Ripon () is a
cathedral city in the
Borough of Harrogate,
North Yorkshire, England. The city is located at the confluence of two tributaries of the
River Ure, the
Laver and
Skell.
Historically
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
part of the
West Riding of Yorkshire, the city is noted for its main feature,
Ripon Cathedral, which is architecturally significant, as well as the
Ripon Racecourse
Ripon Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Ripon, North Yorkshire, England and is nicknamed the Garden Racecourse.
History
Racing on the present site on Boroughbridge Road began on 6 August 1900. but racing has taken pla ...
and other features such as its market.
The city was originally known as ''Inhrypum''. Bede records that Alhfrith, king of the Southern Northumbrian kingdom of Deira, gave land at Ripon to
Eata of Hexham
Eata (died 26 October 686), also known as Eata of Lindisfarne, was Bishop of Hexham from 678 until 681,Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 217 and of then Bishop of Lindisfarne from before 681 until 685.Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of ...
to build a monastery and the abbot transferred some of his monks there, including a young Saint
Cuthbert who was guest-master at Ripon abbey.
Both Bede in his Life of Cuthbert and Eddius Stephanus in his Life of Wilfred
state that when Eata was subsequently driven out by Alhfrith, the abbey was given to Saint
Wilfrid who replaced the timber church with a stone built church. This was during the time of the
Anglian kingdom of
Northumbria, a period during which it enjoyed prominence in religious importance in Great Britain. It was for a period under
Viking control, and later suffered under the
Normans
The Normans ( Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Franks and Gallo-Romans. ...
. After a brief period of building projects under the
Plantagenets, the city emerged with a prominent
wool and cloth industry. Ripon became well known for its production of
spurs during the 16th and 17th centuries, but would later remain largely unaffected by the
Industrial Revolution.
Ripon is the
third-smallest city in England and the smallest in
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
, by population. According to the
2011 United Kingdom Census it had a population of 16,702,
an increase on the
2001 United Kingdom Census figure of 15,922.
It is located south-west of
Thirsk, south of
Northallerton and north of
Harrogate
Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa ...
. As well as its racecourse and cathedral, Ripon is a tourist destination because of its proximity to the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
World Heritage Site which consists of the
Studley Royal Park and
Fountains Abbey.
History
Northumbrian and Viking period
During its pre-history the area which later became Ripon was under the control of the
Brigantes, a
Brythonic
Brittonic or Brythonic may refer to:
*Common Brittonic, or Brythonic, the Celtic language anciently spoken in Great Britain
*Brittonic languages, a branch of the Celtic languages descended from Common Brittonic
*Britons (Celtic people)
The Br ...
tribe. Three miles (5 km) north at Hutton Moor there is a large circular
earthwork created by them. The
Romans did not settle Ripon, but they had a military outpost around five miles (8 km) away at
North Stainley
North Stainley is a village in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England north of Ripon. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is the closest settlement to the theme park Lightwater Valley which is to the south.
His ...
. Solid evidence for the origins of Ripon can be traced back to the 7th century, the time of the
Anglian kingdom of
Northumbria. The first structure built in the area, known at the time as ''Inhrypum'', was a
Christian church dedicated to
St Peter
) (Simeon, Simon)
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire
, death_date = Between AD 64–68
, death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire
, parents = John (or Jonah; Jona)
, occupation ...
, with the settlement originating in the year 658. This was founded by a Northumbrian nobleman known as
Wilfrid, who later became
Archbishop of York; he was granted the land by King
Alhfrith.
The earliest settlers were stonemasons, glaziers and plasterers that Wilfrid brought over to help construct the Ripon monastery, from
Lyon
Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of ...
in
Francia
Francia, also called the Kingdom of the Franks ( la, Regnum Francorum), Frankish Kingdom, Frankland or Frankish Empire ( la, Imperium Francorum), was the largest post-Roman barbarian kingdom in Western Europe. It was ruled by the Franks du ...
and Rome which was then under
Byzantine rule. The years following the death of Wilfrid are obscure in Ripon's history. After the invasion of the
Great Heathen Army of
Norse Vikings in Northumbria, the
Danelaw was established and the
Kingdom of Jórvík was founded in the
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
area. In 937
Athelstan, then
King of England, granted the privilege of sanctuary to Ripon, for a mile around the church. One of his successors was less well-disposed: after the Northumbrians rebelled against English rule in 948, King
Edred had the buildings at Ripon burned. Prosperity was restored by the end of the 10th century, as the body of Saint
Cuthbert was moved to Ripon for a while, due to the threat of
Danish raids.
