Crimple Valley Oracle Takes Shape at the Great Yorkshire Showground

Visitors arriving at the Great Yorkshire Show (Tuesday 8 – Thursday 10 July) will be able to watch a new ‘eye-catching’ attraction take shape as they walk through one of the entrance gates to the 250-acre showground.

(NB: Images available to download at the bottom of the release)

Sculptor Johnny Clasper, a member of the Yorkshire Dry Stone Walling Guild, has been commissioned to create a 10m long dry stone wall made from Yorkshire limestone.

But the ‘Crimple Valley Oracle’ is a far cry from a traditional dry stone wall – when complete the new feature will be 1.5m at its highest point with a 600mm viewing ‘eye’ towards one of the showground’s main exhibition halls, and towards another of the Guild’s creations, a dry stone wall memorial seat. The commission has come from the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, organisers of the three day farming and countryside extravaganza.

The 156th Great Yorkshire Show opens on Tuesday 8 and runs until Thursday 10 July. More than 135,000 visitors are expected to flock to the event which this year sees two Royal visitors as well as a host of exciting attractions.

The project was the idea of Show Director Bill Cowling, who is also President of the Guild, and Guild Director Dave Purvis. They then called on Johnny to design and start building the new feature with a key requirement that show visitors could see it take shape over the three days.

Bill explained: “Dry stone walling is such a crucial, traditional skill, and it is important that we showcase it to our visitors. The English countryside and Yorkshire in particular has thousands of miles of dry stone walls, and although what our visitors will see at the Great Yorkshire is far from traditional, it demonstrates the creativity and imagination of the wallers. Hopefully it will be inspirational and encourage others to help maintain what is an integral part of the fabric of our countryside.”

A stone mason who grew up close to the showground, Johnny is a former pupil of Rossett School in Harrogate. He started his working life as a bricklayer, but became more and more interested in dry stone walling and sculpture.

“I am inspired by nature. Stone is a natural material and I try to make my work look as though it is grown from the earth, and is organic. I wanted to push the boundaries of traditional stone walling as far as I could and combine this with modern creativity,” said Johnny, whose creations have won him four Gold Awards at the Harrogate Flower Shows.

“I grew up in Harrogate on Hookstone Drive and this area used to be my playground. Working at the Great Yorkshire Showground is like reliving my childhood,” he said.

Johnny has been busy building the ‘eye’ of the wall in the run-up to show and will be assisted throughout the three days by members of the Yorkshire Dry Stone Walling Association and volunteers from the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.

The wall is being built at Brown Gate off Railway Road and it is expected that the project will continue to take shape during the next two Great Yorkshire Shows for visitors to watch.

Elsewhere around the showground there are thousands of animals competing for the coveted championship rosettes, exciting ring displays, demonstrations of country skills, fashion and food shows and hundreds of stands selling everything from designer clothing to combine harvesters. This year HRH The Countess of Wessex will visit the event for the first time (Tuesday 8 July), and the following day, Wednesday 9 July, HRH The Princess Royal will be the guest of honour.

ENDS

27 June, 2014

Media contact: Judy Thompson, PR Manager, 01423 546215 or email judyt@yas.co.uk or Caroline Cook on 0792 0091923.

If you wish to apply for press passes to the Great Yorkshire Show, please complete the online application form on our website, by 2 July 2014 - http://greatyorkshireshow.co.uk/media/press-passes

Editors’ Notes - GREAT YORKSHIRE SHOW

Tickets for the Great Yorkshire Show are available on line - www.greatyorkshireshow.co.uk or call 01423 541222 or in person from the Show’s office at the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate.

Tickets bought in advance+                        Tickets bought on the gate

Adult:                           £22                              Adult                            £25

Concession:                £21                              Concession:                £24                             

Children (5 – 18yrs):   £9                                Children (5 – 18 yrs):  £11

Family Ticket*:            £56                              Family Ticket*             £64

Under 5s are admitted free but must be accompanied.

Family* - admits 2 adults and up to three children.

The final date for ordering advance tickets is Wednesday 2 July.

Parking is free and extensive. Free buses will run from Harrogate Bus Station to the showground. Please be aware, dogs, other than assistance dogs, are not allowed on the showground.  For more information and the latest news, please see www.greatyorkshireshow.co.uk

YORKSHIRE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY: 

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society was formed in 1837 and is a charity dedicated to supporting the farming industry and rural life. The Society is the organiser of the annual farming and country showcase, the Great Yorkshire Show and its sister event, Countryside Live. Both take place at the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate, North Yorkshire and are flagship events for agriculture and rural life. Dates for the 2014 Great Yorkshire Show are Tuesday 8 – Thursday 10 July, and Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 October for Countryside Live.

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