the purchase of the gates. A further Act of Parliament in 1893 required the corporation to maintain the Stray as a public open space. In 1932 the corporation's action in planting large formal areas planted with shrubs provoked opposition, and led in 1933 to the formation of the Stray Defence Association. Another Act of Parliament, the Harrogate Stray Act 1985, made the new Harrogate Borough Council the protector of the Stray, and permitted the use of up to of the Stray for spectator events. A variation was granted for the Tour de France in 2014, but proposals in 2016 to relax the restrictions permanently met opposition and were abandoned. The Stray is traditionally the site of parades and civic events. For example, at the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887 the people of Harrogate roasted an ox for the occasion and drank of beer. During World War II trenches were dug on The Stray in fear that German planes might use the open land as a runway. References External links Stray Defence Association Harrogate Stray Act 1985 Tourist attractions in Harrogate Parks and open spaces in North Yorkshire Geography of Harrogate