Plaque marks Ripon Canal’s 250th anniversary

Visitors to Ripon Canal now have a permanent reminder of its long history after a plaque was unveiled at the weekend to mark its 250th anniversary.

The canal basin off Bondgate Green/Boroughbridge Road, was bathed in warm sunshine on Saturday as groups, organisations and members of the public were invited to a festival to celebrate one of the city’s hidden gems.

In addition to the formalities, carried out by the Mayor of Ripon Councillor Sid Hawke, there were displays by organisations including Ripon Civic Society, the Canal & River Trust, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, the RSPB, Inland Waterways Association and Ripon YMCA.

All have a keen interest in the canal for reasons ranging from built heritage to wildlife habitats and use of the waterway as a leisure and wellbeing asset.

Lizzie Dealey, partnerships manager for the Canal & River Trust, told the Stray Ferret:

“It’s remarkable to think how this waterway, which lay derelict for decades after the arrival of the railways, has been transformed, through the efforts of so many people, into a treasured facility.

“There are now more boats on our canals than at the height of the Industrial Revolution, with more than 10 million people using the network each year.”

Those who visited the Ripon Canal Basin on Saturday as part of the free Heritage Open Days programme which runs until Sunday (September 17) were treated to some free entertainment provided by a team of Appalachian clog dancers (pictured above)  before a performance by Ripon singer/songwriter Freddie Cleary. 

Nigel Rawlinson, president of Ripon Civic Society

And people who wanted to find out more about the canal’s heritage were able to speak with Nigel Rawlinson, the president of Ripon Civic Society and Richard Willis, the owner of Ripon Scenic Cruises and a former secretary of Ripon Canal Society.

Both societies played key roles in the canal’s protection and restoration between the 1980s and 1996.

The unveiling of the plaque was carried out by the Mayor of Ripon, Councillor Sid Hawke, attended by Mayoress Ms Linda Hawke along with Lizzie Dealey, partnerships manager of the Canal & River Trust and event organiser Richard Willis, owner of Ripon Civic Cruises, which operates on the waterway.

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Ripon Canal to celebrate 250th anniversary with open day on Saturday

Ripon Canal, one of the city’s hidden historic gems, will celebrate its 250th anniversary on Saturday with a day of festivities, including displays and live music.

The festival is part of the Heritage Open Days programme running from tomorrow (September 8) until Sunday September 17, which will see dozens of venues across the Harrogate district take part, offering free entry to anyone wishing to visit. 

Saturday’s open day at the canal basin runs from 11am until 3pm and at 1pm the Mayor of Ripon, Councillor Sid Hawke, will unveil a plaque to mark the waterway’s landmark anniversary.

The day, which has been organised by Richard Willis , owner of Ripon Scenic Cruises with support from Ripon Civic Society, will be attended by representatives from organisations including the Canal & River Trust, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, the RSPB and civic dignitaries.

Ripon canal

The picturesque approach to the canal basin

The history of  Ripon Canal

The canal opened in September 1773, principally to bring coal by boat from the mines of West Yorkshire for domestic use in Ripon and to carry cargos of wool and lead ingots from the Dales for use in Yorkshire’s cloth and heavy manufacturing industries.

However, 75 years after its opening, the canal became virtually redundant overnight with the arrival in Ripon of the railway and the opening in June 1848 of a station to the north of the city centre.

Barges could not compete with the new rapid delivery service  and with the loss of trade, the canal’s fate as a commercial enterprise was sealed.

Operators of the new mode of transport that caused the canal’s demise soon became its owner, as the waterway was purchased by the Leeds and Thirsk Railway in 1844, which subsequently became part of the North Eastern Railway in 1855.

Decades of dereliction followed and at one stage Ripon City Council mooted the idea of filling in the canal to create an extension for the Dallamires Lane Industrial estate.

Prior to this suggestion, the British Transport Commission had obtained Royal Assent for the abandonment of Ripon Canal in 1956.

Regeneration and conservation

Calls to regenerate the canal to realise its potential as a  leisure and tourist asset for local residents and visitors proved successful, gaining momentum through the formation of the Ripon Canal Society, of which Mr Willis was appointed secretary in 1982.

The waterway reopened for navigation as far as Littlethorpe Road Bridge in 1986 and was officially reopened right into the centre of Ripon in September 1996, with the assistance of the society and local authorities and with funding from English Partnerships.

Further improvements have been brought about through work carried out by Ripon Motor Boat Club, which has its marina and clubhouse on a section of the canal at Littlethorpe.

The waterway is now managed by the Canal & River Trust, which is the charity that succeeded British Waterways. It was awarded a Green Flag for its water quality in July 2018 and the improvements brought about by conservation volunteers and the Environment Agency have attracted more wildlife to its banks, while otters are regularly spotted hunting for fish.

Mr Willis told the Stray Ferret:

“The festival provides the opportunity for people to find out more about Ripon Canal and the role it has played, first as an industrial transport route and now as a leisure and recreational asset that attracts both visitors and wildlife into the heart of the city.”

 

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