Normans and the Middle Ages
![Ripon Cathedral (geograph 5374696)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Ripon_Cathedral_%28geograph_5374696%29.jpg)
After the
Norman conquest
The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conq ...
, much of the north rebelled in 1069, even trying to bring back Danish rule; the suppression that followed was the
Harrying of the North, which resulted in the death of approximately one-third of the population of the
North of England. Ripon is thought to have shrunk to a small community around the church following the suppression. The lands of the church were transferred to
St Peter's Church St. Peter's Church, Old St. Peter's Church, or other variations may refer to:
* St. Peter's Basilica in Rome
Australia
* St Peter's, Eastern Hill, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
* St Peters Church, St Peters, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
...
at York as the
Liberty of Ripon
The Liberty of Ripon or Riponshire was a liberty possessing separate county jurisdiction, although situated within the county of Yorkshire, England.
The liberty was under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of York, a privilege claimed to have ...
and it was during this time that a grand
Collegiate Church was built on top of the ruins of Wilfrid's building. Eventually developed in the
Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
style, the project owed much to the work of
Roger de Pont L'Evêque
Roger is a given name, usually masculine, and a surname. The given name is derived from the Old French personal names ' and '. These names are of Germanic origin, derived from the elements ', ''χrōþi'' ("fame", "renown", "honour") and ', ' ...
and
Walter de Gray, two
Archbishops of York during the
Plantagenet
The House of Plantagenet () was a royal house which originated from the lands of Anjou in France. The family held the English throne from 1154 (with the accession of Henry II at the end of the Anarchy) to 1485, when Richard III died in b ...
era. During the 12th century Ripon built up a booming
wool trade, attracting Italian trade merchants, especially
Florentines, who bought and exported large quantities.
Ripon's proximity to
Fountains Abbey, where the
Cistercians had a long tradition of sheep farming and owned much grazing land, was a considerable advantage. After English people were forbidden from wearing foreign cloth in 1326, Ripon developed a cloth industry which was third in size in Yorkshire after York and
Halifax. Due to conflict with
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
, political emphasis was on the North during the time of
Edward I and
Edward II, as Scottish invaders attacked numerous northern English towns. Ripon had a wakeman to make sure the residents were safely home by
curfew and law and order was maintained, yet it was forced to pay 1,000
marks to the Scots to prevent them from burning down the town on one occasion.
Reformation and Tudor times
![FountainsAbbey-Wyrdlight 893](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/FountainsAbbey-Wyrdlight_893.jpg)
Ripon, which relied heavily on its religious institutions, was badly affected by the
English Reformation under the
Tudor king
Henry VIII. The
Abbot of Fountains, William Thirske, was expelled by Henry and replaced; Thirske went on to become one of the leaders of the
Pilgrimage of Grace popular rising. The people of Northern England were quite traditional in their beliefs and were unhappy about Henry's intention to break with Rome; the Pilgrimage of Grace was the manifestation of this sentiment. The revolt failed and Henry followed through with the break from
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus ( legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
and the
Dissolution of the Monasteries, which included
Fountains Abbey.
After
Mary, Queen of Scots, fled Scotland to
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North Country, or simply the North, is the northern area of England. It broadly corresponds to the former borders of Angles, Angle Northumbria, the Anglo-Scandinavian Scandinavian York, K ...
she stayed at Ripon on her journey. The mainly Catholic North supported her, and there was another popular rising known as the
Rising of the North; this began six miles (10 km) away at
Topcliffe and was led by
Thomas Percy, the 7th
Earl of Northumberland and
Charles Neville, the 6th
Earl of Westmorland. The rebels stayed at Ripon on 18 November 1569, but the rising eventually failed resulting in 600 people being executed, 300 of whom were
hanged
Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The '' Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging ...
at Gallows Hill in Ripon during January 1570.
