MPs debate grouse shooting ban – but it would be ‘crippling’, says estate manager5 minutes with… Michelin-accredited chef Josh Barnes, Swinton Estate1,000 trees planted at Swinton Estate in memory of felled Sycamore GapBaroness Masham’s items sold for £425,900 at auctionFarm buildings on Swinton Estate could be converted into housingHarrogate gallery owner creates woodland in memory of Sycamore Gap tree

An artist with a gallery in Harrogate has created a woodland in memory of the felled Sycamore Gap tree.

Lucy Pittaway painted an image of the famous tree with a Northern Lights backdrop after being moved by its destruction in September.

In December she vowed to plant a tree for every print sold and sought the help of a landowner to use the trees to create a public woodland. Almost 2,400 paintings have been bought so far.

The newly created Lucy Pittaway Sycamore Gap Trail near Masham will be publicly accessible and aims to bring new life to an area of the Swinton Estate devastated by larch tree disease.

Visitors to the trail will follow a pathway formed by chippings from the felled larch trees on a woodland walk which will also feature artistic installations, areas to relax and education boards.

Lucy Pittaway at the easel with her Sycamore Gap Tree painting.

Ms Pittaway, whose Harrogate gallery is on James Street, said:

“Like everyone else I was so saddened to hear about the felling of the tree, to now see this new woodland coming to life is wonderful and I’m so grateful to everyone who has helped us come this far.”

Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, owner of the Swinton Estate, answered the call for the help of a landowner and she joined Ms Pittaway in planting the first of the new saplings.

Ms Cunliffe-Lister said:

“Like many areas of the countryside we have lost so many trees from larch blight and so regenerating the area through this project is a perfect fit, I think we are appreciating more and more the importance of conservation and the positive impact that trees and the countryside have on our well-being.”

Lucy Pittaway (left) with Swinton Estate owner Felicity Cunliffe-Lister.

The first 600 saplings will be planted during April, mainly sycamore along with oak, rowan, hazel and other native trees. The estate’s forestry team will then plant hundreds more saplings over the coming months and more mature species from the autumn.

The new woodland will regenerate part of the plantation that surrounds a 200-year-old folly known as the Druid’s Temple. In recent years the area has lost many trees to the fungal disease phytophthora ramorum that has ravaged trees across Britain.

Ms Pittaway added:

“I hope this is an area that can be used for relaxation for generations to come, If it can inspire people’s interest in art and the countryside then the legacy of the Sycamore Gap tree will be a positive one.”

Read more:

29,000 trees planted in Masham to create new woodlands

Almost 30,000 trees are being planted on Swinton Estate in Masham as part of a new woodlands initiative.

Plant nursery, Johnsons Nurseries Ltd, has supplied the trees and whips – the young seedlings, to the 20,000-acre estate.

Funding for this project has come from the White Rose Forest through its Trees for Climate programme, part of the government’s Nature for Climate Fund.

The White Rose Forest is the Community Forest for North and West Yorkshire and works with landowners, businesses and communities across the region to provide support and funding for woodland creation projects that will benefit communities and the environment.

Over 30 varieties of trees were supplied for the woodlands via The DTMS Group, contracted to deliver the landscaping for the project. The varieties included Pinus sylvestris, Picea abies, Sorbus aucuparia, Quercus robur, Salix caprea, and Acer campestre.

Trees were specifically selected and sited for water and biodiversity improvements and for their many climate benefits from providing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide to providing resources and habitat to wildlife.

Almost 30,000 trees at the Masham Estate

Johnsons Nurseries’ marketing manager, Eleanor Richardson, said:

“We were excited to work on this project in collaboration with the Swinton Estate, The DTMS Group, and the White Rose Forest. The trees that we supplied included a range of native species, from pines to oaks, enhancing the natural beauty of the estate and contributing to improving biodiversity and water quality.”

Will Richardson, forestry advisor to the Swinton Estate, added:

“The Swinton Estate have a long-term ambition to increase tree cover by 50% over the next 20 years, creating around 350ha of new mixed woodland and wood pasture. This is driven by a desire to improve sustainability and nature conservation across the estate, sequester carbon and to produce sustainable crops of timber in years to come.

“This has been the first phase of this programme, and we are delighted with the contributions made by the White Rose Forest, DTMS as contractors and Johnsons as tree suppliers in helping us to deliver this. We very much look forward to seeing the new woodland thrive and mature over the years.”

Read more:

Business Breakfast: Emmerdale star to help launch new travel agent

Excellence deserves to be recognised and celebrated. The 2024 Stray Ferret Business Awards is the event to put your business, people or great initiative in the spotlight!

Make the most of your efforts by reading our top 10 tips for writing your submission for success.

Entries close on January 19, 2024.

Mark Charnock, who plays Marlon Dingle in ITV’s Emmerdale, will be the celebrity guest at the grand opening of a new travel agent in Harrogate this week.

The actor, who lives in the town, will be at the new branch of Althams Travel from 11am to 1pm on Saturday, January 6, when there will also be opportunities to win holiday vouchers worth up to £1,000 each.

