE teacher with considerable experience of the leisure sector, was hired by the council in November 2020 to support the creation of Brimhams before transferring to his current role in July last year.

He says he was attracted by the council’s vision of using leisure to improve the health and wellbeing of people in the district, backed by its willingness to invest serious money to make it happen.

Difficult start

It hasn’t been an easy ride. There have been costly delays at the new Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre in Ripon due to sinkhole issues that long pre-date Mr Tweedie. A report due imminently will determine how much more work needs to be done before the site can fully open. He says:

“I’m absolutely confident it will be resolved. Yes, it’s been frustrating. I know customers have been desperate to come back since Spa Baths closed.”

There has been some discontent about the consultation and need for a new leisure centre in Knaresborough, where work is due to begin next month on a 65-week building programme due to finish in July next year.

How Knaresborough’s new pool will look.

Mr Tweedie says the transition from old to new site will be “seamless”, with the current facility operating until the new one opens — something that didn’t happen in Ripon, where the Spa Baths closed four months before the new pool opened due to delays.

Now there is the looming nine-month closure of The Hydro, which will leave Harrogate without a council-run pool.

Staffing has also been difficult — Brimhams has been consistently operating with 20 to 30 vacancies. Opening hours have been affected. Mr Tweedie says:

“It’s been a significant challenge, and it’s shared across the sector nationally.”

Read more:

• Ripon leisure centre named after local Olympic hero Jack Laugher
• £28m contracts for new Knaresborough pool and Harrogate Hydro upgrades approved
• Harrogate Hydro set to close for nine months

But there is little doubt that when all the projects are completed, the district’s facilities will be significantly better than they were pre-Brimhams. He says:

“We are through the worst and back on track and people in the Harrogate district and our staff have got a lot to look forward to.”

Aim to nearly double membership 

The aim is to increase total membership at the sites in Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough to 5,000 within six months of the new facilities opening. Membership totalled about 3,000 at its pre-covid peak so it would be a considerable achievement but Mr Tweedie is “very confident” of achieving it. He says 400 people joined the Ripon centre in the fortnight after it opened.

How the refurbished Hydro will look.

Brimhams’s current monthly rate is £38.95. Customers at The Hydro are being offered a reduced rate of £32 to use the other sites while it is being refurbished. They will also be able to take part in group exercise sessions at the nearby Jennyfield Styan Community Centre.

Large private gym chains such as Pure Gym and Coach Gyms, which offer membership at about £20 a month, have extended their tentacles into the district, which can’t make life easy for council-run alternatives, but Mr Tweedie insists they are serving different markets.

“The private sector is dealing with the 15% that want to join a gym. The question is, what happens to the other 85%? How do we use public facilities to reach out to them?”

He talks about Brimhams taking “a more holistic approach” that leads to a “deeper and more purposeful relationship” with customers. People won’t come just to use the pool or gym, he says, but also to access a wider range of service that are being developed, such as mental health support, nutritional advice and mindfulness. It’s no coincidence that two Brimhams Active sites now include ‘wellbeing’ in their names — it’s clearly the way ahead.

A new software system, due to go live at the end of the month, will enable online booking and a “better digital relationship with customers”, as well as capturing footfall data that Brimhams can use to improve services.

Will it consider 24-hour opening, as many private gyms are? Mr Tweedie says:

“We have no plans for 24/7. We feel we can deal with our customer base between the hours of 6.30am and 10pm.”

Starbeck Baths

The scale of the council’s investment in leisure leads Mr Tweedie to say confidently there are no plans to reduce services or close Starbeck Baths, which is a constant threat to such an ageing facility. He adds:

“What the commercial approach is not about is reducing wages and staff and providing the bare bones of a service.”

All change next year

But his reassurances are tempered by the fact that Harrogate Borough Council will be abolished next year and control of Brimhams will transfer to the new North Yorkshire Council.

Brimhams staff will have a new employer from April 1 and, in time, a new strategy run by different managers.

Mr Tweedie, who lives in Morpeth and divides his time working from home and in the Harrogate district, says it could take at least a couple of years to implement whatever model the new council introduces so his role could exist for some time yet. He says:

“I want to deliver our three-year strategic plan and I am already working with other district leisure service leaders and North Yorkshire colleagues to manage the transition to the unitary authority.”

