An art trail that weaves its way through the heart of a North Yorkshire town is about to gain an exciting new addition highlighting an often-overlooked chapter of its history.
A new painting celebrating Knaresborough’s linen trade will soon join the collection of art which has been brightening up the town for 16 years.
Positioned at Green Dragon’s Yard, which has historic links to the spinning and weaving industry, the artwork which is being designed by local artist Helen Salmons was made possible thanks to new funding.
Cllr Hannah Gostlow, who represents the Knaresborough East division, has donated £1,500 from her locality budget towards the project.
Each of our 90 members has an annual budget of £10,000 to respond to local needs by allocating small amounts of funding to support activities to promote social, economic, or environmental well-being in the communities which they represent.
Funding can be used for projects undertaken by external organisations or for additional services provided by the council. Each member is responsible for determining how they wish to seek approval to use the money from their locality budget.
This is the second year running that Cllr Gostlow has used some of her locality fund for the project, donating £600 last year towards the restoration of two existing paintings.
She said: “I am more than happy to support the trail again, which is loved by residents and visitors alike and has become a part of our visual heritage expressing Knaresborough’s unique and creative identity both past and present.
“It is accessible to all ages and is an activity in its own right offering a perfect way to explore the town.”
The window art trail, which was launched by community group Renaissance Knaresborough, was created to disguise bricked-up Georgian windows from the historic window tax era. This was a property tax based on the number of windows in a house that was introduced at the end of the 17th century before being repealed in 1851.
Over time, the art trail has grown to feature paintings of some of Knaresborough’s historical figures like Guy Fawkes, Mother Shipton and Queen Philippa, with notable works by Ray Mutimer, famed for illustrating Postman Pat. More modern themes, such as windows illustrating the Tour de France’s Grand Départ which was staged in Yorkshire in 2014, have also been added.
But over the years, the trail has become weathered and prompted restoration efforts. Of its 16 painted windows, eight have been restored with more funding needed to complete the project.
The chair of Renaissance Knaresborough, Liz Baxandall, said: “This new artwork not only pays tribute to our industrial past but also showcases the talents of our local artists.
“We are immensely grateful for the support from North Yorkshire Council and the wider community, as every penny is vital to keep this vibrant project going for everyone to enjoy.”