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Which roads will be closed for the Knaresborough Bed Race?

Thursday, 11 June 2026 07:32

Crowds at the Great Knaresborough Bed Race.

Motorists are being urged to plan ahead as a series of road closures come into force across Knaresborough for the annual Bed Race.

Thousands of spectators are expected to line the streets for one of North Yorkshire's most popular events on Saturday (13th June), with roads shutting in stages throughout the day to accommodate both the parade and race.

10am closures

The first restrictions begin at 10am when Knaresborough Marketplace and all roads leading into it close to traffic.

Main closures from 12pm

The biggest impact on traffic will come from midday, when much of the route through the town centre is shut.

Roads affected include:

The A59 through the town centre, covering most of High Street from Silver Street downwards
Bond End
The route up Knaresborough Hill as far as Harrogate Golf Club
Boroughbridge Road, from the High Street junction to the Stockwell Road junction
High Bond End, as far as Lands Lane
Waterside, from The World's End to Castle Mills

Additional closures from 2pm

Further roads used exclusively for the race will close from 2pm.

These include:

Waterside, from Castle Mills to Castle Ings
Castle Ings in its entirety

When will roads reopen?

Roads will reopen in stages once it is safe to do so, with timings determined by the police and event organisers.

However, some routes could remain closed until as late as 6pm if crowds are heavy and it is deemed unsafe to reopen them sooner.

Diversions and public transport

A diversion route will be in place for traffic travelling between Knaresborough and Harrogate while the A59 is closed, using Briggate, Calcutt and Forest Moor.

Bus services will follow the diversion route, while train services will continue to run as normal.

Organisers are advising residents and visitors to allow extra time for journeys and check routes before travelling.

LISTEN: George Simpson, Knaresborough Lions president, chats to Your Harrogate's Pete Egerton:

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