Persistent morning rain did not deter a hardy group of pilgrims from maintaining a Boxing Day tradition in Ripon.

More than 100 people made the four-mile journey from the city’s ancient cathedral to Fountains Abbey.

Walking at a gentle pace, wearing waterproofs, raincoats and with some carrying umbrellas, they retraced the steps of the 13 Benedictine monks, who set off from the cathedral on Boxing Day 1132 to become the original founders of the abbey.

Pilgrims walking along Kirkgate at the start of their journey to Fountains Abbey

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The annual pilgrimage, which began in 1976, was cancelled last year because of covid, but with smaller numbers than usual taking part this year, the event was safely staged, as walkers covered the route in small groups.

The pilgrims, carrying a cross, were led on the walk to the abbey by the Dean of Ripon, The Very Revd. John Dobson (pictured below, second from left) with five fellow walkers.

At the abbey, the cellarium, with its vaulted roof (pictured below) provided shelter from the elements for a carol service led by the Dean and cathedral clergy.

The service provided a heart-warming finale, full of festive cheer for the pilgrims.

It was cancelled last year because of covid, but tomorrow’s Boxing Day pilgrimage from Ripon Cathedral to Fountains Abbey is scheduled to go ahead.

The event, which regularly attracts upwards of 1,000 people, will follow the 9.30am Eucharist service for St Stephen’s Day.

At 10am, pilgrims will set off from the cathedral on the four-mile journey to Fountains Abbey.

Walking at a leisurely pace, they will retrace the steps of the 13 Benedictine monks who were the original founders of the abbey in 1132.

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At the abbey, a carol service will be led by the Dean of Ripon The Very Revd. John Dobson and cathedral clergy.

The pilgrimage between the two iconic heritage and religious sites has been held since 1976.

Sunday’s event will be the second pilgrimage of the year from the cathedral to the abbey.

In September, Ripon Together’s Yorkshire Pilgrimage was held as part of its Healthy Journeying campaign, which encourages people to walk in the Yorkshire countryside for physical and mental wellbeing.

Two beauty spots in the Harrogate district are set to feature in the second series of a major Netflix show starring Henry Cavill as Geralt.

The Witcher, which has a cast and crew of around 250 people, was filmed at both Plumpton Rocks near Harrogate and Fountains Abbey near Ripon.

In the first series, most filming was done in countries such as Hungary, Austria and Spain. However, due to coronavirus restrictions Netflix had to look for locations in the UK.

In October last year, the Stray Ferret showed a picture taken by reader Jo McGregor at Fountains Abbey of a film crew in action. The National Trust would only say at the time it was a “major TV series”.

Ahead of the release of series two of the Witcher on Friday, the National Trust and the owner of Plumpton Rocks have now confirmed the details and released behind the scenes pictures.

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Justin Scully, general manager of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, said:

“It was great to see such an exciting amount of activity happening onsite last year. Filming for The Witcher was by far the largest scale filming we’ve ever had here.

“Our visitors really enjoyed seeing such a big production happening around the property and had fun guessing what was being filmed, which we had to keep confidential at the time.

“There was a huge amount of work that went on behind the scenes to make it all happen.

“We worked for months with the production team from Netflix as well as specialist filming conservators so that we could ensure the safety of visitors, staff and of course the abbey and water garden.”

The National Trust added that the location fees it received will be spent on essential work at Fountains Abbey.

Robert de Plumpton Hunter, who owns Plumpton Rocks and has spearheaded a major £700,000 renovation at the site over the last several years, told the Stray Ferret:

“Netflix brought a major crew for the Witcher to Plumpton Rocks, where they filmed for about two weeks.

“Particularly during coronavirus it was great for Harrogate’s economy. I am looking to forward to watching it.”

More pictures from behind the scenes:

A crew member uses a VFX ball to capture lighting information from the set within the ruins of Fountains Abbey. Photo: Netflix

An elaborate set and special effects light up the abbey ruins during a dramatic scene. Photo: Netflix

MyAnna Buring as Tissaia de Vries in the ruins of Fountains Abbey. Photo: Netflix

Ripon residents woke to a monstrous sight on Market Square this morning.

Alongside the 18th century obelisk, a modern-day fantasy creation of myth and mayhem from Netflix could be seen inside a giant snow globe.

The creature, with its multiple limbs, is making a one-day appearance in Ripon to mark the release on Friday of The Witcher season 2, part of which was filmed at nearby Fountains Abbey and Plumpton Rocks.

