Ripon’s four hornblowers to ‘set the watch’ together to mark Yorkshire Day

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All four of Ripon’s hornblowers will ‘set the watch’ this evening to mark Yorkshire Day.

Yorkshire Day is celebrated annually on August 1 and will be marked collectively by all of Ripon’s hornblowers tonight.

Usually, one of the city’s four hornblowers – Allison Clark, Wayne Cobbett, Adrian Mardon and Steven Bartlett – sets the watch at 9pm each night.

But tonight will be a little different, as all four will blow their horns together in Ripon Market Place.

A spokesperson for Ripon City Council told the Stray Ferret everything else will run as usual, including the time and place of the horn-blowing ceremony.

The city’s hornblower tradition dates back to the nineth century, making it one of the longest ongoing traditions in the world, and is said to have been upheld every night since its inception.

The hornblowers must sound the horn at 9pm each night and provide a brief history of the horn-blowing ceremony for the public. The ceremony is then followed by the sounding of the horn three times outside the Mayor’s house.

According to the legend, Alfred the Great presented Ripon with a charter horn in 886AD, when he granted charter rights to the city, due to its support against Viking raids.

The role of a wakeman was subsequently established, whose duty it was to watch over the city at night in case of Viking activity.

The horn was blown every night at 9pm to signify the start of the wakeman’s 'watch' – a tradition that still lives on today.