Hampsthwaite Community Shed provides a friendly, welcoming and safe environment in which members of the local community can meet, share skills, learn from one another and take part in practical, creative and social activities.The Shed aims to:
reduce social isolation and encourage friendship and companionship;
promote well-being through purposeful practical activity;
provide opportunities to learn, practice and share skills;
encourage repair, reuse and responsible use of materials;
enable members to undertake individual and community projects;
provide opportunities to use both traditional craft skills and modern technologies;
encourage people of different backgrounds, ages and abilities to participate.
Kids Can Do It
a crafting in cardboard and stripwood practical actvity day.
'standard' materials provided or bring your own.
pre-printed designs and patterns available to prepare at home first.
adults and teens welcome if accompanied by Under Year 7's they're helping
cafe open for teas, coffee and biscuits
From a website comment by Mr Derek Barker:""My father Jim Walker formerly a gas meter reader was born in a cottage adjacent to the church gates. Unfortunately I do not know which one of the pair he was born in. As a child he used the chair shown in the photographs. My father who passed away in 2004 told me that it was made from oak taken from Hampsthwaite Church. I make no claims as to its provenance but there is just a chance that it was made by Peter. The Teddy which gives scale to the chair is over 100 years old and belonged to my father in law Arthur Myers of Stubhouse Farm (Emmerdale site) in Harewood Park."
THIS COMING WEEKEND 21st and 22nd JUNE!I am delighted to announce that 38 young soldiers from22 Platoon at the Army Foundation College will be hosted here todo 'good works' around the village towards their Duke of Edinburgh Award.Please welcome them, thank them, and if you wish, join them!They will be working 1030hrs - 1530hrs around Feast Field on Saturday,followed by Memorial Hall then Village Centreand ending at the churchyard on Sunday.Our Community PayBack Team have kindly loaned several gardening tools,we have sourced others, but if you are able to loan any, especially clippers,trimmers, shears, forks or half moons etc. that would be very helpful.Please label them bring along to leave in the Memorial Hall Foyer
Local planning authorities need to regularly identify and update their supply of sites for housing development as part of their adopted local plan. North Yorkshire Council is currently drawing up a new county wide local plan and a new consultation (Issues and Options) is about to begin.
Our Memorial Hall was built to honour the fallen in two world wars and give thanks to those who returned. It is appropriate therefore that we play our full part in the national celebrations and village activities are planned for May 8th VE-Day and Saturday May 10th 2025
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.
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.
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
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
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Amy Woodforde-Finden Centenary Programme - 21st April 2023
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Step right up and prepare to be transported to another era with an enchanting evening of music and history! Come join us in commemorating the centenary of Amy Woodforde-Finden's memorial in an Edwardian Hampsthwaite setting.
Imagine yourself seated at candle-lit tables, savouring delicious canapes and wine whilst immersing yourself in an exhibition showcasing the captivating history of Hampsthwaite Village during Amy's era.
Get ready to be amazed by a mesmerising musical performance featuring a talented mezzo-soprano and other skilled musicians and singers. Amy's incredible story will come to life through stunning visuals and stirring music, leaving you captivated and inspired.
This is no ordinary night out - it's an unforgettable experience that promises to entertain, enlighten, and transport you to another time. So gather your friends and grab your tickets before they're all gone! Take advantage of this rare opportunity to immerse yourself in the magic of Amy Woodforde-Finden's music and the rich history of Hampsthwaite Village. Get ready for a night to remember!
100 years previously, during April 1923, her impressive marble monument, created by the renowned sculptor George Edward Wade, was unveiled in the Hampsthwaite Parish Church of St Thomas a'Becket.
The Pagoda of Flower and its dedicatee
In 2026 Thomas Flessenkaemper writes as follows:
"Having examined the original score of The Pagoda of Flowers, I discovered that Amy Woodforde-Finden dedicated the work to Her Highness Princess Louise Augusta of Schleswig-Holstein. After further research, it appears that this was, in fact, Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, whose full baptismal name included Louise Augusta. Contemporary evidence shows that "Louise Augusta" was an early appellation used for her.
What struck me is the contrast between the fairy tale atmosphere of The Pagoda of Flowers and Princess Marie Louise's own life. Her marriage ended in scandal and annulment, and she never remarried. One cannot help wondering whether the opera's themes of romance, beauty, and idealised happiness may have held a particular appeal for her, or perhaps even served as a substitute for aspects of happiness denied to her in her own life (her husband having decided to opt out of heterosexuality).
Amy must surely have enjoyed more than a merely formal acquaintance with the Princess, for The Pagoda of Flowers was one of her most ambitious works, and such a dedication is seldom bestowed without thought and personal regard. Whether the connection reflected friendship, admiration, patronage, or some other association remains an open question".
The Exhibition
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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
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