Ruby Kitchen

Research has identified Heslington Fields, now part of the University of York campus, as a former biodiversity hotspot rich in rare plants, fens and wetlands before enclosure and intensive farming altered the landscape. University ecologists are exploring the reintroduction of historically recorded species using regional seed banks and ecological management, while species such as Devil’s-bit Scabious, Bogbean and Yellow Loosestrife have already returned naturally or been planted in restored wetlands. A public nature framework, walking trail and iNaturalist recording project will support monitoring and may help prevent rare plants from becoming locally extinct.

North Yorkshire milliner Jane de Carteret turned to hatmaking after debilitating back pain ended her active life on the sea. Encouraged by the late Queen Elizabeth II's milliner Freddie Fox and trained by Rose Corey, she developed a successful practice creating bespoke hats for races, weddings, Royal Ascot and royal garden parties. De Carteret describes millinery as occupational therapy and is now exhibiting, teaching students and working to preserve what she sees as a declining craft.

Art in the Barn will mark its 25th anniversary with a special exhibition at the restored 16th-century Tithe Barn in Nether Poppleton from August 29 to 31, 2026. The event will feature 30 exhibitors working across painting, printmaking and sculpture, alongside handmade cards and a pop-up café. The annual exhibition helps fund the barn’s maintenance, while the wider group of more than 40 artists meets regularly for workshops. Artist Patrick Smith will open a ticketed preview evening on August 28.

Fire crews and farmers tackled a deliberately started fire involving hay bales in South Milford, North Yorkshire. The blaze spread to a neighbouring field and destroyed around 15 acres before being brought under control with assistance from landowners and crews from Tadcaster, Acomb, Selby and Pontefract. North Yorkshire Police are seeking CCTV, dash-cam or mobile footage from witnesses and warned that deliberate hay-bale fires cause financial losses and pose risks to people, property, livestock and the countryside.

A 57-year-old woman cyclist was critically but stably injured in an incident on Middlegate Lane near Elsham at about 7:40 p.m. on Thursday. She was taken to hospital, while West Yorkshire Police continues to investigate the circumstances and is appealing for witnesses or anyone with relevant information.

A photo gallery captures the 116th Osmotherley Show in North Yorkshire, featuring flower, fruit and vegetable competitions, handicrafts, children’s classes, livestock, horses, ponies, a dog show, sheepdog trials, vintage engines and a fell race. The event is presented as a sunny celebration of the rural community, with young participants prominent among the crowds and competitors.

Mohammed Ibrahim Mehmood, 19, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years for murdering 19-year-old Junaid Khan during violence between two groups on Newton Street in Bradford amid Eid celebrations. CCTV evidence helped detectives establish Khan’s final movements. Luqmaan Rehman and Hamza Rehman received prison sentences for violent disorder, while Mohammed Tayyub received a suspended sentence for an earlier assault causing actual bodily harm against Khan. Police praised the local community for providing information and reiterated that weapons-related violence would not be tolerated.

Haranand Rai, 35, has been sentenced to six years in prison after being found guilty at Sheffield Crown Court of two counts of sexual assault against women following a night out in Barnsley in February 2023. South Yorkshire Police praised the victims for coming forward and giving evidence despite the distress involved.