Harland Way

History

The Harland Way follows the trackbed of the railway from Church Fenton to Harrogate, built by the York and North Midland Railway. Because of the heavy engineering between Spofforth and Harrogate, the line opened in two stages: from Church Fenton to a temporary terminus at Spofforth on 10 August 1847, and on to Harrogate on 20 July 1848. Spofforth station closed to passengers and goods on 6 January 1964.

The trackbed between Spofforth and Wetherby was converted to a walking and cycling path in 1992, and the path is named after Peter Harland, a former president of the local Lions Club. The Lions Club extended it into the former railway triangle at Wetherby, and it has since been extended to Thorp Arch; in 2022 Wetherby District Lions Club and the housebuilder Lovell Homes refurbished it. It is owned and maintained by a partnership of Leeds City Council, North Yorkshire Council (which replaced Harrogate Borough Council), the Wetherby to Thorp Arch Railway Path Forum and the Thorp Arch Estate and Retail Park, and in 2024 North Yorkshire Council planned a £200,000 resurfacing.