The important thing, he adds, is that customers don’t notice any sudden changes next year and that frontline staff, such as lifeguards and receptionists, are looked after. He says:

“It’s business as usual for us. We have a vision. We have a strategy. We have a plan we will deliver on that with a high level of tenacity.

Nidderdale Pool and Leisure Centre in Pateley Bridge.

A Harrogate traffic constable has revealed photos of “a horrendous shed of a car” that was stopped by police near Ripon.

Traffic Constable David Minto said a colleague pulled over the Audi at Baldersby, near Ripon.

He then requested support from TC Minto, who said on his Twitter account:

“It wasn’t a difficult decision for me. All four tyres had defects. The rear offside in particular was in a dreadful state

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TC Minto added two different size tyres were fitted to the front axle and all the tyres were below the legal tread depth.

He added:

“It was a horrendous shed of a car. The driver has been reported and a court date looms.”

One person responded on Twitter to say Baldersby was an apt place for such an incident to occur, judging by the state of the tyres.

1 of 2 My colleague stopped this today on #A1M near #Baldersby #Ripon He requested support in relation to examination for a possible #PG9 #Prohibition It wasn’t a difficult decision for me… All four tyres had defects. The rear offside in particular was in a dreadful state … pic.twitter.com/s9zHTGDWxJ

— David Minto (@TC174_NYP) March 16, 2022

2 of 2 …Two different size tyres were fitted to the front axle and all were below the legal tread depth. It was a horrendous shed of a car. The driver has been reported and a court date looms #DangerousCondition #SaferRoads #RoadSafety #RoadsPolicing #ProtectingOtherRoadUsers pic.twitter.com/uwkjtSzL87

— David Minto (@TC174_NYP) March 16, 2022

The historic Ripon Canal will be featured on BBC Four this evening when Robbie Cumming completes the last leg of a 170-mile journey aboard his boat, Naughty Lass.

On Monday, viewers of Canal Boat Diaries saw the YouTube vlogger and TV presenter set off from Wigan in the first episode of the new series.

In tonight’s final episode, which starts at 730pm, he takes in the sights along the route from Knottingley to the Ripon Canal basin at the outer reaches of the English inland waterways network.

The water-borne journey, via a navigable section of the River Ouse, also features Boroughbridge Canal

Almost 250 years of history

At the time of its opening in 1773, Ripon boasted the most northerly canal basin in England at the city end of its 2.5 mile stretch.

But that claim to fame came to an end in 2002, with the opening of the Ribble Link section of the Lancaster Canal.

Just 71 years after its opening, Ripon Canal became virtually redundant overnight with the arrival of the Great Northern Railway in 1841.

Ripon provides the final entry in Robbie Cumming’s Canal Boat Diaries. Picture BBC

Barges could not compete with the new rapid delivery service for coal and other goods and with the loss of trade, the canal’s fate as a commercial enterprise was sealed.

The railways that caused the canal’s demise soon became its owner, as the waterway was purchased by the Leeds and Thirsk Railway in 1844, which subsequently become part of the North Eastern Railway in 1855.

Decades of dereliction followed and at one stage Ripon City Council mooted the idea of filling in the canal to create an extension for the Dallamires Lane Industrial estate.

Prior to this suggestion, the British Transport Commission had obtained Royal Assent for the abandonment of the Ripon Canal in 1956.

Calls for the canal’s regeneration

However, growing calls to regenerate the canal to realise its potential as a  leisure and tourist asset for local residents and visitors proved successful, gaining momentum through the formation of the Ripon Canal Society.

Read more:

• More remediation costs ahead for Ripon Leisure Centre
• Wheelchair lift installed at Ripon Arts Hub

It reopened for navigation as far as Littlethorpe Road Bridge in 1986 and was officially reopened right into the centre of Ripon in September 1996, with the assistance of the society and local authorities and with funding from English Partnerships.

Further improvements have been brought about through a programme of work carried out by Ripon Motor Boat Club, which has its marina and clubhouse on a section of the canal near Littlethorpe.

The waterway is now managed by the Canal and River Trust, which is the charity that succeeded British Waterways. It was awarded a Green Flag for its water quality in July 2018 and the improvements have brought more wildlife to its banks. Otters are regularly spotted hunting for fish.

