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

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Dear visitor, thank you so much for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye and my hobby is to find out about places, write about them and share the information with you on this website. I have been writing this site since 5 January 2003. Originally (from 2003 until 2009, the site was called AsiaExplorers. I changed the name to Penang Travel Tips in 2009, even though I describe more than just Penang but everywhere I go (I often need to tell people that "Penang Travel Tips" is not just information about Penang, but information written in Penang), especially places in Malaysia and Singapore, and in all the years since 2003, I have described over 20,000 places.

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