A new bridge was craned into position today as part of a £500,000 improvement plan for the showground in readiness for the three day rural showcase.
A 15m long and 5m wide metal bridge was placed on its footings across the Crimple Beck at the south side of the site in Harrogate to provide a link between new car parking areas and the existing showground. The work is part of an extensive programme of works which is aimed at ensuring England’s premier agricultural show is as “weatherproof” as possible.
Last year, the final two days had to be cancelled after wet weather resulted in the car parks being unusable.
The bridge will be in place for the next 12 weeks and Nigel Pulling, Chief Executive, was on hand to see it being put into position.
Nigel (pictured right) said:
Following last year’s unprecedented rainfall, our aim is to weather proof the show as far as we can, and the bridge is part of the plan. We recently acquired additional land which increases the car parking we have available by around 20 percent. It is not that we are expecting more cars, but this gives us greater flexibility of land we can use. We have also created more internal roads within the parking areas and substantially extended and improved the drainage.
Visitors can either walk or use a free tractor and trailer shuttle service to get from the new car parks, over the bridge to the show entrances. Around 45,000 cars are parked at the event over the three days.
- Total length of new temporary road installed: 5,482m
- Total Square meters of new temporary roads installed: 27,410m2
- Total amount of stone used 12,854 tonnes
- Total length of new drainage installed 5,571m
- Total amount of stone used for the drainage 2,500 tonnes
- Length of new bridge – 15m. Width 5m. Weight 44 tonnes
This year one of the highlights of the Yorkshire Show will be a mock battle staged by The Yorkshire Regiment each day in the Main Ring and there will be displays by The White Helmets, The Royal Signals’ Motor Cycle Display Team.
Around 5,000 animals will compete for the championship prizes, and top class show jumping will again be on the agenda, with the prestigious Ripon Select Foods Cock o’the North Trophy as the culmination of the three days of the show jumping competitions.
There is also an extensive food hall, around 1,200 stands selling everything from combine harvesters to designer clothes and demonstrations of country skills.
