Community & Events

We were thrilled that so many people braved the hot weather (for the second year running!) to join us to celebrate returning the land to community ownership. After a welcome by Shan Oakes, Mayor of Knaresborough and KFP team member, we were delighted that Ben Skinner, our former Chair, opened the event with a rousing rendering of his Ballad of Long Lands Common, telling the tale of where we have come from and where we are going. During the afternoon we were treated to music b

We were thrilled that Knaresborough Museum Association chose the subject of the ancient Knaresborough Forest to create not only a very informative exhibition at Knaresborough Heritage Centre but also a wonderful film shown at their recent Son et Lumière event at Knaresborough House. It maps the history of the Forest and also looks to the future, emphasizing the importance of protecting our local green spaces - a topic very close to our hearts! The film features paintings by o

A group of volunteers met on Knaresborough Forest Park today to launch our campaign to ask dog-walkers to keep their dogs on a lead when visiting the site. We feel it is important to engage dog owners in conversation to share our reasons for this, which are also explained in our previous journal post . We encourage dog walkers to enjoy walking on KFP, as long as they keep their dog on a lead, because: we have seen and heard skylarks, willow warblers and meadow pipits around t

We were contacted back in July 2025 by a musician performing under the name of HerOrangeCoat, asking permission to come and roam the woods until she found a place where she felt inspired, settle down and write a song using vocals and ukulele, then record it in situ. This process was a part of the project called The Woodland Sessions, backed by the Youth Music NextGen Fund. Capturing the spaces that inspired them, these field recordings were all written and recorded by HerOran

We were delighted at the support for another ceilidh this year, with participants old and young obviously having a great time. The caller of the band even commended them, not only on their enthusiasm but also for following her instructions so obediently! We must say that they look as if they know what they are doing here: We are hugely grateful to the Dark Horse Ceilidh Band for offering their time and skills free of charge, (particularly violinist Amy, a Long Lands sharehol

Our quiz night on Saturday was quite a night, raising nearly £700 for planting willow and fruit trees. The indomitable quiz masters Andy and Amanda stretched our brains, got us talking and taught us lots of intriguing facts. We learned, for example, that Argentina means the land of silver, that Venus turns in the opposite direction to all the other planets in our solar system, that Barbados means the land of bearded ones, that we have no muscles in our forefingers, and that t

Look out for our new calendars, filled with beautiful photos taken throughout the year by volunteers on Long Lands Common and Knaresborough Forest Park. Price £7, available at: Butter Cup community café, Butter Lane, Knaresborough (the ginnel between the market square and the High Street), Wed/Thur/Fri afternoons Twig & Ink, 19 High Street, Knaresborough Classy Chaos vintage shop, Green Dragon Yard, Knaresborough. Huge thanks to these venues for supporting us by stocking our

We had another lovely turnout for our regular ramble the other weekend - a mix of familiar faces and new ones. It’s always good to see people coming together, chatting, sharing ideas and seeing the landscape change with the season. The air’s getting cooler now, the last cuts are being taken and the trees are starting to turn. There’s a sense of everything slowing down - but also of things quietly starting to grow beneath the surface. A few new ideas began to take shape on thi

The searing heat of the summer seems a long time ago now, but we are looking back to our Knaresborough Forest Day event on 13 August....

Ten LLC board members were invited to attend a garden party organised for volunteers from across North Yorkshire. The occasion, held at ...

Philanthropist Gayla LeMaire once said, "Volunteers are paid in six figures... S-M-I-L-E-S." On the morning of June 29, 2025, our team of...

During our recent celebration event, we were thrilled to be presented with a mosaic featuring Knaresborough Forest, created as a...

We were delighted and honoured to be awarded the Environment Cup at the Knaresborough Town Council Mayor-making ceremony on 22 May. We...

Keen gardeners from Knaresborough and Harrogate gathered at the Centre on Gracious Street on Wednesday evening to learn from the...

George and Geoff suggested that a visit to the Three Hagges Project near York would give us useful insights into the way forward with KFP....

Why we ask you to keep dogs on a lead in Knaresborough Forest Park. If you have walked on or near Knaresborough Forest Park recently, you...

'The Belmont Oak' This morning, a few of us were invited for a walk around Harrogate Golf Club, led by Head Greenkeeper Ken Ward....

Another meeting of the “Last of the Summer Wine” volunteer group today in beautiful sunshine on the first day of spring. A cracked cast...

Yesterday, we held our second guided walk, and once again, the turnout was incredible. It fills us with so much hope to see just how many...