The arrival of the new branch, between WHSmith and Claire’s on Cambridge Street, has created five new full-time jobs.

Sales development manager Marie Leach said:

“It’s the perfect time to open, people will be looking to escape to the sun and our friendly team will be here to help the people of Harrogate.

“We have been looking to open in Harrogate for a long time now but we have been waiting for the perfect place and we have found it.

“Being independent means we are not tied into selling particular holidays, so we can find the holiday that works best for our clients.”

Established in 1874, Burnley-based Althams now has 32 branches across Yorkshire, Lancashire and Lincolnshire. The nearest ones to Harrogate currently are in Otley and Horsforth in West Yorkshire.

Swinton seafood residency

Rick Stein’s former right-hand man is to hold a five-day seafood residency at the Swinton Estate, near Masham, this spring.

Stephane Delourme, who was previously head chef at Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant in Padstow, Cornwall, will host a series of exclusive dining events and masterclasses from May 7 to 11.

The week starts with a gala dinner in Samuel’s Restaurant and continues with a series of hands-on cookery masterclasses, intimate chef’s table experiences, and a Fish and Fire lunch at The Terrace Restaurant and Bar.

Stephane said:

“Guests will be able to experience some incredible seafood and discover the tastes and flavours from many of the dishes that we have become renowned for in the South West.

“I cannot wait to come to Swinton and cook using ingredients sourced directly from the estate, along with those from the east coast. Life is about making memories and I look forward to doing this together.”

Read more:

 

Business Breakfast: Swinton Estate restaurant to undergo £500,000 refurbishment

A restaurant at Swinton Park Hotel is set to undergo a £500,000 refurbishment.

Samuel’s Restaurant, which is based at the Swinton Estate in Masham, will revamp its kitchen by January 2024.

The refurbishment will see it update the entire kitchen, equipment and workflows to reduce its carbon footprint and create a new state-of-the-art facility.

Head chef, Ruth Hansom, has also extended her six-month residency until the end of the year to help oversee the refurbishment.

Andrew Mackay, general manager at the restaurant, said:

“This is a very exciting time for the team at Samuel’s Restaurant, where they will have access to a brand new kitchen in which to prepare the finest Yorkshire food.

“We are incredibly grateful to Ruth for staying on to help us see this project through, and we’re confident that our ambitious plans will continue to attract and retain the best established and up-and-coming chefs to the estate.”

Grantley Hall launches motorsport concierge service

Grantley Hall near Ripon has launched a new motorsport concierge service.

Called Grantley Motorsport, the service will offer guests bespoke packages for track days, in-house professional simulator hire, automotive events and VIP experiences to top-tier motorsport events.

The scheme has been launched in partnership with Hype Motorsport, which will provide access to professional instructors as part of the service.

Richard Sykes, managing director of Grantley Hall, said: 

“At Grantley Hall, we continually strive to provide our guests with extraordinary and unforgettable experiences. 

“Grantley Motorsport is a testament to our commitment to innovation and excellence. From our on-site professional racing simulator suite, right through to VIP motorsport events, we aim to deliver an unparalleled journey into the world of motorsport, ensuring our guests create cherished memories to last a lifetime.”

 

Hotels in Harrogate district jump on rising ‘ecotherapy’ trend

In the past few weeks, three local hotels have opened new outdoor spa experiences to customers.

Swinton Estate, Grantley Hall and Rudding Park are hoping to attract guests with the promise of ‘reconnecting with nature’.

In June, Swinton Estate offered up a new wild swimming experience in its private lake at the heart of the hotel’s grounds.

A week later Grantley Hall opened a ‘Nordic spa garden’ complete with outdoor ice baths and a sauna for immersion therapy.

Gillian McGraffin, spa and wellness manager at Grantley Hall’s Three Graces Spa, said:

“With the increasing trend of cold-water immersion therapy making more noise in the wellness space recently, we knew that we wanted to offer guests something new that had many incredible health benefits.”

Shortly after Grantley announced this new spa addition, Rudding Park opened a woodland spring bathing experience, equipped with mineral-enriched freshwater tubs.

Sarah Johnson, head of the hotel’s spa, said:

“Woodland spring bathing is a wonderful way to relax; the stillness of the water promotes a sense of calm, heightening the connection with nature.

“Offering guests something new and embracing our natural environment is really important.”

Read More 

All three additions demonstrate the increasingly popularity of outdoor spa and wellness experiences – often referred to under the broader term of ‘ecotherapy’.

It encompasses a number of therapies and practices which promote interactions with nature as valuable tools for improving psychological and physiological health.

The demand for outdoor spa experiences has grown significantly since covid.

According to data collected by the People and Nature Survey last year, nearly half of adults in England spent more time outdoors than they did before the pandemic. Meanwhile, 39% also said that after the pandemic, nature and wildlife had become more important than ever to their well-being

Commenting on the trend, Ms Johnson told the Stray Ferret:

“The popularity of embracing the outdoors to boost well-being shows no sign of slowing down.”