It’s been another busy morning on the roads on day two of the Great Yorkshire Show.

Here’s what has happened so far today.

10.02am – Traffic remains heavy at Kestrel roundabout

Motorists approaching from Knaresborough and Wetherby continue to encounter delays. Otherwise most show traffic appears to be running smoothly.

9.12am – Delays at Kestrel roundabout

There are currently 40 minute delays for traffic approaching the Kestrel roundabout from Spofforth. Traffic is also heavy on the A658 John Metcalf Way but nowhere near as bad. Rudding Lane is running smoothly.

8.50am – Reports of traffic backing up to Spofforth

Reports of traffic backing up all the way to Spofforth from the Kestrel roundabout. If you have up to date travel news message us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

8.45am – Kestrel roundabout traffic backing up

Traffic from the Kestrel roundabout is backing up on Wetherby Road as it approaches Rudding Lane. It is moving, but slowly.

8.40am – No access through Wetherby Road

This is the sign some motorists ignored yesterday on Wetherby Road. Once you pass Sainsbury’s, heading out of town, you have to turn left on to Forest Lane.

8.25am – A quiet Wetherby Road

Wetherby Road as it’s rarely seen at rush hour. We will shortly head along Rudding Lane and to the Kestrel roundabout, which was the pinch point yesterday morning, to check on traffic.

8.20am – Traffic running smoothly at Woodlands junction

Traffic at the Woodlands junction is flowing smoothly except on Hookstone Chase where it is backing up.

Skipton Road is slow pretty much all the way from New Park roundabout to the Empress roundabout. Wetherby Road is quieter but remember it becomes one way just after Sainsbury’s.

8am – Heavy traffic on Skipton Road

Hardly a new occurrence, but traffic is already heavy on Skipton Road, backing up quite a way from the BIlton Lane junction to New Park roundabout in the direction of the showground.

7.36pm: Extra traffic through Knaresborough this year

A helpful member of SEP Events, the Boroughbridge company overseeing traffic management, told us last night that more traffic was coming through Knaresborough this year because of the decision to keep the upgraded junction 47 of the A1(M) open this year.

Previously, more traffic came off the A1 at Boroughbridge. It’s resulting in more traffic ending up at the Kestrel roundabout, which was a bottleneck yesterday, but with so many vehicles travelling to the showground it’s a case of finding a balance of what works best. He added the first day is usually the worst as people get used to the travel arrangements so let’s hope today runs smoothly.

6.58am: Free shuttle bus operating

The free shuttle bus from stand 13 at the bus station in Harrogate town centre is operating again.

Passengers using the shuttle experienced delays getting to the show yesterday morning, especially after 9am until late morning, due to the volume of traffic and security measures for the royal visit.

6.30am: Traffic restrictions in place

Click here for details of the changes that are being implemented to keep vehicles moving during the four-day show.

Yesterday there were lengthy morning delays at the Kestrel roundabout. This was partly to do with the decision to keep junction 47 of the A1(M) open for the show this year now that it has been upgraded, which led to more traffic coming through Knaresborough and to the roundabout.

Princess Anne visited Harrogate today for the sell-out opening day of the Great Yorkshire Show.

About 35,000 people converged on the Great Yorkshire Showground in mercifully cooler conditions than those forecast.

Here’s what happened.

6.50pm: Traffic returning to normal after successful first day

You can’t ask for much more than a sell-out crowd and a royal visit, which is what happened today. But if you’re being greedy you’d also want nice weather and smooth running traffic.

Many people arrived lathered in sun cream only to be greeted by grey skies and even some spots of rain. But it was perfect weather for bimbling around.

The traffic situation could have been bette but keeping 35,000 people moving around the country lanes near the showground is always going to be a challenge.

We will be back on the morning with more live traffic updates.

6.05pm: Lots of traffic still exiting the showground on Rudding Lane.

5.55pm: Still long queues as people exit showground

There is currently a long queue on Rudding Lane of traffic leaving the showground trying to get on to the A658 John Metcalf Way.

5.40pm: Queues on John Metcalf Way

This is the current view from the traffic island at the Kestrel roundabout looking towards Follifoot. The roundabout is far less busy than this morning and there are no queues heading from Wetherby but traffic approaching the roundabout from the John Metcalf Way have lengthy tailbacks.

5.21pm: Woodlands junction is quiet

The Woodlands junction is currently far quieter than usual at this time.

