Two well-known and well-used Ripon locations are awaiting repairs after sustaining damage in last week’s Storm Otto.

At the Workhouse Museum in Allhallowgate, part of a chimney stack was brought down by Friday’s high winds and at the nearby bus station, four perspex panels from the roof of a shelter were dislodged by the gale.

Both locations have been made safe and remain open for museum visitors and the travelling public.

The bus station shelter pictured before firefighters removed the damaged perspex roof panels

Helen Thornton, director of Ripon Museum Trust, told the Stray Ferret:

“Storm Otto damaged a lot of property in the district and part of a chimney stack on the west wing of the main workhouse building came down and made two holes in our roof, which have been covered with tarpaulin to minimise any rainwater damage.”

“We are in close touch with our insurers to get an appropriate and timely repair and, as a listed building, we will ensure that this is carried out sensitively, including re-using as much of the stonework as we can, getting the right chimney pot design and so on.”

The cordoned-off area at the Workhouse Museum

Ms Thornton added:

“We have cordoned off the area below the damaged roof and spoken to the other users of the site. Thankfully, we can remain open as usual to museum visitors, groups and schools.”

Following the damage to the roof panels in the bus station shelter, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue issued a statement saying:

“Ripon crews attended the bus station to make a bus shelter safe for the public. Large pieces of perspex had fallen off the roof. Crews removed all perspex using a ladder and small tools.”

A father and daughter have told of the moment they watched a tree come crashing down on a cabman’s shelter on West Park Stray in Harrogate.

Colin Reynolds and his daughter, Lauren Reynolds, had just driven around the Prince of Wales roundabout and on to West Park Stray when they noticed the mature tree splinter.

A large section of the tree, which is alongside one of the busiest streets in Harrogate, fell — fortunately in the opposite direction of the road. It damaged the roof of the distinctive green shelter

Lauren said they had just been discussing how the storm hadn’t been too bad when the incident happened.

She added:

“It was lucky it didn’t fall in the other direction or it could have killed someone.”

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The father and daughter, who live in Harrogate, pulled over to check if anybody was hurt. Luckily nobody was passing at the time.

Colin said:

“We were worried that somebody might be under the tree. There’s also a power chord in a lighting cable that was in the tree.”

The cabman’s shelter

After checking nobody was hurt, they dialled 999.

A council worker was on hand almost immediately to prevent traffic using the inside lane.