Recent articles

Blind Peter Barker
Remembering Hampsthwaite’s Blind Joiner - an article by Shaun WilsonLike the market town of Knaresborough, who had ‘Blind Jack’ – John Metcalf, the road builder of Yorkshire in the eighteenth century, the small rural village of Hampsthwaite had it’s blind hero also, almost a century later – Peter Barker who became known as ‘The Blind Joiner of Hampsthwaite.’ Though there are some similarities between John Metcalf and Peter Barker’s lives, these are purely co-incidental and each fulfilled a life, character and career in their own right.
Jane Ridsdale
JANE RIDSDALEAged 33 years, born at Hampsthwaite, near Harrogate, Yorkshire, her height is 31 ½ inches.She is remarkably chearfull & enjoys very good health.Published July 1st 1807 by Jane Ridstale, at Harrogate where purchasers of this Print will have the opportunity of seeing and conversing with her
Joshua Tetley
Joshua Tetley was the founder of Tetley’s Brewery in Leeds, and he retired with his wife Hannah to Hollins Hall on the outskirts of Hampsthwaite (Hollins Hall Retirement Village).
The Execution of Hannah Whitley
Arsenic Poisoning in Hampsthwaite - The Execution of Hannah Whitley In 1789, Hannah Whitley of Hampsthwaite used a pie as the delivery medium for a fatal dose of arsenic, with the poison concentrated in the crust. She claimed She had been coerced into the act of poisoning by her employer, a local linen weaver named Horseman, who was involved in an on-going feud with the intended victim.
Scrubbers and Stones
SCRUBBERS & STONES - Sat 29th June 10.30am - 2.30pm - Entry FREE! Explore the Memorials at St Thomas a'Becket Memorials Treasure Trail - for children if all ages Self-Service / Self-Checkout BBQ from 12 noon (inc. veg option) Food £2, Drink £1, Donations? - yes please! Hot & Cold Drinks Laptop & Screen to show Mapping Hampsthwaite’s Past Use a Bucket & Brush to help reveal Inscriptions on the older memorials . . . or just Sit & Enjoy CORPUS CHRISTI BRASS BAND . . . from 11.30am . . . followed by Afternoon Tea & Cakes at the Memorial Hall!
Hampsthwaite Open Gardens
Hampsthwaite Open Gardens - Sat 29th June 12.30am - 5.00pm - Entry £5.00 (accompanied under 15's FREE) Tickets on the day from Hampsthwaite Memorial Hall Plant sales - many named varieties of plants Delicious homemade refreshments Afternoon tea and cakes served from 12.30pm at the Memorial Hall
Genealogy Websites
Free genealogy websites will help you start your family history research at no cost as listed by the 'Who Do You Think You Are' magazine.
Kitchen Refurbishment
Memorial Hall kitchen is now completely, and expertly, refurbished by Neil,Batty Builders Ltd as a result of a grant awarded by the National Lottery's 'Reaching Communities' fund.See also the equivalent
Amy Woodforde-Finden
A highly successful composer of the late Victorian and Edwardian eras, Amy Woodforde-Finden, together with her husband and step-son, is laid to rest in the churchyard of St Thomas à Becket Parish Church. Inside the church there is an impressive marble monument of her, created by the renowned sculptor George Edward Wade. It was unveiled in 1923 and a few years later, Finden Gardens in Hampsthwaite was named in her honour.[Click on title or image to link to articles]
Amy Woodforde-Finden Centenary Events (2)
Amy Woodforde-Finden : 'An Evening with Amy'A centenary concert to celebrate the life and works of Amy was held in Hampsthwaite Memorial Hall on April 21st 2023 Click on images to open full-size in new window and use the Browser back arrow to return to here.

Feast Construction projects

The Feast Group is proud of its record of self-help in the design and construction of resources, both to the benefit of the Feast and to the village community. We are grateful for the generous support of residents who give freely of their time and expertise whenever the need arises.

Feast Cabins Project

2012 will see the completion of this major project undertaken by the Hampsthwaite Feast Group and for the benefit of the whole community. The Feast Group wish to express their appreciation of the support given by Hampsthwaite Parish Council and our two junior football clubs. We also give special thanks to the following sponsors, all of whom contributed to make the project possible.

The Waste Recycling Group Ltd are the major sponsors of the whole project. The WREN Small Grants Scheme(SGS) is one of a range of funding streams operated by WREN under the Landfill Communities Fund and it is this scheme which, in November 2011, awarded the majority of the funds needed to complete all work required.

This comprised:

a complete reworking of what were previously the nursery toilets, to make them more suitable for general use
provision of a new side door to provide direct access to the toilets and reorganisation of interior doors to improve access generally
completion of all access routes to ensure all users, including maintenance vehilces, can visit the cabins in all weathers.
provision of a durable and secure exterior store in which to house equipment for the two junior football clubs and others.

A Community Chest grant, awarded by Harrogate Borough Council in November 2011, provided major funding to ensure the two Feast Cabins are easily accessible by wheelchair and pushchair users so that all residents can make full use of our play area and the new facilities located in the two cabins. HBC Planning Department were at all times supportive and helped to ensure the cabins were appropriately located.

In autumn 2010, North Yorkshire most generously gifted the two Titan Portacabins to the community once their use became superfluous to the needs of our local primary school. Also in June 2011, the NYCC County Area Committee for the Harrogate District granted funds towards the improvement of access to them in their new location.

Link to http://www.tworidingscommunityfoundation.org.uk/grants/knabs_ridge/

We wish to express our thanks to the Knabs Ridge Wind Farm Community Fund who were able to support our grant application in May 2011. This funded mains electricity and water services into Feast Field following ground works preparation by Feast volunteers on two weekends in early June 2011

We are particularly grateful to Mark Smith and his team from HACS who managed the siting of the cabins into their final positions and provision of services to them. Their broad range of expertise and willingness to 'go the extra mile', ensured that the two cabins were securely located with proper connections to mains electricity, water and sewerage sytems - they even ensured we have a facility at the rear of the cabins for cleaning football boots!

Link to http://www.emsleycranehireuk.co.uk

Without the full support of John Emsley it is doubtful the project would even have got of the ground - literally! Emsley Cranes came to the rescue when no other way of removing the unwanted cabins from the school playground could be found, and we were in awe of the skill demonstrated by the crews, as they positioned the two cabins with millimetre precision.