Ripley, England

Ripley is a small town between Harrogate and Ripon in North Yorkshire. Its claims to fame are the castle and the ice cream. We visited several times but only have a few pictures to show for it.

Ripley Castle is the home of the Ingilby family. Henry Ingilby was a tax collector for King Edward III. His brother Thomas saved the king's life during a hunt when a wild boar was charging Edward. Thomas was knighted and boar imagery abounds in Ripley. The family is Catholic so there were difficult times during the English part of the Protestant Revolt. Nine of eleven conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot were either related to or associated with the Ingilby family. After Oliver Cromwell's victory at Marston Moor, he chased after leaders who had fled. He spent the night at Ripley Castle, which slowed down his pursuit. He was held at gunpoint by "Trooper" Jane Ingilby! (There's an awesome ale made by Daleside in her honor from a recipe discovered at the castle). The family still lives in the castle 700 years after they first built it! It has undergone renovations but is still an amazing place. On the tour visitors can see the old part of the house which includes a large stained glass window with various family coats-of-arms. Part of the tour goes through a secret passage in one of the turrets. Pictures aren't allowed inside but the house and estate are wonderful.

Ripley Castle inside

The older part of the castle

Vehicle entrance

Clocks on the courtyard

Waterfall by the lake

Lake in the back of the castle

View of castle from its park lands

Enough of the castle already!

The town also has a church that dates back many centuries. I wrote a post on it long ago.

The town has one pub/inn, The Boar's Head, which is right on the town square. You know, where they have the stocks for punishing malefactors.

Stocks, a small memorial, and The Boar's Head

Another boar can be found on the town's drinking fountain. This particular fountain is for dogs. Many fine trails run through Ripley and people are often out with their dogs on long walks.

Refreshment for the canine crowd

I don't have any pictures of the world famous Ripley's Ice Cream shop but they do have a Facebook page if you want to check them out. We made many stops for a cone or cup on our many adventures in England. They also sell in Valley Gardens from a special shop.

Hanging out on the streets of Ripley

The town is definitely worth a visit!