minibus hire Ripon

Ripon Cathedral is an Early English masterpiece that houses the crypt of an Anglo-Saxon Basilica from the 7th century. Three miles outside of town, Fountains Abbey is the country's most enormous monastery ruin.

The ruins of the abbey church, the abbot's home, and the beautiful Studley Royal Park were designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites after the monastery was suppressed.

Ripon Cathedral's west front is considered one of the finest examples of Early English Gothic architecture.

The modest rows of lancet windows are framed by thin columns and archivolts and were built around 1220. The cathedral is the fourth church to stand on this location, and an exciting discovery in the crypt is a portion of the first church from the 7th century.

The choir, constructed at the end of the 13th century, has a stunning geometric east window in the Decorated Gothic Style.

Sir Christopher Wren, one of England's most known architects, was engaged in creating this late 17th-century country home near the River Ure.

Later, in the 18th century, Robert Adam assisted in the renovation of the interiors. Sicilian marble flooring, exquisite stucco panels, mahogany doors, Corinthian columns, Renaissance paintings, alabaster urns, and Gobelins tapestries adorn the space.

Thomas Chippendale, the best furniture designer of the 18th century, created hall seats, dining chairs, and Pembroke tables for the home.

The chairs in the Tapestry Room are draped in Gobelins tapestry cloth and are the only Chippendale suite with its original coverings and settings.

Ripon's Victorian Workhouse, a memorial to a harsher era, is now a museum. Ripon's homeless ended up here as a source of inexpensive labour in return for food and shelter.

This 1855 structure housed a self-contained community with a priest, teacher, hospital, laundry, and culinary gardens. You'll go inside the cells where the convicts slept, learn what they ate, and do the chores they performed for a pittance. Volunteers manage the kitchen gardens, which also provide food for local eateries.

The museum's interpreters are dressed in historical costume and will walk you through the laborious crafts of the workhouse, such as oakum picking and rag rugging.

The Market Place, Ripon's heart since the early 13th century, is flanked by rows of mediaeval homes, some half-timbered.

The Palladian Town Hall, built in 1719 and now housing the tourist information centre, is located on the south side. The obelisk or market cross in the centre, made in 1702 and the UK's first free-standing obelisk, is even older.

The Ripon Hornblower keeps time at this monument, which we'll discuss below.

Every Thursday, the Market Place is filled with the sights, sounds, and fragrances of Ripon Market, which sells fruit, vegetables, confectionery, cheese, freshly baked bread, pastries, flowers, textiles, and much more.

Following the suppression of Fountains Abbey, the land was purchased by the nobleman Stephen Proctor, who commissioned the construction of an exquisite palace.

Fountains Hall, built at the start of the 17th century, is a quintessential late Elizabethan prodigy palace meant to express wealth and authority. Proctor reused sandstone blocks from the Abbey and a whole spiral staircase but cut fresh limestone for the ashlar dressings.

The National Trust has explanatory panels where visitors can learn about the hall's exciting history, including its role as a stately mansion courtroom and even a farmer's home. Fountains Hall is available for weddings and provides lodging if you've ever wanted to sleep in a Tudor stately mansion.