The series, starring Henry Cavill, is an adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski’s bestselling novels.

The globe, with its resident snow monster, is touring the UK and will only remain on Market Square until this evening.

The Witcher is based on a series of books and video games and features battles between humans, elves, witches, gnomes, and monsters.

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Netflix will bring to Ripon a giant 18ft snow globe to promote the second series of The Witcher.

The fantasy series featuring Henry Cavill premieres on December 17 and part of it was filmed in our district at Fountain’s Abbey and Plumpton Rocks.

The globe, which has a monster from the show inside it, is on a tour of the UK and will be at Ripon Market Square on Monday.

The Witcher is based on a series of books and video games and features battles between humans, elves, witchers, gnomes, and monsters.

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Professor Brian Cox has filmed part of his new BBC series about the mysteries of the universe at Fountains Abbey and Brimham Rocks.

In the episode, which airs next week, the physicist explores the phenomenon of black holes whilst using the two National Trust sites as a visual backdrop.

Prof Cox walks around the ruined monastery of Fountains Abbey while discussing how black holes decay. Brimham Rocks and the Nidderdale landscape are used to emphasise the vastness of space.

The episode is due to broadcast on BBC2 next Wednesday (November 24) and is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer here.

Fountains Abbey tweeted that it was delighted to welcome the professor:

1/2 We were delighted to welcome @ProfBrianCox here on some very chilly days earlier this year to film for his new series 'Universe'. The upcoming episode The upcoming episode was filmed within the ancient abbey ruins and explores the amazing mysteries of black holes. pic.twitter.com/jOccODeO0l

— Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal, National Trust (@fountainsabbey) November 17, 2021

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Harrogate became the battleground today in the ongoing debates about wokeness and hunting at the National Trust.

The charity held its annual general meeting at the Harrogate Convention Centre today. Local people passing the building this morning may have noticed a wave of green protesters outside from the League Against Cruel Sports.

But there was also another group, Restore Trust, campaigning for change on the inside at the meeting.

The trust, which has more than 500 properties including Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden near Ripon, held various votes today to determine how the organisation moves forward.

Some of the motions to have attracted national media attention were for a ban on hunting on trust land and for the protection of volunteers who refuse to support political movements.

Orna NiChionna Turner, deputy chair of the National Trust, speaking at the event today.

Emma Judd, deputy director of policy, campaigns and communications at the League Against Cruel Sports, told the Stray Ferret:

“I am overwhelmed by how much support we have got, they have come from near and far to give up their time because they are passionated about animal welfare.

“Hunting was made illegal in 2004. But after the ban came trail hunting. We have been saying for a long time that it is often a smokescreen for illegal hunting.

“So by allowing trail hunting, the National Trust is risking criminal activity on their land. Hopefully we can make history in Harrogate today if the National Trust bans it.”

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Cornelia van der Poll, a spokesperson for Restore Trust denied any interest in wokeness despite it being the centre of a great deal of media coverage in the run up to the AGM. She told the Stray Ferret:

“We have put forward three resolutions today on remuneration, on curators and on volunteers. The woke debate is not something I am interested in.

“Restore Trust is interested in proper consultation of staff, members and volunteers. We are interested in proper curatorship and the things the National Trust looks after.

“It should not be Disneyfied or dumbed down but presented in a scholarly way that presents understanding. That is the way. We should not be amused or entertained but to understand and appreciate.”

This article is sponsored by the National Trust

The autumn colours make October and November a fantastic time to see the beautiful Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal in a whole new light.

Whether you’re looking for a family day out with the kids or a mid-week ramble with some friends, the National Trust and World Heritage Site has plenty to offer – including a few hidden gems you might not have noticed before.

Here are our five don’t-miss moments to look out for this autumn…

Fountains Mill

As well as being the oldest building on the estate, the Fountains Mill is also the oldest standing building in the care of the entire National Trust. Built to grind grain for the developing monastery, it survived the eventual closure of the abbey and continued to mill grain right up until 1927. In its long history, the building has been a monastic granary, a timber sawmill, a home for refugees, a mason’s workshop and a base for an innovative hydro electric generator. When you step inside, see if you can spot graffiti from centuries ago or see the splash of the mill wheel turning.

Green Man

Looking out from the east side of the abbey ruin is the green man. He’s a mysterious figure to see on an important religious building. It’s thought that it’s a nod to the older pagan faith and a connection to nature in the beautiful Skell Valley that the abbey sits in.