Plans were drawn up to make Ripon a centre of education, a ''University of the North'', to rival
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
and
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
. Although chief advisers
Lord Burghley and
Archbishop Sandys supported the idea,
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen".
Eli ...
did not follow it through. The scheme was revived in 1604 by Sandys' widow Cicely, under the patronage of
Anne of Denmark
Anne of Denmark (; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I; as such, she was Queen of Scotland from their marriage on 20 August 1589 and Queen of England and Ireland from the union of the Scottish and Eng ...
and
Bess of Hardwick
Elizabeth Cavendish, later Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury ( Hardwick; c. 1527 13 February 1608), known as Bess of Hardwick, of Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire, was a notable figure of Elizabethan English society. By a series of well-made ...
without success.
Civil War and Restoration
![Thorpe Prebend House](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Thorpe_Prebend_House.jpg)
Ripon replaced its old textiles industry with one for the manufacture of
spurs during the 16th century. They were so widely known that they gave rise to the
proverb "as true steel as Ripon Rowels". At the time, spurs did not just serve as functional
riding accessories, they were also fashionable; an expensive pair was made for King
James I James I may refer to:
People
*James I of Aragon (1208–1276)
*James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327)
*James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu
*James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347)
*James I of Cyprus (1334–13 ...
when he stayed at Ripon in 1617. It was James who granted Ripon a
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, b ...
in 1604 and created the first Mayor of Ripon.
After the
Bishops' Wars in Scotland, a
treaty was signed at Ripon in 1640 to stop the conflict between
Charles I Charles I may refer to:
Kings and emperors
* Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings
* Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily
* Charles I of ...
and the Scottish
Covenanters. Although Ripon was not in the main line of fighting which was to the east, it remained loyal and
royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gov ...
during the
English Civil War
The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I (" Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of r ...
. There was an incident in 1643, when
parliamentarian forces under
Thomas Mauleverer entered Ripon and damaged the Minster, but
John Mallory
Sir John Mallorie (1610 – 23 January 1655) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1642. He fought on the Royalist side in the English Civil War.
Mallory was the son of William Mallory and his wife Dorothy Be ...
and the royalist forces soon settled the matter after a skirmish in the Market Place. The royalists were eventually defeated in the Civil War and Charles I spent two nights as a prisoner in Ripon.
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three ...
visited the city twice on his way to battle, once on the way to the
Preston
Preston is a place name, surname and given name that may refer to:
Places
England
*Preston, Lancashire, an urban settlement
**The City of Preston, Lancashire, a borough and non-metropolitan district which contains the settlement
**County Boro ...
and also on the way to the
Battle of Worcester.
![Freemantle Terrace - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Freemantle_Terrace_-_geograph.org.uk_-_644033.jpg)
By the time of the
English Restoration, several strains of
non-conformist Christian practices had appeared, although they were not common in Ripon, the majority of people being
Anglicans with a
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
minority. After the
Revolution of 1688 which overthrew
James II, there were
Jacobite risings in the
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isl ...
; some Riponmen were jailed in February 1746 upon "suspicion of corresponding with Prince
Charles Edward Stuart". The founder of
Methodism
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
,
John Wesley, preached in Ripon and a small community of followers was established. During the
Georgian era Ripon, unlike several other cities, was not significantly affected by the
Industrial Revolution despite the existence of various
guild
A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometim ...
s. Although more widely known for his activities outside of Ripon,
John Aislabie, during his time as Member of Parliament for Ripon, created the
Studley Royal Park with its
water garden and erected the
Ripon Obelisk (designed by
Nicholas Hawksmoor
Nicholas Hawksmoor (probably 1661 – 25 March 1736) was an English architect. He was a leading figure of the English Baroque style of architecture in the late-seventeenth and early-eighteenth centuries. Hawksmoor worked alongside the principa ...
).
Newby Hall
Newby Hall is a country house beside the River Ure in the parish of Skelton-on-Ure in North Yorkshire, England. It is 3 miles south-east of Ripon and 6 miles south of Topcliffe Castle, by which the manor of Newby was originally held. A Grade I ...
was also created during this period by
Christopher Wren.
