Discover Ripon, North Yorkshire

Ripon Cathedral: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ripon_Cathedral_2.jpg
Author: Soloist


Ripon is a cathedral city in the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. It is located where the River Laver and the River Skell join to form the River Ure. The city has a population of 16,000 people (2012 estimate).

The area around Ripon has been inhabited since prehistory. The earliest culture to be documented is the Brigantes, a Brythonic tribe that left circular earthwork at Hutton Moor, 5 km to the north of present-day Ripon. During the Roman period, while the Romans did not establish themselves in Ripon, they did install a military outpost at North Stainley, about 8 km away.

The Norman Conquest of 1069 was resisted by the locals, who even tried to get their former rulers, the Danes, to return. This resulted in severe oppression which reduced the population of Ripon by 1/3. During this period, Ripon grew into a religious center until the English Reformation, when King Henry VIII broke away from Rome.

Bridge over River Ure, Ripon: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bridge_over_River_Ure.jpg
Author: repairman


Unlike many cities in England, Ripon did not reap much benefit from the Industrial Revolution, remaining very much a religious center. Today Ripon reaps the benefit of its heritage, as it develops a tourist industry drawing tourists to visit its religious buildings. Other attractions include the Ripon Racecourse and the Lightwater Valley theme park.

Visiting Ripon

To reach Ripon by car, take the A1(M) motorway until Exit 50, then continue south on the A61 until you reach the city. The nearest train station to Ripon is at Harrogate.

Places of Interest in Ripon

Ripon is on the Map of cities in England

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Map of Ceremonial Counties of England

About this website

Thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye. My hobby is to research information about places, and share the information with people on this website. I started this website on 5 January 2003, and since then, have written about over 20,000 places, mostly in Malaysia and Singapore.

Please use the information on this page as guidance only. While I try my best to provide you information that is as accurate as I can get it to be, I do apologize for any errors. Also, as I might not be able to update some information on time, some of these pages may contain outdated information.