5.12pm: Long queues as visitors leave the showground

Traffic is heavy in both directions on Hookstone Road as vehicles pour out of the showground. This is the current situation:

4.39pm: Rush hour traffic starts to build

People are leaving day one and rush hour traffic around Harrogate is bound to be busy. We will be on the roads providing updates but if you have news of a jam please email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Shuttle buses took a while to get to the showground this morning, particularly after 9am. The heavy traffic and security arrangements for the royal visit didn’t help. Buses run every 20 minutes from stand 13 and are free.

3.42pm: Highlights of Princess Anne’s visit

Princess Anne, no stranger to the event, has been on the traditional royal tour of the showground today.

2.35pm – Learn to scuba dive with a Harrogate business

The landlocked showground might not be the first place you think of to try scuba diving, but for £10 you can have a go with Harrogate-based business Diveshack UK.

Owner Tim Yarrow has brought a tank with him as well as wet suits and towels for people to use. Mr Yarrow takes groups diving in UK locations including Flamborough and Orkney as well as abroad to Malta.

He said:

“I came last year so I thought I’d give it another go. We’ve got the tank this time and it’s a bit of an interest factor.”

Mr Yarrow is no stranger to the showground. He is also the operations manager at Yorkshire Health Network who delivered covid vaccinations at the site in 2021 and earlier this year.

He joked the previously clinical hall where vaccines took place is now filled with bales of hay.

Last month Mr Yarrow was knocked back by Harrogate Borough Council in his bid to build a state-of-the-art scuba diving facility in Knaresborough. He said he is planning to appeal the council’s refusal.

He added:

“The feedback from the public to the plans were really supportive. I am adamant it will be a benefit to the area and will be unique. There’s a neccessity as we have a huge number of people in the area who are divers.”

1.21pm – Police warn of ‘several miles’ of queues  

12.30pm – Puss the cat’s owners return – without their cat!

Puss the cat memorably escaped from last year’s Great Yorkshire Show after sneaking into a Scottish farmer’s sheep trailer. After a week of searching there was an emotional reunion with her tearful and relieved owners, which the Stray Ferret captured.

We caught up with Annette and David Mitchell again this morning who have returned to show their sheep.

It seems Puss is now an experienced escape artist and tried to sneak in again this year, before she was spotted and safely put inside. At a recent show in Carlisle, Puss also came along for the ride after spotting an open window in their trailer.

Annette said:

“We’ve got to keep an eye on her now. But it’s good to be back at the show – minus the cat!”

11.50am – Princess Anne arrives at the show

Princess Anne arrived at the Great Yorkshire Show this morning.

She becomes the latest royal to attend the show. Prince Charles made the visit in 2021.

11.31am – Encouraging visitors to return to Harrogate

A total of 140,000 people are expected at the show over the next four days. Tourism body Visit Harrogate is trying to entice them to return by showcasing attractions such as the Turkish baths.

Matthew Chapman, chief executive of Harrogate Business Improvement District, has joined staff at Visit Harrogate on the stand.

11.21am – Shuttle bus delays

Regular shuttle buses are operating between the showground and the bus station in Harrogate but we are hearing there are long queues to get on board and the journey is taking a long time.

11am – Princess Anne arrives in Harrogate

Princess Anne has arrived in Harrogate ahead of her visit to the show.

She arrived by helicopter on the Stray this morning.

10.10am – Ripon Farm Services keeping up appearances

It wouldn’t be the Great Yorkshire Show without Ripon Farm Services and the man in charge, Geoff Brown, who has been coming to the show for 60 years.

Here he is alongside a John Deere 8RX 370, which retails for a cool £560,000.

9.49am – First set of visitors flock to the show

The first set of visitors are inside the showground as the show kicks off.

At the moment, it’s mercifully cool at the showground. In fact there are currently a few spots of rain.

9.35am – Drivers ignore road closure signs

Some cars are ignoring these signs on Wetherby Road only to register displeasure when they are then told further down they have to turn left down Forest Lane.

SEP traffic management staff, which are handling the traffic for the event, handle events like the Grand National and the British Grand Prix at Silverstone so they’re used to dealing with drivers.

9.25am – Delays at Woodlands junction

There are delays at the notorious Woodlands junction. This is the current view heading along Hookstone Drive where traffic is barely at a crawl.

Meanwhile, pictured below is the scene on Wetherby Road heading into Harrogate.

8.55am – Long delays at Kestrel roundabout from Wetherby

There are now long delays at the Kestrel roundabout in all directions.

Traffic lights are operating and this is the current scene on the approach to the roundabout from Wetherby.

8.45am – Delays at Kestrel roundabout

There are delays of about half a mile approaching Kestrel roundabout on John Metcalf Way.

On Haggs Lane there are also some slight delays as traffic approaches John Metcalf Way.