Modern Ripon
Communications were improved with the opening of
Ripon railway station in May 1848. During the First World War a large
military training camp was built in Ripon, the local community offering hospitality not only to soldiers' wives but to the
Flemish refugees who became part of Ripon's community. The racecourse south-east of the city also served as an airfield (
RFC Ripon) for the
Royal Flying Corps (and latterly, the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
). The racecourse was also used as a demobilisation centre for troops returning from
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
well into 1919.
The town had a similar though smaller role during the Second World War and, in recognition of this, the
Royal Engineers were presented with the
Freedom of the City in 1947. Since the War, Ripon has gone through some remodelling and has grown in size; it attracts thousands of tourists each year who come to see its famous buildings with their long Christian heritage, nearby Studley Park,
Ripon Racecourse
Ripon Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Ripon, North Yorkshire, England and is nicknamed the Garden Racecourse.
History
Racing on the present site on Boroughbridge Road began on 6 August 1900. but racing has taken pla ...
, and in recent times the theme park
Lightwater Valley.
File:T and R Williamson Ltd - Varnish and Enamel Works - geograph.org.uk - 1246120.jpg, The T & R Williamson Ltd Varnish and Enamel Works
File:The Arcade, Ripon - geograph.org.uk - 724791.jpg, The Arcade shopping centre
File:Flats on Allhallowgate, Ripon (geograph 6039756).jpg, Apartment building on Allhallowgate
City status
Ripon was the
first Church of England diocese to be created after the English Reformation, as it was recognised that existing dioceses were unsuited for the large increases in population caused particularly by the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century in central England. It was deemed that new cathedral building on a national scale was not viable
[ and so Ripon, containing a high status parish church, was created from the existing Chester and ]York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
dioceses in 1836, with the building promoted to cathedral status. Ripon council presumed this had elevated the town to the rank of city, and started referring to itself as such. The next diocese Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...
was promoted similarly, but doubts as to its use of the title were raised. With the subsequent clearer understanding of needing to petition the monarch, Manchester did so and obtained the status in 1853. Ripon was encouraged to follow suit, with its own status being recognised by the parliamentary City of Ripon Act in 1865.
In 1974 Ripon borough (see Governance
Governance is the process of interactions through the laws, norms, power or language of an organized society over a social system ( family, tribe, formal or informal organization, a territory or across territories). It is done by the g ...
) was abolished and a parish council established as part of wider local government reform. The award of city status is typically granted to a local authority, whose administrative area is then considered to be the formal borders of the city, the grant in this case being removed at the same time and bestowed onto the parish. By this definition, the whole parish council area of Ripon, including its settlement and surrounding rural area containing a tiny portion of the Nidderdale AONB
The Nidderdale AONB is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in North Yorkshire, England, bordering the Yorkshire Dales National Park to the east and south. It comprises most of Nidderdale itself, part of lower Wharfedale, the Washburn valley an ...
to the north west, is considered to be the limits of the city. It contains the third lowest population of all the cities in England, however it falls to seventh place when taking the whole of the UK into consideration. Using 2011 ONS census statistics, Ripon has the third smallest city council area but the fourth lowest urban area of any city in England.
Governance
Ripon became a municipal borough of the West Riding of Yorkshire with its headquarters at Ripon Town Hall in 1835, and remained an independent borough until 1974. That year, following the Local Government Act 1972, the former area of Ripon borough was merged with Harrogate borough and several rural districts of the West Riding to form an enlarged Harrogate
Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa ...
borough in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire.
The lowest tier of governance in Ripon is the Ripon City Council, a parish council with twelve members, three for each of four wards. In 2019, four councillors are Conservative, and the rest are independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independe ...
.
