Located at the junction of the Laver and Skell rivers, Ripon is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire. Originally known as Inhrypum, it spent time under Viking control and later became known for its wool and spurs. Today, Ripon attracts visitors to its racecourse and museums and is on the doorstep of UNESCO-listed Studley Royal Park.
Things to do in Ripon
Dominated by an Early English-style facade is the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Wilfrid, which was originally founded as a monastery for Scottish monks in the 7th century. The current cathedral was built between the 13th and 16th centuries, with a geometric east window, an elaborately decorated rood screen and a misericord that is said to have inspired Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”.
To experience life for the poor during Victorian times, head to the Workhouse Museum, which occupies an original workhouse dating from the period. Follow in the footsteps of inmates through the fumigation process and into a cell before seeing the dining hall and the original kitchen garden. The harsh regimes of the Victorian prison system are brought to life at the Prison & Police Museum.
Ripon’s elegant Georgian Courthouse has also been transformed into a museum and appears as it did when it opened in 1830. Learn about the Liberty of Ripon and visit the Jury Room where two halberds are displayed. See portraits of past magistrates in the Justices’ Retiring Room and step inside the Courtroom to see where the accused were sentenced to hard labour or transported to Australia.
Getting around Ripon
Ripon is around an hour’s drive from Leeds and 40 minutes from Leeds Bradford Airport, which has flights to destinations across Europe. Buses connect to Ripon from towns and villages throughout Harrogate while the town itself is small enough to explore on foot.