Ripon, ENG - Postcode - HG4 2TY

Descripiton of Ripon, England

Located in the Harrogate Municipal Area of North Yorkshire, England, Ripon is best known as a cathedral city. Laver and Skell, both of which flow into the River Ure, meet in the city. Located in what was once the West Riding of Yorkshire, the city of Ripon is famous for its architecturally noteworthy cathedral as well as other attractions including its racetrack and market.

Before it changed its name, Inhrypum was the name of the city. The young Saint Cuthbert was a guest-master at Ripon abbey when Bede writes that Alhfrith, king of the realm of Deira in southern Northumberland, gave land there to Eata of Hexham to erect a monastery.  After Eata was expelled by Alhfrith, the monastery was entrusted to Saint Wilfrid, who razed the wooden church and erected a new one out of stone (as recounted by Bede in his Life of Cuthbert and by Eddius Stephanus in his Life of Wilfrid). This occurred while Northumbria was at the height of its religious power in Britain under the reign of its Anglian kings. It was ruled by the Vikings for some time and then by the Normans, both of whom were brutal to the population. The city's wool and fabric business thrived after a period of construction during the Plantagenets. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Ripon rose to prominence as a leading producer of spurs, but the city was largely spared the disruptions of the Industrial Revolution that followed. In terms of population, Ripon is the least populous city in Yorkshire and the third-fewest in all of England.

There were 16,702 people living there in 2011, which is an increase from the 15,922 counted in the 2001 census. It is situated 16 kilometers south of Northallerton, 12 kilometers north of Harrogate, and 11 miles south-west of Thirsk.

Geographical Description of England

Two rivers, the Laver and the Skell, converge to the west of Ripon and form the city's namesake confluence. As the Skell winds its way through the city, it eventually empties into the Ripon Canal basin.

The Skell empties into the River Ure to the east of the city, and the Ure and the canal continue south-east toward Boroughbridge.Traditional West and North Ridings of Yorkshire were separated by the Ure The city has been often inundated in the 20th and 21st centuries due to its location at the confluence of three rivers; significant floods occurred in 1982, 1991, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2007.

In response, the government spent about £14 million on flood defenses for the city and a reservoir upstream of the city with a capacity of 53,000,000 cubic feet (1,500,000 m3) of water.

Magnesian limestone dominates the local geology; these Permian rocks can be found as far south as Darlington and as far west as Wetherby. The topsoil in this area conceals gypsum deposits. North of the city and on the northern side of the Ure, sinkholes are common due to the dissolution of gypsum by water. The Wilfrid Procession is an annual event that began in 1108 when King Henry I gave the right to organize a fair in honor of the city's namesake.

Culture of England

Locals dress up in elaborate costumes and ride on floats decked with them as they make their way through the streets of the city. As part of the ritual commemorating Wilfrid's return to Ripon, a dummy (or sometimes a guy in costume) costumed as Wilfrid rides around with two musicians and a man carrying St. Wilfrid's hat. Dances like the Long Sword dance and Morris dance have long histories in Ripon.

Since 886, the Ripon Hornblower has sounded to signal the start of the harvest season. The term was first used by the wakeman of Ripon, a medieval official whose role was comparable to that of a mayor but who was also responsible for maintaining law and order. Horns are blown at the obelisk's four cardinal points in Ripon Market every night at 9:00 p.m. On the Harrogate borough coat of arms, Ripon is represented by the horn, which has become the city's unofficial symbol. The Courthouse Museum, the Prison and Police Museum, and the Workhouse Museum make up the Yorkshire Law and Order Museums, located in Ripon.

The Ripon Racecourse is the most well-known venue for horse racing in the area. The earliest recorded meeting in Ripon took place on Bondgate Green in 1664, and the current location has been used as a racetrack since 1900, thus the sport has a lengthy history in the city. In 1723, the first women's riding competition in Britain was held at Ripon. The Ripon Rugby Union Football Club was established in 1886 and competes in the Yorkshire 2 division of the English Rugby Union league, the eighth and final division.