Ripon was represented by the Member of Parliament for Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
until it had its own parliamentary borough established on a permanent basis in 1553. Ripon was able to elect two MPs to represent its parliamentary borough; the right of election was vested not in the population as a whole, but in the burgesses (originally meaning freemen of the borough or freeholders) until the Great Reform Act of 1832. The next Reform Act
In the United Kingdom, Reform Act is most commonly used for legislation passed in the 19th century and early 20th century to enfranchise new groups of voters and to redistribute seats in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ...
which came into force at the 1868 election, reduced Ripon's representation from two MPs to one. Some of the more notable MPs of Ripon were John Aislabie, Frederick John Robinson and George Cockburn. The Reform Act of 1885 abolished the borough of Ripon, but the county constituency in which the town was placed as a result was named Ripon, and this continued as a single member constituency, albeit with some boundary changes, until it was abolished before the 1983 general election. Since 1983, Ripon has been part of the Skipton and Ripon
Skipton and Ripon is a constituency in North Yorkshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Julian Smith, a Conservative.
Constituency profile
The constituency covers a mainly rural area of the Yorkshire Dale ...
constituency, a Conservative Party
The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right.
Political parties called The Conservative P ...
stronghold.
Geography
Topography
Ripon lies at the confluence of two rivers; the Laver and the Skell, which meet in the west of the city. As they flow through the city, the Skell feeds water into the basin of Ripon Canal
The Ripon Canal is located in North Yorkshire, England. It was built by the canal engineer William Jessop to link the city of Ripon with the navigable section of the River Ure at Oxclose Lock, from where boats could reach York and Hull. It ...
. East of the city, the Skell meets the River Ure, and both the Ure and canal head south-eastwards towards Boroughbridge. The Ure was the traditional boundary between the old West and North Ridings of Yorkshire.
As the city is at the meeting point of three rivers, it has flooded often in the 20th and 21st century; notable floods have occurred in 1982, 1991, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2007. This prompted spending over £14 million on the building of flood defences for the city and a storage area upstream of the city which can hold of water.
Much of the geology of the district is magnesian limestone, part of the Permian rocks which extend southwards from Darlington to Wetherby. The area has pockets of gypsum underlying the surface soils. Water has dissolved the gypsum leaving the area prone to sinkholes, especially north of the city and on the northern side of the Ure.
Climate
Landmarks and architecture
Education
Ripon is home to Ripon Grammar School which is a selective intake, state secondary school. The school claims to take roots from the school which was attached to the Collegiate Church, founded during the time of the Angle
In Euclidean geometry, an angle is the figure formed by two rays, called the '' sides'' of the angle, sharing a common endpoint, called the ''vertex'' of the angle.
Angles formed by two rays lie in the plane that contains the rays. Angles ...
kingdom of Northumbria by Saint Wilfrid. The refoundation date for the school was during the reign of Queen Mary I in 1555. The school has several notable alumni, known as Old Riponians, including theologian Bishop Beilby Porteus
Beilby Porteus (or Porteous; 8 May 1731 – 13 May 1809), successively Bishop of Chester and of London, was a Church of England reformer and a leading abolitionist in England. He was the first Anglican in a position of authority to seriously ...
, historian Bishop William Stubbs, fashion designer Bruce Oldfield and television presenter Richard Hammond. In the modern day the school hosts around 800 pupils, gaining engineering status in 2006, it receives favourable reports from the Ofsted, being either ''good'' or ''outstanding''. Opposite Ripon Grammar on Clotherholme Road is the non-selective Outwood Academy Ripon
Outwood Academy Ripon is a small mixed secondary school with academy status situated in the city of Ripon, in North Yorkshire, England.
It provides for children ages 11 to 18, and had an enrolment of 656 pupils in 2018.
The school is opera ...
(formerly Ripon College, a secondary comprehensive school), which was also known as Ripon City School until 1999. It has around 630 pupils and is exceeding the national average of GCSE and A-Level results.
On the site of the Old Ripon Racecourse in Whitcliffe Lane was St Olave's Preparatory School. This site was taken over by an independent co-ed preparatory school founded in 1960 called the Cathedral Choir School. The choir school closed in 2012 and the site has now had approval for the building of new residential dwellings. Ripon previously had higher education facilities in the form of the College of Ripon and York St John until 2001. This college had its roots in two Anglican teacher training colleges, which were founded in York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
in 1841 for men and 1846 for women. The women's college moved to Ripon in 1862. Over the next century, the colleges gradually diversified their education programmes. The colleges merged in 1974 to form the College of Ripon and York St John. The combined institution became a college of the University of Leeds in 1990. Between 1999 and 2001, all activities were transferred to York and the college received the name York St John University. One of York St John's buildings on its Lord Mayor's Walk campus was renamed 'Ripon' in June 2018 to commemorate Ripon Training College's "contribution to women’s education" over 123 years of service.
