There will be picnics, parties and parades as the Harrogate district welcomes the Olympic Torch and its bearers on Tuesday, 19 June 2012.
The flame will be lit on 10 May at the Temple of Hera in Olympia, Greece. It will leave Athens during the early evening of 17 May in the care of RNAS Culdrose and will start its tour around Great Britain in Land’s End on 19 May. Four weeks later, it will be welcomed into the Harrogate district.
The Torch will be carried through Knaresborough, Starbeck, Harrogate and Ripon in the afternoon of Tuesday, 19 June.
Councillor Caroline Bayliss, Harrogate Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Cultural Services is chairing a Community Task Force with the support of four voluntary groups from each of the areas the Torch will visit.
Councillor Caroline Bayliss said:
This really is a once in a lifetime opportunity and we want as many people as possible to witness this piece of cultural history in our district.
The four local groups are working on some exciting plans to involve the community in welcoming the Torch. We will be publicising all the planned events and names of the Torchbearers running each leg of the tour, a little nearer the time. But now we are allowed to give the exact route, we want everyone to think about how they can get involved. We are expecting thousands of people to line the route and we are looking for over 150 volunteer stewards to help us with crowd control.
The full route can now be revealed.
At 1.33 pm it will leave from the Toyota Garage on York Road in Knaresborough and will take the following route:
- High Street*, Bond End
- Knaresborough Road* through Starbeck
- Empress Roundabout continuing along Knaresborough Road
- Prince of Wales Roundabout
- West Park and Parliament Street
- Ripon Road – to Duchy Road
The torch bearers will then travel in the motorcade along the A61 to Ripon to Fountains Abbey.
On leaving Fountains Abbey the Torch relay will start again:
- Mallorie Park Drive
- Skellbank
- Market Square
- Skellgarths
- Bedern Bank
- Past the Cathedral
- St Mary Gate
- Stonebridge
- Rotary Way – at approximately 4.35 pm
The Torchbearers will leave Ripon by the motorcade to travel to York for evening celebrations and an overnight stop.
*Traffic will be managed by the police with rolling road closures. There will only be two full road closures between 12.30 pm and 3.00 pm Gracious Street to Bond End (with access for buses only) and Forest Lane to Station View. Emergency access will be maintained throughout the relay.
If anyone would like to put their name forward to act as a volunteer steward they should telephone Oliver Scaife, Area Leisure Manager on 01423 556737 or email oliver.scaife@harrogate.gov.uk
If all goes according to plan, the timings are as follows:
- Start – Toyota garage outside Knaresborough – 1.33pm
- Knaresborough High Street – 1.51pm
- Entrance to Mother Shiptons – 2.03pm
- Starbeck High Street – 2.07pm
- Empress Roundabout – 2.28pm
- Prince of Wales Roundabout – 2.39pm
- Cenotaph – Harrogate – 2.48pm
- Leaves Harrogate – Duchy Road – 2.52pm
- Fountains Abbey – 3.23pm rest break and time adjustment stop
- Leaves at 4.00pm
- Start Ripon junction of Studley Road and Mallorie Park Drive – 4.11pm
- Market Square – Ripon – 4.25pm
- Ripon Cathedral – 4.30pm
- Leaves Ripon – Rotary Way – 4.36pm
I’m not sure who planned this, but stopping at Duchy Road does not make any sense. There are several schools after Duchy Road who have pupils who should have the opportunity to view the torch just like the schools on the main route. Surely it would make sense to take the torch down Ripon Road to Skipton Road and turn left along Skipton Road, through Killinghall and stop there. There are areas for the residents and children of Harrogate to view safely.
Please re-consider on behalf of the pupils (our future) and residents of Harrogate.
Thank you.
The present route will be more attractive and easier for all including school children
I agree with Wendy, I think it at least needs to get to Killinghall, as a lot of people will miss it.