Festival heads to stately home
The Stranglers will be among the bands taking part in the Galtres Festival at Duncombe Park during the August Bank Holiday weekend.
DUNCOMBE Park has been chosen to host this year’s Galtres Festival, it has been revealed.
Organisers made the surprise announcement last week and will now bring some of the best music talent from around the region and the country to the stately home near Helmsley on the August Bank Holiday weekend.
Although this year’s line-up is still a work in progress, it has been confirmed that The Stranglers and Maximo Park will be two of the three headliners at the three-day festival with more than 100 support acts also expected, including Hope & Social, Littlemores, Chris Helme and Maia.
Sites in York and Huby, near Easingwold, had also been in the running to host the festival but, in the end, organisers opted for Duncombe Park which was recently featured in the BBC smash hit show Parade’s End.
“It’s a truly fabulous and spectacular location, and perfect for our festival,” said organiser James Houston. “There is spacious grassy parkland, woodland, beautiful riverside camping, the fabulous backdrop of a stately home, and fantastic access roads all around the estate.
“What we also deeply value is the warm welcome we have received from people here –the estate owners, the local traders, the town council – everyone. It’s clear they appreciate the quality of our event, and the value of the benefits it will bring to Helmsley and to the region.”
The festival is being welcomed by Helmsley in Business, the group made up of more than 40 local traders, who hope the thousands of festival goers will also visit the town centre’s shops and attractions including Helmsley Castle, the Walled Garden and nearby Rievaulx Abbey.
Chris Parkin, a member of Helmsley Town Council and owner of Carlton Lodge Guest House, said: “Helmsley has the capacity and proven ability to host these fantastic large scale events and its friendly market town atmosphere offers an additional experience for those attending. I’m sure it will be a huge success”.
Chairman of Helmsley in Business Chris Garnett, the owner Hunters of Helmsley, added: “Local businesses will enhance the event for all the visitors by fully supporting the organisers with supplies of local produce and welcoming festivalgoers into town.”
It is the latest event to be hosted by Duncombe Park which is also home to an annual motorcycle rally, a steam fair, a country game fair, horse racing and craft events
“The people here seem very pragmatic,” said Mr Houston.
“They welcome events and the visitors they attract as the lifeblood of the local economy. We pledge to respect the town and its residents, to minimise disruption and to maximise benefit.”
Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, the regional tourism agency, added, “We have supported Galtres Festival for some years and are sure this move will be a great boost to the festival and the local area. The reputation of the event goes from strength to strength bringing great music to a spectacular location.”
Galtres Festival began in 2005 at the Durham Ox, Crayke, and this represents the sixth move in nine years, as the event has steadily grown.
The event was hosted at Sutton Park Stately Home in 2006, and the move there helped grow the audience by nearly double.
“You might think going to festivals was about getting away from the formality of the Establishment,” said Mr Houston, “but you’d be wrong. We British just love our stately homes! Give us a fine tune, a glass of something nice to drink, a big posh house and a country view, and we’re the happiest folk in the world.”
Galtres Festival is on August 23 to 25.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Malton
Wednesday 19 June 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 11 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 11 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