8.27am – John Metcalf Way quiet

The junction of John Metcalf Way and Rudding Lane is currently quiet this morning.

Traffic appears to be running smoothly elsewhere ahead of the show.

8.15am – Traffic being managed on Rudding Lane

No significant delays at the entrance on Rudding Lane where stewards are helping to manage the flow.

8.01am – No major delays at Rudding Lane junction

There is currently no major delays at the junction of Wetherby Road and Rudding Lane where traffic onto town is being diverted.

7.55am – Sainsbury’s and fuel closed

A reminder that Sainsbury’s, including the fuel station, is closed during the show.

7.48am: Gates open to public at 8am

Exhibitors are starting to enter. We just saw a large group of American sheep breeders who have flown in mainly for this — a reminder of how big the event is.

7.31am – Road closure on Wetherby Road

Vehicles travelling from Harrogate to Wetherby on Wetherby Road are alerted at the Woodlands junction that the road ahead is closed.

Currently traffic is running smoothly in all directions at the Woodlands junction.

7.22am – Traffic flowing smoothly

This is the current scene on Wetherby Road approaching the Woodlands junction this morning. Traffic is flowing smoothly but traffic management is in place.

6.50am: Harrogate set for royal visit

Last year Prince Charles attended in glorious sunshine. This year his sister Princess Anne, who is 17th in line to the throne, will be visiting for the first time since 2018 (pictured below).

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society seems to have developed a hotline to the weather gods since the disastrous, flood-hit 2012 event, with perfect weather forecast yet again.

6am: Traffic arrangements

With all 140,000 tickets sold, traffic measures are in place this week to reduce congestion.

Wetherby Road and surrounding streets are set to be the most affected as traffic orders prioritise getting visitors to and from the showground with minimal queuing.

Signs are already in place down the A658 directing show traffic towards Harrogate.

On all four days of the show, traffic will be one-way from the Kestrel roundabout to the showground, from 6am to 2pm.

This will then reverse at 2pm to enable cars to leave the site towards the Kestrel roundabout.

A traffic order will be in place to prevent vehicles turning right from Wetherby Road onto Rudding Lane. The restriction does not apply to buses or to residents.

Drivers will also be prevented from travelling north across the A661 from Rudding Lane to Forest Lane.

You can read the full guide to transport and travel during the show here.

Two people were lucky to escape alive after a car hit a tree in Harrogate in the early hours of this morning.

The car was severely mangled by the crash, which took place on Harlow Moor Road, close to Harrogate Spring Water’s headquarters, at around midnight.

North Yorkshire Police traffic officer Sgt Paul Cording tweeted that the two people inside the Vauxhall managed to get out with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

He added:

“I am still gobsmacked that we were not doing the long walk to someone’s house last night for ‘that knock’.

“The intrusion is unbelievable and testament to the advancement in vehicle safety & another reason we bang on all the time about wearing seatbelts #Fatal5″

Read more:

• Harrogate boy, 15, admits stealing car and carrying knife on Stray
• Harrogate district MPs yet to reveal who they want as Prime Minister

The Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate could cause disruption on the roads in the week ahead as visitors flock to the town.

All 140,000 tickets have been sold for the annual event, which starts on Tuesday and ends on Friday.

The sheer volume of traffic can cause problems at the beginning and end of each day, though significant improvements have been made to reduce the queues seen in the past.

Melisa Burnham, highways area manager for North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“We work closely with the Yorkshire Agricultural Society (YAS), its traffic management company and National Highways to agree a traffic management plan.

“We always ensure that roadworks on the main routes are kept to a minimum, with only emergency work permitted. Highways officers will monitor traffic on the routes and are available should they need to support the traffic management company.

“Whilst every effort is made to ensure that traffic flows efficiently, visitors to Harrogate should expect delays at peak times and plan their journeys accordingly.”

Whether you’re planning to visit the show or hoping to avoid any hold-ups as you travel elsewhere, here is all you need to know to keep you moving this week.

Road closures

Wetherby Road

Wetherby Road and surrounding streets are set to be the most affected as traffic orders prioritise getting visitors to and from the showground with minimal queuing..

Signs are already in place down the A658 directing show traffic towards Harrogate.

On all four days of the show, traffic will be one-way from the Kestrel roundabout to the showground, from 6am to 2pm.

This will then reverse at 2pm to enable cars to leave the site towards the Kestrel roundabout.

Forest Lane and Rudding Lane

A traffic order will be in place to prevent vehicles turning right from Wetherby Road onto Rudding Lane. The restriction does not apply to buses or to residents.

Drivers will also be prevented from travelling north across the A661 from Rudding Lane to Forest Lane.

