Roof fitted to Harrogate's new £10m exhibition hall

THE largest project in the 170-year history of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society is one huge step closer to completion with the roof of its new £10m exhibition hall now fitted in place.
Left to right: Jon Cousins, site manager of Clugston Construction, Heather Parry, deputy chief executive of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, and Adrian Taylor, director of P+HS Architects.Left to right: Jon Cousins, site manager of Clugston Construction, Heather Parry, deputy chief executive of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, and Adrian Taylor, director of P+HS Architects.
Left to right: Jon Cousins, site manager of Clugston Construction, Heather Parry, deputy chief executive of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, and Adrian Taylor, director of P+HS Architects.

A traditional ‘topping out’ ceremony took place this week, and despite the recent gales and heavy rain, the project is on schedule to open at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate well in advance of the venue’s largest annual event, the Great Yorkshire Show in July.

The new building is at the heart of the 250-acre site overlooking the Crimple Valley and will provide an additional 4,320sq metres of open plan, versatile space – equal to three Olympic-sized pools. It includes a café, large foyer, offices and a dedicated workshop and seminar space.

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The building adjoins an existing hall, giving a total area of 6,270 sq m.

Copper cladding to the main entrance and dry stone walling to the café elevation add individual design features and emphasise its link to the landscape and the Society’s heritage.

The hall will be used for a wide range of events with all revenue from lettings to be put back into supporting the Society’s work promoting agriculture and managing the landscape.

Heather Parry, the Society’s deputy chief executive, said: “This new hall will be the biggest single events space in Yorkshire and the North East enabling us to host dinners for more than 2,000 people, and offer amazing exhibition and conference space. It will also suit a wide range of musical and sporting events.

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“After years of planning, it is wonderful to see the roof completed and fitted with solar panels and we look forward to officially opening the building in June.”

The building contractors are Clugston Construction, based in Scunthorpe, and the architects are P+HS of Stokesley and Leeds.