The tiny little UK cathedral city as pretty as Harrogate but without the tourists | Travel News | Travel

It may have lived in Harrogate’s shadow but this tiny city, the third smallest in England, overtook its flashier neighbour in the “Best Places to Live” guide earlier this year.

Situated 12 miles north of Harrogate, this city’s imposing cathedral, race course and proximity to the UNESCO World Heritage Site which consists of the Studley Royal park and Fountains Abbey make it a fantastic weekend destination or base to explore the North Yorkshire Dales.

Ripon is a charming cathedral city with a historic feel. While neighbouring Harrogate is a larger town with more amenities and a spa town vibe, Ripon offers a unique atmosphere, especially with its cathedral and close proximity to the Dales.

While Harrogate may be a shoppers and foodie paradise, Ripon is a must for history and nature fans. A former spa town it also boasts a great market, held every Thursday in the central square with over 120 stalls selling fresh local produce, clothes, hardware and homeware.

Ripon was the first Church of England diocese to be created after the English Reformation, as it was recognised that existing dioceses were unsuited for the large increases in population caused particularly by the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century in central England.

It was deemed that a new cathedral building on a national scale was not viable and so Ripon, containing a high status parish church, was created from the existing Chester and York dioceses in 1836, with the building promoted to cathedral status.

The English Gothic style cathedral was originally founded by Irish monks but refounded by Saint Wilfrid in 672. It has been rebuilt many times, and the only original building is the Saxon crypt which is home to Wilfrid’s grave.

In celebration of the city’s founder the Wilfrid Procession is held every year either on the last Saturday of July or the first Saturday of August each year to commemorate the feast of St Wilfrid. 

Lewis Carroll, author of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” lived in Ripon as a young man when his father was a canon at Ripon Cathedral.

Other notables connected with this tiny city’s history are William Gibson, one of the 85 martyrs of England and Wales, who was born in Ripon, and Charles Hudson, who made the first successful ascent of the Matterhorn, also came from Ripon. 

Ripon Spa Baths  is a grade II listed building which was opened in 1905. Originally, spa water was pumped from Aldfield a village to the north of the city, but later, the baths were opened on site too. The site closed in 2021, and in 2024, it was purchased by a private buyer to be converted into a hospitality venue and luxury apartments.

Known as Yorkshire’s ‘Garden Racecourse’, Ripon racecourse is renowned for its colourful flowerbeds and well-kept lawns. Ripon is very much an inclusive family racecourse and hosts an array of race days to suit all parties and ages, along with some top quality racing. There’s evening meetings, family days and Ladies’ day.

The Ripon Canal was proposed in 1766, to connect the city centre to part of the River Ure. It was used for transporting coal from the Durham coalfields into the city. Although it was abandoned in 1956, a conservationist campaign saw it partly reopened in 1988 and fully in 1996.

By road, Ripon is well connected; it is accessible from the north and south via the A1(M) motorway and is accessible from the east and west via the A61, the main road running through the city.

Harrogate Bus Company’s route 36 links the city to Harrogate and Leeds and there are also regular, albeit infrequent, bus services to Boroughbridge, York, Thirsk, Northallerton, Leyburn, Richmond and others.

Tripadvisor users recommend the Royal Oak pub and the Water Rat pub as well as the tapas restaurant Manchega for eating out in Ripon.

Harrogate though is generally considered to have a better range of restaurants including two branches of the famous Bettys Tearooms (one in the town centre and one a couple of miles outside at the RHS gardens of Harlow Carr).