Hookstone Drive and surroundings

Waiting will be prohibited along Hookstone Wood Road, Hookstone Oval and Woodlands Green, from 6am to 9pm on all four days.

Wayside Walk, Wayside Close, Innisfree Close, Wayside Avenue, St Leonards Road, Windsor Road, St Helen’s Road and Apley Close will have no waiting orders for the first 50m from the junction with Hookstone Drive.

Deighton Road and Spofforth Lane

A one-way order will be in place from the junction of West View in North Deighton to the junction of Ribston Road, just north of Spofforth.

It will bring traffic west towards Harrogate from 6am to 2pm each day before being reversed to take vehicles away from 2pm until 8pm.

Read more:

• Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Show on course for 140,000 sell-out
• New mural to welcome visitors to Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Show

Accessing the showground

People driving from east of Harrogate, including Knaresborough and villages towards York, are being asked to follow signs to bring them onto the A658 and the A661 one-way route.

Those travelling from Leeds and the south via the A61 will be directed onto the A658 and in towards the showground from the Kestrel roundabout.

The A661 from Wetherby through Spofforth is not designated an official route and people are asked to avoid using it. An alternative for those travelling from the south is to continue to follow the A61 into Harrogate, then turn right onto Hookstone Road and follow signs towards Hookstone Drive.

People travelling from the west, as well as Ripon, should follow signs for the B6161 from the A59 at the former Old Spring Well junction to the north-west of Harrogate.

From there, they will travel to Beckwithshaw before being directed onto the B6162 Otley Road towards Harrogate and signposted to car parks.

Alternative options

Bus and rail access to the showground is possible on all four days.

The Harrogate Bus Company runs a free shuttle bus from the town centre to the showground, departing every 20 minutes.

It travels between Harrogate Bus Station and the white gate at the northern end of the showground. The double-decker buses will have low floors and space for pushchairs.

Did you know that Transdev, @harrogatebus, operates a FREE shuttle bus service from Harrogate Bus Station (next to the Railway Station) to the Great Yorkshire Show. Daily from 7.30am until 6.30pm. Buses depart every 20 minutes from the town centre – https://t.co/5A7KgMCijK pic.twitter.com/cdqovCjPVZ

— Great Yorkshire Show (@greatyorkshow) July 8, 2022

The nearest railway station is Hornbeam Park, from where there will be a signposted walking route via the ‘showground greenway’ across the Crimple Valley.

Look out for up-to-date travel news during the show on the Stray Ferret.

A sinkhole appeared this morning outside Harrogate Convention Centre on King’s Road.

Police and highways staff from North Yorkshire County Council have been on site ensuring vehicles and bikes can pass safely.

But the hole, which is about 50cm wide and a metre deep, is causing some delays in the area.

Traffic turning left at the end of Ripon Ripon is particularly affected.

The hole is in the right hand lane of King’s Road heading out of town so traffic is able to pass in the inside lane.

The hole could take a few days to repair.

The Stray Ferret has asked North Yorkshire County Council for further details.

There were delays on the same stretch of road last week when a lorry broke down.

Read more:

• Broken down lorry causes travel problems in Harrogate
• Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Show on course for 140,000 sell-out

There is queueing traffic due to a closure of the A1(M) southbound between Dishforth and Boroughbridge this morning.

There are also roadworks in Harrogate and cancellations on buses.

Roads

Traffic is backing up in Boroughbridge, Topcliffe and Ripon this morning after part of the A1(M) southbound was closed.

The road was closed between junction 49 at Dishforth and junction 48 at Boroughbridge earlier this morning due to planned roadworks going over there pre-agreed time, according to National Highways Yorkshire.

All lanes have now reopened, but there is some congestion on the A1(M) and in Boroughbridge and Topcliffe due to the closure.

Drivers are advised to allow for extra time for there journeys.

All lanes have now reopened on the #A1M southbound between J49 (#Dishforth) and J48 (#Boroughbridge) following completion of the overnight roadworks. There is approx. 3 miles of congestion on approach, please allow extra time for these delays to clear. Thank you for your patience pic.twitter.com/uZeamTTOmc

— National Highways: Yorkshire (@HighwaysYORKS) July 5, 2022

As usual, drivers should be aware of the normal rush hour traffic on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road, Skipton Road and Knaresborough Road.

According to North Yorkshire County Council’s roadworks map, Yorkshire Water is due to start planned work Leeds Road this morning.

These works will be finished today.

Trains and buses

Train services between Harrogate and Knaresborough going to York and Leeds are scheduled to run as normal this morning.

