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A steam train passing over the River Nidd bridge
Knaresborough
Population	15,441 (2011 census)
OS grid reference	SE350570
• London	186 mi (299 km) SE
District	Harrogate
Shire county	North Yorkshire
Region	Yorkshire and the Humber
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	KNARESBOROUGH
Postcode district	HG5
Dialling code	01423

Police	North Yorkshire
Fire	North Yorkshire
Ambulance	Yorkshire

EU Parliament	Yorkshire and the Humber
UK Parliament	Harrogate and Knaresborough
List of places UK England Yorkshire 54°00′30″N 1°28′01″W / 54.0084°N 1.467°W / 54.0084; -1.467

Knaresborough ( nairz-BƏR-ə) is a market and spa town and civil parish in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, on the River Nidd 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Harrogate.

History
Culture and community
Landmarks
Amenities and commerce
Transport
Religion
Geography
Economy
Sport
Education
Notable people
Images for kids
See also

History

Knaresborough Market Place.

Knaresborough is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Chenaresburg, meaning 'Cenheard's fortress' in the wapentake of Burghshire, renamed Claro Wapentake in the 12th century. Knaresborough Castle dates from Norman times; around 1100, the town began to grow and provide a market and attract traders to service the castle. The present parish church, St John's, was established around this time. The earliest identified Lord of Knaresborough is around 1115 when Serlo de Burgh held the 'Honour of Knaresborough' from the King.

Hugh de Morville was granted the Honour of Knaresborough in 1158. He was constable of Knaresborough and leader of the group of four knights who murdered Archbishop Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral on 29 December 1170. The four knights fled to Knaresborough and hid at the castle. Hugh de Morville forfeited the lands in 1173, not for his implication in the murder of Thomas Becket, but for "complicity in the rebellion of young Henry", according to the Early Yorkshire Charters.

The Honour of Knaresborough then passed to the Stuteville family. When the Stuteville line was broken with the death of Robert the 4th (son of Robert 3rd) in 1205, King John effectively took the Honour of Knaresborough for himself. The first Maundy Money was distributed in Knaresborough by King John on 15 April 1210. Knaresborough Forest, which extended far to the south of the town, is reputed to have been one of King John's favourite hunting grounds.

Although a market was first mentioned in 1206, the town was not granted a Royal Charter to hold a market until 1310, by Edward II. A market is still held every Wednesday in the market square. During Edward II's reign, the castle was occupied by rebels and the curtain walls were breached by a siege engine. Later, Scots invaders burned much of the town and the parish church. In 1328, as part of the marriage settlement, Queen Philippa was granted "the Castle, Town, Forest and Honour of Knaresborough" by Edward III and the parish church was restored. After her death in 1369, the Honour was granted by Edward to their younger son, John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster and since then the castle has belonged to the Duchy of Lancaster. After the accession of Henry IV the castle lost much of its importance in national affairs, but remained a key site in regional administration for another century.

During the Civil War, following the Battle of Marston Moor in 1644, the castle was besieged by Parliamentary forces. The castle eventually fell and in 1646 an order was made by Parliament for its destruction (but not carried out till 1648). The destruction was mainly done by citizens looting the stone. Many town centre buildings are built of 'castle stone'.

The railway age began in Knaresborough in 1848 with the opening of a railway station on Hay Park Lane; this was replaced with the current one three years later in 1851. The town had a railway line to Boroughbridge until it closed to passengers in 1950; it was dismantled in 1964.

Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, Knaresborough became part of North Yorkshire in 1974.

Culture and community

The rowing boats on the River Nidd are a popular tourist attraction in the town.

Knaresborough House on the High Street houses Knaresborough Town Council and the Yorkshire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs.

Knaresborough hosts the annual Bed Race, organized by the Knaresborough Lions Club. It is held on the second Saturday of June. The event was first staged in 1966.

An annual town centre arts summer festival, FEVA (Festival of Entertainment and Visual Arts), has run since 2001.

The town was used in the opening election sequence in the first episode of the ITV comedy series The New Statesman and some exterior shots for the series were filmed around Knaresborough.

Knaresborough has one theatre; the Frazer Theatre, situated just off High Street.

Landmarks

Knaresborough Castle.

The Dropping Well in 1985, showing a selection of petrified toys

Sights in the town include the remains of Knaresborough Castle, Mother Shipton's Cave, the House in the Rock, the railway viaduct over the river Nidd, and St Robert's Cave (dating from the Middle Ages). Knaresborough is the site of Ye Oldest Chymist Shoppe in England, opened in 1720, and the Courthouse Museum in the castle grounds.

The principal areas of public open space are the Knaresborough Castle grounds, Horseshoe Field, the King George V Playing Field and Jacob Smith Park, a 30 acres (12 ha) parkland on the edge of the town, bequeathed to Knaresborough by Miss Winifred Jacob Smith in 2003.

