Ripon's route closes from 11.40am and Pateley Bridge from 12.10pm on Saturday 5 September. Closure times for every village from Boroughbridge to Greenhow.

The fourth stage of the Lloyds Tour of Britain crosses this district on Saturday 5 September. Roads will shut through Boroughbridge, Ripon, Pateley Bridge and Greenhow, mostly for about an hour each.

North Yorkshire Council has now published the closure locations and the times (full list). Almost all of them are rolling closures, which means the road is held only for as long as the race convoy needs it.

One point worth being clear about: the race does not come into Harrogate or Knaresborough. It runs across the north and west of the district, from Boroughbridge through Ripon and up Nidderdale.

When your road closes

These are the nine points on the route inside the Harrogate district, with the council’s own closure windows and its estimated race arrival times.

Location Road closed Race expected
Boroughbridge 11.30am to 12.30pm 11.59am to 12.09pm
Kirby Hill 11.30am to 12.30pm 12 noon to 12.10pm
Ripon Racecourse 11.40am to 12.40pm 12.09pm to 12.21pm
Ripon Studley Road 11.40am to 12.40pm 12.12pm to 12.25pm
Risplith 12 noon to 1pm 12.22pm to 12.37pm
B6165/B6265 junction 12.10pm to 1.10pm 12.33pm to 12.51pm
Pateley Bridge 12.10pm to 1.10pm 12.35pm to 12.53pm
Greenhow Hill 11am to 2pm 12.37pm to 1.01pm
Greenhow village 12.15pm to 1.15pm 12.42pm to 1.01pm

Greenhow Hill is the exception. It shuts at 11am and does not reopen until 2pm, three hours for a race that passes in under half an hour. That is the climb the riders take out of Pateley Bridge, and it is the hardest thing on the stage before the Dales.

Tour of Britain road closure windows in the Harrogate district, Saturday 5 September 2026 Horizontal timeline of road closure windows. Boroughbridge closed 11.30 to 12.30, race expected 11.59 to 12.09. Kirby Hill closed 11.30 to 12.30, race expected 12.00 to 12.10. Ripon Racecourse closed 11.40 to 12.40, race expected 12.09 to 12.21. Ripon Studley Road closed 11.40 to 12.40, race expected 12.12 to 12.25. Risplith closed 12.00 to 13.00, race expected 12.22 to 12.37. B6165/B6265 junction closed 12.10 to 13.10, race expected 12.33 to 12.51. Pateley Bridge closed 12.10 to 13.10, race expected 12.35 to 12.53. Greenhow Hill closed 11.00 to 14.00, race expected 12.37 to 13.01. Greenhow village closed 12.15 to 13.15, race expected 12.42 to 13.01. Source: North Yorkshire Council Tour of Britain road closures page. Greenhow Hill shuts for three hours, everywhere else for one Road closure windows in the Harrogate district, Saturday 5 September 2026. Darker block = when the race is expected 11am 11.30am noon 12.30pm 1pm 1.30pm 2pm Boroughbridge Kirby Hill Ripon Racecourse Ripon Studley Road Risplith B6165/B6265 junction Pateley Bridge Greenhow Hill Greenhow village Source: North Yorkshire Council, Tour of Britain road closure locations, published for the stage on 5 September 2026 Parking restrictions apply on the route from 8pm on Friday 4 September until about an hour after the race has passed Graphic by Harrogate Live
Every local closure lasts about an hour except Greenhow Hill, which is held for three. The darker block is when the council expects the race itself.

Parking

Parking restrictions run along the whole route from 8pm on Friday 4 September until the last race vehicle has passed, which the council puts at about an hour after the arrival times above. Restricted lengths are marked with yellow cones.

For Ripon that means the restrictions should lift at around 1.30pm, according to Ripon BID, which is publishing the detail for the city centre. If you normally leave a car on the B6265 through the city, move it on the Friday evening.

The stage itself

Stage four runs 165.8km from Helmsley to Leyburn with 2,700 metres of climbing, and the organisers call it the hardest stage of this year’s race. It is the first time Leyburn has hosted a finish.

The route reaches us at Boroughbridge, goes on through Ripon, then turns up Nidderdale. The climb out of Pateley Bridge onto Greenhow Bank is 4km at an average gradient of 7.2 per cent, according to the race organisers’ route announcement, republished by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority. After that the race leaves the district for Grassington and Wharfedale.

What the villages are doing

Fourteen towns and villages along the whole stage have shared £9,178 in grants to mark the day, paid from the Mayoral Community Grant and handed out by North Yorkshire Council (announcement, 28 August).

Four of the fourteen are in this district:

  • Ripon
  • Pateley Bridge
  • Grantley and Sawley
  • Brafferton and Helperby

The council says the money is going on bunting, welcome banners, decorated bicycles, Yorkshire Rose artwork, entertainment and family activities. Town and parish councils could apply for up to £500, with up to £2,000 for the start and finish towns of Helmsley and Leyburn (scheme details).

Boroughbridge and Kirby Hill are on the route but are not on the funded list.

What it means for you

  • If you drive through Boroughbridge, Ripon or Nidderdale on a Saturday morning, this one will not work. The whole line of closures moves west across the district between 11.30am and 1.15pm.
  • Greenhow Hill is the one to plan around properly. The B6265 over the top is shut from 11am to 2pm, so the Pateley Bridge to Grassington road is out for the whole middle of the day.
  • Move parked cars off the route by 8pm on Friday 4 September, not on the Saturday morning.
  • Watching is free and you do not need a ticket. The council asks spectators to stand well back, keep dogs on a lead, and keep flags, phones and cameras out of the road.
  • The council says it is working with bus operators on the day, but has not published a list of affected services. Check with your operator before travelling.

We keep the district’s live closures and rail work on our Harrogate roadworks and travel page, and the town’s car parks and charges are set out in our guide to parking in Harrogate. If you are making a day of it, there is more in things to do in Harrogate.