Our Family
For those of you who don’t know, the Great Yorkshire Showground is located in the heart of the UK on the edge of the picturesque spa town of Harrogate. It’s a beautiful place. In the centre of the showground, there are 90 acres of lawns, ponds, woodlands, and even a small but perfect, heritage apple orchard. We are surrounded by 200 acres of woodland, farmland, fields, and cycle paths.
The Showground isn’t just a lovely, natural space. It’s the home to a diverse group of companies that all support the charitable aims of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society (YAS). The Society is best known for organising the Great Yorkshire Show in July but perhaps is lesser known for the work it does through the rest of the year. A registered charity, founded in 1837, YAS was established to support farmers in Yorkshire. Since then, the objectives have grown to include the following:
- To support and promote agricultural, rural, and allied industries throughout the North of England including championing the role of farmers as providers of high-quality products and encouraging consumers to choose healthy and local produce.
- To advance and encourage agricultural research and greater understanding and empathy with farming and the countryside amongst the general public and particularly children.
- To advance and encourage the protection and sustainability of the environment.
- To hold an annual agricultural show.
The location of the Great Yorkshire Show is probably why most people know the Showground. The Show itself is rapidly becoming known as one of the best agricultural shows in the UK, welcoming 140,000 people to the Showground every July.
The four-day event celebrates farming, food, and the countryside with a respect for tradition while welcoming innovations. Expect showjumping with some of the best riders in the country competing for the prestigious Cock O’ The North as well as the best in Britain competing across the judging rings including cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, and rabbits. There’s cutting-edge machinery and farm equipment as well as hives and honey, forestry, a fabulous food hall, cookery demos, a garden show, and countryside pursuits.
The time it takes to get the Showground ready for the Great Yorkshire Show is about 4 weeks during which time, the already immaculate lawns are titivated, the stables and cattle rings are prepared, and lots of things are painted or repaired. Everything really is in tip-top condition.
The Showground doesn’t sit idle for the rest of the year. We welcome over 600 events annually to our award-winning venues: Yorkshire Event Centre and Pavilions of Harrogate. Be it an exhibition for 10,000 delegates or a gala charity dinner for 1,000 guests at the Yorkshire Event Centre or a conference for 300 or your wedding day; our teams at our two versatile venues will work with you to ensure the delivery of the perfect event.
Another one of our award-winning businesses is the ever-popular Fodder, our Farm Shop and Café. Fodder was created to help support local farmers and food producers showcase their produce and ensuring local food is accessible to consumers. We currently support more than 430 Yorkshire farmers and producers whose products are available in the shop, café, or online.
Last but by no means least, is the Harrogate Caravan Park. Our TripAdvisor Travelers Choice 2022 site has 67 generously sized pitches that are a mixture of grass and hard standing which means that we can happily accommodate caravans, motorhomes, and tents. All pitches can have electric hookups, there are fabulous, heated washrooms as well as a laundry room. Wi-Fi is free and we are a dog-friendly site.
We really do have to offer something for everyone. If you’d like further information on our family, give us a call on 01423 544 544 and we’ll be happy to help.