Surprise View

Surprise view (or ‘Anne Boleyn’s seat’ as it is sometimes called), has been one of the most popular spots for visitors to the water garden for centuries. Before the abbey ruin and Studley were united into one estate, the garden was cleverly designed to offer up a series of these famous “borrowed views” of the abbey. Standing in this spot, we can certainly understand why it would have been all too tempting to peek over the wall at the neighbours and not want to enjoy it for yourself!

Serpentine Tunnel

The Serpentine Tunnel was designed to give Georgian guests a gentle fright. It’s pitch black in the middle and still dark enough to be exciting today. Do you dare to try it for yourself? In autumn it’s even more spectacular, as when you emerge, you’ll see one of the most colourful views of Studley. Can you see the rainbow colours of the trees reflected into the Moon Ponds of the water garden?

Studley Deer Park

Autumn is an amazing time to visit the deer park, and see the 300 deer who live there as the annual rut gets underway. Listen out for the sounds of the stags roaring – it sounds almost like lions! Be sure to keep your distance and stay on the paths though, as you don’t want to be in the way when the bigger males clash antlers and start kicking in a bid to win the attention of the does.

Entrance to both Fountains Abbey and the Studley Royal Water Garden and deer park is free for National Trust and English Heritage members. For non-members, prices start from £17 for adults and £8.50 for children.

The head of landscape at Studley Royal Water Garden in Ripon has retired after 45 years, working on the garden he calls “the most beautiful in the world”.

Michael Ridsdale has worked for the National Trust for 45 years, with 37 of those at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal.

He is the trust’s longest serving gardener.

Over the years Mr Ridsdale has worked to restore the garden and its buildings to how they would have been in their heyday of 1871.

His 37 years at the helm of the gardening team haven’t all been plain sailing: he’s had to deal with severe flooding and foot-and-mouth disease, which threatened the garden’s large deer herd in 2001.

Key projects for Mr Ridsdale have included the conservation of follies, bridges and paths throughout the site, silt removal from the Skell river and Studley lake, restoration of the monastic precinct wall and the ongoing conservation of Fountains Hall and the Elizabethan garden.

He also spent four years restoring the Moon Ponds after their formal shapes were almost completely lost.

Moon Ponds: from this (above) in 1983 to this (below) today

Mr Ridsdale said:

“That early project set the tone for how we would look after and care for the site.

“The confidence in our restoration began to build and we created something magical, recreating what visitors would have seen in 1781. It’s one of my proudest achievements.”

Three years after Mr Ridsdale’s arrival, Studley Royal and the ruins of Fountains Abbey became a World Heritage Site in 1986.

Mr Ridsdale added:

“It was the most wonderful recognition for all the hard work we’d done, and recognition from the international community that this place was on par with other cultural sites around the world.”

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He said the “forever changing” gardens kept him inspired all these years and he wishes he had another 50 years to complete all the ongoing restoration.

But Mr Ridsdale won’t be too far away: he has taken on a new role as a volunteer at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal.

The National Trust and the Climate Coalition have unveiled an eye-catching new sculpture near Ripon to highlight the impact of flooding created by climate change.

Artist Richard Woods, who is known for his colourful architecture pieces, is behind the installation called Forever Home.

This work depicts an upturned house in the River Skell in the grounds of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal.

Fountains Abbey is one of 31 UNESCO World Heritage Sites that is already seeing the impact of climate change.

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It was installed during Great Big Green Week, a national celebration of action to tackle climate change, which ended yesterday.

Mr Woods said:

“I’ve always incorporated sustainability into my work, whether it’s the wood I’m using or the inspiration for the piece, it’s at the centre of everything my team and I create.

“This piece sits in such a beautiful landscape at Fountains Abbey.

“I hope it makes people stop and think about what will happen to these places if we don’t take immediate action to slow down the impact of climate change.”

Quite the juxtaposition.

Fiona Dear, head of campaigns at The Climate Coalition, said:

“We want Forever Home to inspire action and hope that, through this and the tens of thousands of people coming together for Great Big Green Week, a clear message is sent to the Prime Minister ahead of the United Nations COP26 climate talks in November.

“We care about nature and climate change, and we need your government to deliver a clear plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions to limit global heating and stop floods, heatwaves and droughts getting even worse.”

Patrick Begg, outdoor and natural resources director at the National Trust, said:

“The big flood events we’ve witnessed over the past few years in Cumbria, Yorkshire and the south-east, underline the growing risk from climate change to the places we love the most.

“We’re seeing a stark increase in the amount of our own properties at risk of flooding.”