Ripon
United Kingdom · Europe
About Ripon
Ripon is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England. Its main attraction is the cathedral, and the nearby UNESCO World Heritage Site of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden. It’s also a good base for exploring the Yorkshire Dales.
Ripon travel guide
Understand
In 2021, its population was about 17,000. Ripon has long been a religious centre. In 1132 thirteen monks were expelled from the Benedictine house in York (rioting, rowdiness, just the usual monastic peccadilloes). They found a new base in the valley of the little River Skell and affiliated to the Cistercians. Their abbey grew wealthy through wool, and they farmed far and wide, even as far away as Preston ("priest town") across the Pennines. The great stone buildings of Fountains Abbey grew up in the 12th and 13th centuries. It then struggled, through instability in the wool trade, attack by the Scots, plague, and the Papal schism. It revived in the 14th century but like other monasteries was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1539. The abbey lands passed through several owners until in 1693 they were inherited by John Aislabie, who from 1718 was Chancellor of the Exchequer. In that role he almost bankrupted the entire country single-handed, by touting the South Sea Company, set up to operate the slave trade. Remarkably this made a loss, and its bubble share price collapsed in 1720. Aislabie was thrown out of Parliament, imprisoned in the Tower of London and barred from public office. With time on his hands upon his release, he set about prettifying his estate. His son William added the abbey ruins to the estate, and created the water garden. In 1983 it passed to the National Trust. Ripon meanwhile grew as a provincial market town; it was connected for a while by canal and railway but never became industrial, so its old centre has been preserved. Its church connection continued into modern times, with a women's Anglican teacher training college based here from 1862. In 1974 this merged with a similar men's college to form the College of Ripon and York St John. It later affiliated to the University of Leeds, then to York and relocated there in 2001. It's now the independent York St John University.
Getting there
Ripon is 5 miles west of A1(M), which from the south you need to leave at Boroughbridge (Exit 48). Follow A168 to B6265 - A1(M) runs parallel but has no interchange at that point. The B road takes you into Ripon and onwards to Fountains Abbey. Transdev Bus 36 runs every 15 min from Leeds, taking 90 min via Harrogate. From York, buses 142 and 143 run every two hours M-Sa, taking 80 min, usually with a change at Boroughbridge. From Thirsk, Dales Bus 70 (from Northallerton) runs every two hours M-Sa taking 40 min. Ripon is on National Express route 537 between Glasgow and Corby. This leaves Glasgow daily at 7AM, running via Edinburgh, Newcastle and Durham to reach Ripon at 1:45PM. It continues south through Leeds, Sheffield and the Midlands. The return bus leaves Corby at 7:30AM, reaches Ripon at 1:45PM, and continues north to Glasgow for 8PM. For other destinations including London and Manchester, travel via Leeds which is much better connected. The closest railway station to Ripon is at Harrogate, which has trains from Leeds (every 30 min, taking 40 min) and York (hourly, taking 40 min). From Harrogate take bus 36 for Ripon. To and from the north, Thirsk railway station may be quicker – but often not, as it’s longer to get there, and it has fewer trains.
Getting around
Dales Bus 159 runs from Ripon to Masham, Leyburn and Richmond M-Sa every couple of hours, passing Jervaulx Abbey and Middleham Castle. Dales Bus 139 runs from Ripon to Fountains Abbey M Th Sa at 9:45AM, 11:15AM and 4:25PM, taking 15 min. It returns at 11:30AM, 2:40PM and 4:40PM.
See
The Watchman blows his horn on Market Square at 9 pm, as he has every night since 886 AD, to warn everyone to get indoors, safe from marauding Vikings. The horn was originally presented by King Alfred the Great, to symbolise Ripon’s charter as a city, and to remind folk to stay vigilant against the foes he’d defeated. 1 Cathedral, Minster Rd HG4 1QT, ☏ +44 1765 603462. M-Sa 8AM-6PM, Su 8AM-5PM. The oldest part of the building is the Saxon Crypt, the only remnant of the stone church built here in 672 AD by St Wilfred. It’s been continually added to, smashed down and rebuilt ever since, so the present fourth incarnation of the building is mostly Gothic and Early English. Free. (updated Feb 2026) Law & Order Museum is on three sites: the Workhouse Museum, the Courthouse Museum, and the Police & Prison Museum, you buy a combined ticket for a Rake’s Progress of social decline. They're all open daily Mar-Oct, combi adult £19, conc £18, child £10.50 (Mar 2026). Individual museum entry is also available, as below. 2 Workhouse Museum & Garden, 76 Allhallowgate HG4 1LE. 10AM-4PM. The 19th-century increase in poverty outstripped voluntary and church charity. The solution was to pack the able-bodied poor into institutions and set them to work: the more pointless and demeaning the task the better. The system lasted most of a century, by which time most inmates were sick, elderly or frail, and the solution had to be state-funded welfare. Adult £11, conc £10.50, child £7.50. (updated Feb 2026) 3 Courthouse Museum, Minster Road, HG4 1QS. 10AM-4PM. £4.50, £4, child £3.75. (updated Aug 2018) 4 Prison & Police Museum, St Marygate, HG4 1LX. 10AM-4PM. £6.50, £6, child £5. (updated Aug 2018) Chapel of St Mary Magdalen on Magdalen's Road half a mile north of the cathedral was founded in the 12th century as part of a leper hospital. It was re-modelled in the 15th century, fell into disuse in the 19th but has been restored. None of the medieval skeletons found about it showed signs of lep
Do
1 Ripon Races, Boroughbridge Rd HG4 1UG, ☏ +44 1765 530530. This has flat-racing April-Oct. (updated Feb 2026) Jack Laugher Centre is the leisure centre on Dallamires Lane, with gym, fitness classes and pool. Golf: Ripon City GC is half a mile north of town on A6108. White tees 6084 yards, par 70. 2 Lightwater Valley, Water Lane, North Stainley HG4 3HT (4 miles north of Ripon), ☏ +44 1765 635321. July Aug daily, Apr-Jun & Sep-Oct Sa Su, 9AM-4PM. Theme park with 40 rides pitched at under-12s. Adult or child over 90 cm £26.50. (updated Feb 2026) Tractorfest is a display of over 2000 vintage tractors and engines. The next is at Newby Hall (above) on Sa 6 & Su 7 July 2026. Harrogate Flower Show have their spring show at Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate, but their autumn show is at Newby Hall in September. Ripon International Festival is mostly classical music, at various local venues in Sep and Oct.
Buy
Ripon Market is held on Thursday in the main square. Sainsbury's is the main supermarket within town, on main square and open M-Sa 8AM-10PM, Su 10AM-4PM.
Eat
Kirkgate has Claro Lounge, Hot Lava, E Sushi, Manchega Tapas, Lula's Cafe, Prima Pizzeria, Portofino, Wilfred's Cafe, Mario's, Jaflong and Cathedral View Cafe. North St has Oliver's Pantry (below), Realitea and Storehouse Kitchen. Oliver's Pantry, 86 North St HG4 1DP, ☏ +44 1765 600548, [email protected]. M-Sa 8:30AM-5PM, Su 9:30AM-4PM. Breakfast & lunch plus coffee, tea, snacks and pastries. (updated Feb 2026) 1 The Dining Room, 20 St James Sq
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.