The Yorkshire Agricultural Society have fenced-off 45-acres of the Yorkshire Show land that was previously available for walking to the general public.
The land is used for car parking for the Great Yorkshire Show, but was made available for the public for walking – a gesture appreciated by the many that made use of the land.
Until 2014, the land was a pay to play golf course. This change returns the public access to a similar level of access to when it was the golf course. The access remains to the Hookstone Woods, and the footpaths/ bridal way routes.
The Yorkshire Agriculture Society has said that they have taken the decision to turn the land over to livestock grazing for local farmers.
Although the land is owned by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, access to the land will be a disappointment to the community. It does demonstrate a lack of goodwill from the the society, especially given the level of disruption the Great Yorkshire Show causes to the area.
