A historic North Yorkshire cricket club has been left devastated after its iconic pavilion was destroyed in a destructive fire, believed to have been started deliberately.
Studley Royal Cricket Club, near Ripon, said its beloved pavilion in the deer park was destroyed in a blaze on Sunday, August 30.
The building, which once featured in Channel 5's All Creatures Great and Small, suffered extensive damage after firefighters were called to the scene at around 5pm.
A North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: "The building suffered approximately 70 per cent fire damage, with the remaining 30 per cent heavily affected by smoke damage."
Fire investigators visited the site on August 31, but the cause of the blaze remains unknown.
However, the club believes the fire may have been started deliberately.
Club bosses want to hear from anyone who saw suspicious activity near the ground between 4.30pm and 5pm.
The case has now been passed to North Yorkshire Police, who will decide whether to launch a criminal investigation.
Club officials said news of the fire has devastated members and the wider community, who have fond memories of the venue.
A representative for Studley Royal. Steve Harris, said: "That particular ground was initially used by the estate workers to play cricket before it became Studley Royal, well over 100 years ago.
"We built a new ground in the 1990s, but continued to use the pavilion for third and fourth teams, and the junior section as well.
"It means a lot to the area, and it’s really a force for good. It’s a real shame that some people decided it may be a good idea to mess about with fire."
Yorkshire stars Finlay Bean and Ben Coad played some of their earliest cricket matches at the pavilion.
Steve added: "You’d like to hope that they were just being silly, but it’s clearly been started deliberately, there’s no electricity in the building – it's a very distressing situation for everybody concerned.
"They could’ve done a lot more damage by playing with fire, but it’s still a real shame for the club."
Studley Royal plans to launch a GoFundMe campaign in the coming weeks to help rebuild the pavilion as close to the original structure as possible.
The club is urging anyone with information to come forward and help establish what happened.
In a statement on social media, the club said: "We need as much information as possible, even if it is the smallest thing.
"We have lots of work ahead of us to find a way to fund a replacement for this iconic venue. We will need all of our community to support us in doing so."
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Studley Royal owns the pavilion, but rents the cricket-pitch land from the National Trust.
A National Trust spokesperson said: “Any decisions regarding the future of the pavilion, including rebuilding and associated costs, would be a matter for Studley Royal Cricket Club.
"We would like to express our sincere thanks to North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue for their swift response in bringing the fire under control.”
Information about the incident has been handed to North Yorkshire Police, who will decide whether to investigate the fire.
Anyone with information is asked to reach out to the club directly, or contact North Yorkshire Police using their online portal.
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