Evolve, a small, inclusive post-16 college is based in the centre of Ripon, which works alongside Craven College, which is based in Skipton
Skipton (also known as Skipton-in-Craven) is a market town and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the East Division of Staincliffe Wapentake in the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is on the Riv ...
.
On the outskirts of Ripon there is the specialist autism education school called Spring Hill. The school offers day and boarding places. Current pupil numbers are 22. These include 17 boys, 5 girls, and 6 boarders.
Spring Hill is owned by Cambian group PLC which is a large UK provider of specialist provision for children and adults. Spring Hill was previously in the ownership of the charity Barnardos.
The current headteacher is Samantha Campbell, the head of care is Rebecca Sharp, The deputy headteacher is Christine Sherman, the head of education is currently vacant and the transitions and admissions coordinator is currently vacant.
Religion
Christianity is the largest religious affiliation in Ripon; 79.3% of the people in the area polled as part of the United Kingdom Census 2001 professed the Christian faith. Ripon Cathedral is the main religious building in the city and contains a tomb said to contain the bones of Saint Wilfrid who founded a monastery here and with it the town. The '' Venerable'' William Gibson is another noted local figure, a Catholic martyr who was one of the eighty-five martyrs of England and Wales.
The Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Brit ...
is in the majority, with two parishes: the ancient Ripon Cathedral and Holy Trinity Church. Ripon was the episcopal see of the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds
The Diocese of Ripon (Diocese of Ripon and Leeds from 1999 until 2014) was a former Church of England diocese, part of the Province of York. Immediately prior to its dissolution, it covered an area in western and northern Yorkshire as well a ...
represented by the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds
The Bishop of Ripon was a diocesan bishop's title which took its name after the city of Ripon in North Yorkshire, England.
History
Though one ancient Bishop of Ripon is known, the modern see of Ripon was established in 1836 from parts of th ...
, created in 1836 with just Ripon in its title but adapted to include Leeds in 2000. In 2014 it became part of the Diocese of Leeds, with Ripon Cathedral serving as one of its three cathedrals of equal status. During the time of the kingdom of Northumbria there was a short-lived Diocese of Ripon, with Eadhedus the only bishop. There is also a Medieval chapel located on Magdalens Road, which was once part of a leper hospital. The Chapel of St Mary Magdalen is still used for regular worship and is a grade I listed building.
There is a Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
* Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
parish in Ripon called St Wilfrid's; it is covered by the Diocese of Leeds in the Harrogate deanery and the church is an architecturally significant building. There are also around two places of worship for Methodism
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
in Ripon.
Culture
Market day is held on a Thursday, and there are 120 stalls. In celebration of the city's founder the ''Wilfrid Procession'' is held every year; it originated in the year 1108 when King Henry I Henry I may refer to:
876–1366
* Henry I the Fowler, King of Germany (876–936)
* Henry I, Duke of Bavaria (died 955)
* Henry I of Austria, Margrave of Austria (died 1018)
* Henry I of France (1008–1060)
* Henry I the Long, Margrave of the N ...
granted the privilege of holding a fair for him. At the procession there are various decorated floats which make their way through the city with locals in costume. Part of the tradition represents the return of Wilfrid to Ripon, a decorated dummy (sometimes a man in costume instead) dressed as Wilfrid is sat on a horse, accompanied by two musicians with another man carrying St Wilfrid's hat around. Ripon also has dancing traditions such as the Long Sword dance and Morris dance.
The market square is the site of the Ripon Obelisk, erected in 1702 by John Aislabie and was designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor
Nicholas Hawksmoor (probably 1661 – 25 March 1736) was an English architect. He was a leading figure of the English Baroque style of architecture in the late-seventeenth and early-eighteenth centuries. Hawksmoor worked alongside the principa ...
. It stands in height and is capped with a weathervane bearing a representation of the wakeman's horn. It is Grade I listed and reputed to be the oldest in England.