Previous episodes of Canal Boat Diaries can be seen on BBC iPlayer.

A road closure on Melmerby Green Lane near Ripon starts this morning.

Between 7.30am and 5.30pm on Thursday and Friday, a section of Melmerby Green Lane, between the A61 and Barker Business Park, will be shut for carriageway repairs.

As previously reported by the Stray Ferret, the road is being closed for works carried out by North Yorkshire County Council.

North Yorkshire County Council’s highways team, said:

“Drivers will be able to follow a diversion route to avoid Melmerby Green Lane while the work is in progress and there will also be advance notifications on the A1.”

The Stray Ferret has changed the way it offers Traffic and Travel alerts.

We will now notify you instantly through app notifications and flash tweets when there is an urgent alert. This could include heavy traffic, dangerous weather and long delays or cancellations of public transport.

The alerts are sponsored by The HACS Group.

Ripon Arcade signs contract on final two units

Ripon Arcade is now fully occupied after Yorkshire Physio and Gladrags Ripon signed contracts on the final two units.

The arcade, in the heart of the city, recently underwent a £100,000 refurbishment. The 16,484 sq ft arcade was bought by Bradford-based property development and investment company Frank Marshall Estates off a guide price of £2.2m from the Westcourt Group in 2019.

There were celebrations at Ripon’s Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre this month when a multi-million pound swimming pool opened after months of costly delays.

It was hailed as a “major development” by Harrogate Borough Council, which invited the city’s three-time Olympic medalist to officially open the new facility that proudly displays his name above the main entrance.

The opening on March 2 was also welcomed by residents who were left without a pool for months after the closure of Ripon Spa Baths in November.

Jack Laugher holds his Olympic gold medal at the opening.

But attention is now turning to the outcome of an investigation into ground conditions beneath the older half of the leisure centre where an underground void was discovered in 2020.

The investigation by engineering firm Stantec could end next week and will be followed by a report setting out what reinforcement works will be required ahead of the completion of the venue’s redevelopment project, which is nine months overdue and £4million over budget, and included the new pool.

A spokesperson for the council said: 

“These investigations began in February and should be finished in the coming week.

“Once they have been completed, we will have a comprehensive understanding of what is required to ensure people in Ripon can keep fit and active for years to come.

“Should remedial work be required, the final stages of the investment project – predominantly to the ground floor of the existing leisure centre – will be completed once this work has been carried out.”

The underground void was discovered in 2020, but only became public knowledge last May when the £110,000 investigation was agreed by councillors.

Read more:

• Swimming club ‘mortified’after Harrogate council hikes fee for new pool
• Sinkhole experts urge councillors to consider new site for Ripon pool
• Ripon Leisure Centre: Harrogate council plans 3D soil map amid sinkhole fears

This was followed by an initial report from Stantec last November which was described as “sobering reading” by council leader Richard Cooper.

‘Significant deterioration’

The report suggested there had been a “significant deterioration” of the ground beneath the older half of the leisure centre, which was built in 1995 and like much of Ripon sits on gypsum deposits.

It also said piles were not driven deep enough into the ground during the initial construction and that it remained unclear why this happened as “many critical records” were missing.

The report added strengthening works could include steelworks, thickened floors and grouting where mortar is pumped into the ground – the same method “successfully” used to stabilise the new pool.

However, it said strengthening alone is “unlikely to mitigate risks to acceptable levels” and that other measures would be required, including long-term monitoring.

The new Ripon swimming pool.

The council decided to build the pool next to the leisure centre in 2019 despite some councillors raising “deep concerns” about ground stability at the site where a sinkhole opened up the previous year.

‘Safe to use’

The council has continually insisted that professional advice has made it clear that the site is “safe to use”.

But what remains to be seen are the crucial conclusions of the ongoing investigation, which is likely to stretch the project further into this year.

Ripon Independents councillor Pauline McHardy said while she and many residents were “delighted” with the new pool, it was now key that any extra costs and delays were kept to a minimum.

She said: 

“We must remember that a sinkhole appeared on the land prior to the work starting, so Harrogate Borough Council knew the risk they were taking of building on that land rather than elsewhere in Ripon.

“I hope the remainder of the work can be completed quickly and with minimal further cost to deliver the combined leisure and swimming facility that Ripon was promised.”