Ripon

 

The first day of a short visit to the North East starting in Ripon. We started our walk around the City with a very informative visit to the Tourist Information Office in the Town Hall.

In front of the Town Hall is the large 12^th century Market Square, dominated by the 90 ft Obelisk erected in 1781.

We turned left and passed the rather lovely Wakeman’s House. In the past the Wakeman or Hornblower used the horn to sound the setting of the watch at 9pm. Surprisingly, the horn is still blown every evening – although not from the Wakeman’s House, which is now a café.

 

Carrying on in the same direction, we come to the sadly defunct Ripon Spa Baths. They were built in 1905 and a swimming pool was added in the 1930s. The entrance has lovely art nouveau details.

Now we doubled back passing the Town Hall on our right and following Kirkgate down to the imposing front of the Cathedral. The Cathedral was Romanesque in origin but little of that remains as a result of repeated collapses to the fabric of the building: it all now looks Perpendicular. Apart from one thing: it you look carefully at the crossing arch that a Romanesque starts on the left hand side, which the right is propped up by a series of slim pillars.

At the far end of the Nave is a wonderful decorative screen.

Undertaking a quite circumnavigation of the exterior of the Cathedral I came on the nearby St Agnes Lodge.

And then, on the other side of the road, was the Courthouse Museum.

We now headed Northwards, to pass the really grim-looking Police Museum.

Heading further north we came to the fascinating Leper Chapel ...

... with two sets of Almshouses nearby on opposite sides of the road.

We walked on to reach a long bridge and headed back via a different route towards the City centre, passing the Victoria Tower on the way back.