The tradition of the Ripon Hornblower has endured since the year 886 and continues on to this day. It originates with the wakeman of Ripon, whose job in the Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
was similar to that of a mayor, although he had more responsibilities in the keeping of law and order. Every day at 9:00 pm the horn is blown at the four corners of the obelisk in Ripon Market. The horn has become the symbol of the city and represents Ripon on the Harrogate borough coat of arms. There are three museums in Ripon collectively known as the ''Yorkshire Law and Order Museums''; it includes the Courthouse, the Prison and Police and the Workhouse Museums.
In terms of sport, the most noted field of participation is horse racing with the Ripon Racecourse
Ripon Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Ripon, North Yorkshire, England and is nicknamed the Garden Racecourse.
History
Racing on the present site on Boroughbridge Road began on 6 August 1900. but racing has taken pla ...
. The sport has a long history in Ripon, with the first recorded meeting on Bondgate Green in 1664, while its current location has been used as a racetrack since 1900. Ripon staged Britain's first race for female riders in 1723. The city is also home to Ripon Rugby Union Football Club who were founded in 1886 and currently play in Yorkshire 2, the eighth tier of the English Rugby Union league.
Transport
The city was previously served by Ripon railway station on the Leeds-Northallerton Line that ran between Leeds
Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popul ...
and Northallerton. It was once part of the North Eastern Railway and then London & North Eastern Railway. The Ripon to Harrogate Line was closed in the 1960s as part of the Beeching cuts. Today much of the route of the line through the city is now a relief road and although the former station still stands, it is now surrounded by a new housing development. The issue remains a significant one in local politics and there are movements wanting to restore the line. Reports suggest the reopening of a line between Ripon and Harrogate
Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa ...
would be economically viable, costing £40 million and could initially attract 1,200 passengers a day, rising to 2,700.
By road Ripon is well connected; it is accessible from the north and south via the A1(M) motorway which connects to Ripon by the B6265. Ripon is accessible from the east and west via the A61 which is the main road running through the city.
Harrogate Bus Company's route 36 links the city to Harrogate
Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa ...
and Leeds
Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popul ...
, and there are also regular bus routes to Boroughbridge, York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
, Thirsk, Northallerton, Leyburn, Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, Californi ...
and others.
The Ripon Canal
The Ripon Canal is located in North Yorkshire, England. It was built by the canal engineer William Jessop to link the city of Ripon with the navigable section of the River Ure at Oxclose Lock, from where boats could reach York and Hull. It ...
was proposed by John Smeaton
John Smeaton (8 June 1724 – 28 October 1792) was a British civil engineer responsible for the design of bridges, canals, harbours and lighthouses. He was also a capable mechanical engineer and an eminent physicist. Smeaton was the fi ...
in 1766, to connect the city centre to part of the River Ure; it was used for the transportation of coal from the Durham coalfields into the city. Although abandoned in 1956, a conservationist campaign saw it partly reopened in 1988, and fully in 1996.
Town twinning
* Foix
Foix (; oc, Fois ; ca, Foix ) is a commune, the former capital of the County of Foix. It is the capital of the department of Ariège as it is the seat of the Préfecture of that department. Foix is located in the Occitanie region of southw ...
in France 1957.
Freedom of the City
The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the City of Ripon.
Individuals
* His Majesty The King: 24 October 2002.
Military Units
* The Royal Engineers: 27 July 1949.
* RAF Leeming: 14 September 2015.
See also
* Marquess of Ripon
* Quarry Moor nature reserve
* Ripon Community Hospital
Ripon Community Hospital is a health facility in Firby Lane, Ripon, North Yorkshire, England. It is managed by Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust. It is a Grade II listed building.
History
The hospital was established as the Ripon Dis ...
* Sanctuary Way Walk
* Ripon Spa Baths
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
External links
Official Ripon City Partnership "Visit Ripon" site
Ripon Tourist Information and Business Directory
The Ripon Gazette
Review Ripon
{{Authority control
Cities in Yorkshire and the Humber
Market towns in North Yorkshire
Towns in North Yorkshire
Civil parishes in North Yorkshire
Borough of Harrogate