Conyngham Hall is situated close to the town centre. It is currently used to accommodate businesses and as parkland. Until the 1980s there was a small zoo in the grounds.

Near to the castle are Bebra Gardens, formerly the Moat Gardens, renamed after Knaresborough's twin town in Germany. The Commercial (formerly Borough Bailiff) public house, owned by the Samuel Smith Brewery, is the oldest pub in Knaresborough.

Amenities and commerce

Knaresborough is unusual in that, since the closure of the Co-operative supermarket on Chain Lane in 2015, there is no mainstream supermarket. There is however a small Lidl. The St. James retail park is situated on the outskirts of the town off Wetherby Road and has a number of retail chains based there. The town has 15 operating pubs, a wine bar, two working men's clubs and several restaurants. There are a number of high street retailers with branches in the town centre, mostly situated around the High Street, Market Place and Castle Courtyard (a shopping arcade in the former town hall). The town also has a small municipal swimming pool.

Transport

Knaresborough railway station

Knaresborough is served by Knaresborough railway station, on the Harrogate Line between Leeds and York. The town is 4 miles (6.4 km) from junction 47 of the A1(M) motorway (Great North Road), and on the A59 which links York and Wallasey. It is also served by Transdev and Connexions who both run buses in the area that centre around Knaresborough bus station on the High Street. The closest airport is Leeds Bradford Airport with bus links from neighbouring Harrogate.

Religion

St. John the Baptist Church is the largest church in Knaresborough.

The town has two Church of England churches, one Roman Catholic, one Methodist and one United Reformed and one Mormon.

Geography

	Boroughbridge
Harrogate		York
	Knaresborough

	Wetherby

Economy

Knaresborough is mostly a commuter town however it also serves as a local centre for the surrounding rural villages. The town has a small tourism industry and service sector. There is a small industrial estate on Manse Lane in the east of the town. Knaresborough has a local weekly newspaper; the Knaresborough Post, although it borrows content heavily from neighbouring publications.

Sport

Knaresborough Town F.C. is based at Manse Lane; they play in the Northern Counties East League Division 1. Youth football is catered for by Knaresborough Celtic with junior teams from Under 6s to Under 17s. Scotton Scorchers offer youth football for boys from the under 6s to under 12s and girls to under 17's. Knaresborough Town are developing youth football.

Knaresborough Rugby Club play in the Yorkshire Leagues. The club was formed in 1982 and play at their Hay-a-park ground which opened in 2014. Unusually for a Yorkshire town, there is no rugby league club, the closest being in Wetherby.

The town has two cricket clubs. Knaresborough Forest Cricket Club were Nidderdale League Division 3 winners in 2005, afterwards promoted from Division 2 as runners-up in the following season. Knaresborough Cricket Club have a ground on Aspin Lane, where adult teams play in the Airedale & Wharfedale Senior Cricket League and junior teams play in the Nidderdale Junior Cricket League.

On 6 July 2014, Stage 2 of the 2014 Tour de France from York to Sheffield, passed through the town.

Each June, there is a famous bed race at Knaresborough.

Education

Knaresborough has five primary schools and one secondary school; King James' School. There is a further education college in nearby Harrogate and universities in Leeds and York. The town has a two-storey library on the Market Place.

Notable people

Statue of Blind Jack Metcalf in the market square

Paul Mirfin, singer/songwriter The Paul Mirfin Band
St Robert, a 12th-century hermit whose cave can be found near the River Nidd.
Ursula Southeil (c. 1488–1561), known as Mother Shipton, was a medieval seer said to have been born in a cave south of the town.
John Metcalf, known as "Blind Jack", lost his sight in childhood and was a violin player, local guide, bridgebuilder and roadmaker. A public house in the market square bears his name.
Robert Aagaard, a Knaresborough manufacturer, founded the youth movement Cathedral Camps.
Squadron Leader James Harry "Ginger" Lacey DFM & Bar, Second World War RAF fighter pilot, attended school in Knaresborough. Lacey was from Wetherby but his academic achievements enabled him to attend school in Knaresborough rather than Wetherby.
Charles Farrar Forster, the first vicar of Beckwithshaw Church, was born here in 1848.
Gorden Kaye (1941–2017), actor and singer, best known for playing René Artois in the British comedy series 'Allo 'Allo!.
Grant Kirkhope, musician and composer best known for his work with Rareware, raised here and attended King James's School.
Tim Kellett, trumpeter and keyboardist from Simply Red and Olive
John Walton (1784–1862) entomologist
William Stubbs (1825–1901) English historian and Anglican Bishop
Bill Callahan, American singer-songwriter and guitarist