Meanwhile, the Harrogate Bus Company is reporting cancellations on the 36 bus from Leeds to Harrogate at 8.55am this morning.

There are also cancellations on the 1A, 1B and 1C services.

You can find out more on the disruption to services here.

Read more:

• Fresh concerns over Knaresborough’s ‘most dangerous junction’
• Fresh concerns over Knaresborough’s ‘most dangerous junction’

Concerns have again been raised about the safety of pedestrian crossings at what has been described as Knaresborough’s “most dangerous junction”.

Former town councillor James Monaghan first raised the issue of drivers ignoring red lights at the four-way junction where York Place, High Street, Gracious Street and Park Row meet in 2017 – and he now says the problem is “as bad as ever”.

He said:

“On a daily basis cars and vans drive through the green man when pedestrians should be able to cross safely.

“This is dangerous enough, but on a crossing used by hundreds of school children daily it is an accident waiting to happen.

“With all the new houses that have been built across the district and the associated cars, congestion has only got worse and it needs to be addressed for everyone’s safety and convenience.”

Mr Monaghan said the problem has not been tackled by North Yorkshire County Council, which changed the traffic lights four years ago to allow more time for the junction to clear before pedestrians are invited to cross.

The county council said the detection system failed “a few months ago,” but has now been fixed with works being completed last week.

Read more:

• ‘Eyesore’ Knaresborough green reignites concerns about state of district
• Knaresborough Town FC sets up women’s team

Melisa Burnham, highways area manager at the county council, said:

“We know of the concerns around the pedestrian stage of the signal cycle at the junction of High Street and Gracious Street.

“The signals team will continue to monitor the effective operation of the signal equipment and timing.”

Ms Burnham also said it was the responsibility of motorists to ensure they follow the rules of the road. She said:

“We do all we can to ensure this junction operates as effectively as possible, but we also ask drivers who use this junction to respect all road users and the traffic light systems in place, ensuring they are driving safely in accordance with the local conditions.”

A broken down lorry is causing travel problems in Harrogate town centre.

The large Waitrose lorry is stuck on King’s Road, outside Harrogate Convention Centre.

By 2.40pm today, it had been there for about an hour awaiting recovery.

There are two lanes, so traffic is currently able to pass on the inside of it.

The broken down lorry on Harrogate’s Kings Road.

However, it is causing some problems by backing up traffic turning on to King’s Road from Parliament Street and Ripon Road.

Motorists will be hoping the vehicle is moved before the Friday night rush hour begins.

Send us your traffic updates at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Read more:

• Video shows lorry crashing into Harrogate traffic light
• Four-mile queues as traffic chaos descends on Harrogate

Some roadworks are in place across the Harrogate district today.

However, trains and bus services are running as normal.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic update.

Roads

CityFibre is due to carry out maintenance work on Claro Road in Harrogate today.

The work may cause delays and is set to continue until July 5.

In Ripon, Princess Road is closed until tomorrow for resurfacing works.

As previously reported by the Stray Ferret, Minster Road will be closed until July 8 as North Yorkshire County Council carries out resurfaces the road.

As usual, drivers should be aware of the normal rush hour traffic on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road, Skipton Road and Knaresborough Road.

Trains and buses

Train services between Harrogate and Knaresborough going to York and Leeds are scheduled to run as normal this morning.

Meanwhile, the Harrogate Bus Company is reporting no cancellations on its services.

You can find out more information on bus service disruption here.

Read more:

• Could a pothole machine be the answer to Ripon’s rocky roads?
• Smooth operators earn praise for Ripon car park resurfacing work

While some roadworks are in place in Harrogate, traffic is moving normally this morning.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic update.

Roads

Motorists should allow extra time for usual traffic during rush hour on both Wetherby Road and Skipton Road this morning.

Roadworks on Skipton Road continue as CityFibre carries out maintenance work. This is due to end tomorrow.

Works are also taking place on Westmoreland Street and Dragon Parade.

Meanwhile, CityFibre is also carrying out maintenance work on North Park Road.

In Ripon, Princess Road is closed until tomorrow for resurfacing works.

As previously reported by the Stray Ferret, Minster Road will be closed from tomorrow until July 8 as North Yorkshire County Council carries out resurfaces the road.

Trains and buses

Train services between Harrogate and Knaresborough going to York and Leeds are scheduled to run as normal this morning.

Meanwhile, the Harrogate Bus Company is reporting no cancellations on its services.

You can find out more information on bus service disruption here.

Read more:

• Could a pothole machine be the answer to Ripon’s rocky roads?
• Smooth operators earn praise for Ripon car park resurfacing work