A 15th century font in Ripon Cathedral is set to be moved for the first time since 1722 to a more prominent spot.
The font, made of blue-grey English limestone, is currently located towards the western end of the south aisle.
The cathedral has applied to Harrogate Borough Council for planning permission to relocate the font to the western end of the nave, where it will be visible on entry from any of the west doors.
The minster also wants to fit the font into a new two-step stone plinth with bronze handrail and decorative polished marble finish.
The font, which is believed to date back to the mid-to-late 1400s, survived the Reformation although it is thought to have been damaged during the later English Civil War.
There is a record of the font being repaired by stonemason Henry Lawson for 10 shillings and six pence (52.5p in today’s currency) in 1662.
The proposed extension of Ripon Cathedral, as seen in this artist’s impression, is one of the main reasons for relocating the font.
It was last moved in 1772 when its current stepped base was constructed.
The proposed move is partly due to the planned extension of the cathedral which, if approved, will require the creation of a new entrance to the ancient building.
A document produced by York archaeologists FAS Heritage says:
“A feasibility study is being undertaken as part of the Ripon Cathedral Renewed project, to explore the possibility of providing a new access through the south aisle south wall of the church. The font is situated within the bay of the proposed access.”
Besides moving the font, the planning application sets out plans to carry out structural repairs on the item.
It also proposes using York stone pavers to the south nave aisle to replace the font plinth, in keeping with the surrounding York stone paving.
The cathedral has a second 12th century font at the altar in St Peter’s Chapel.
£2.5 million project to prevent flooding at Fountains AbbeyA £2.5 million scheme to revive the river valley that runs through Fountains Abbey has been given the green light today.
The abbey and its water garden near Ripon are a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the UK’s most significant cultural landmarks.
But flooding has deluged the abbey ruins and the adjacent water garden several times in recent years. Nearby homes and businesses have also been affected.
Wildlife is under threat from poor water quality because of increased sediment in the river.
Now the National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded a £1.4 million grant to tackle the problem.
The sum, combined with funding from other sources, will enable the valley to be protected from the effects of climate change and flooding, which has threatened to cause irreparable damage to the abbey.
The Skell valley scheme aims to rejuvenate 12 miles of the River Skell by improving the landscape’s resilience to climate change.
Work on the scheme, led by the National Trust and Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is due to begin in March.
The River Skell, which runs through the Fountains Abbey UNESCO World Heritage site
In 2007, flooding devastated archaeology at Fountains Abbey, inundated the water garden of Studley Royal and caused damage downstream in Ripon.
Despite efforts to tackle the effects of extreme weather, flooding and silt-build up continue to threaten the valley’s heritage and ecology.
But now, with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and other funders, including the European Regional Development Fund, large-scale work to protect the landscape can begin.
The four-year scheme, which has been under development for several years, will involve local partners, landowners, farmers and volunteer groups.
Efforts to reduce flooding will include tree planting, meadow creation and new ponds, which will reduce soil run-off and slow the flow of water.
The project is designed to boost wildlife in the valley and it is hoped that populations of rare species such as curlew, white-clawed crayfish and golden plover will increase.
Communities will take an active role in the scheme with opportunities to learn conservation skills and undertake archive research.
Councillor Nigel Simms, who represents Masham and Kirkby Malzeard on Harrogate Borough Council and is chair of the Nidderdale AONB joint advisory committee, said:
“We will work closely with local farmers and landowners across the Skell valley to put in place nature-based solutions that will reduce flooding and improve biodiversity in and around the river.”
£500,000 restoration of historic Ripon church begins
Work has begun on the £500,000 restoration of St Wilfrid’s Catholic Church — one of Ripon’s architectural gems.
Years of fundraising by parishioners and awards from trusts, boosted by a £75,000 grant from Historic England, have made the project possible.
Parishioner and chair of fundraising, Barrie Price, said:
“After all our trials and tribulations of nearly five years, the contractors came on site to commence phase one of our restoration programme.
“This covers the whole of the central area of the church, excluding the rear section, and is expected to be completed by the end of March.”
St Wilfrid’s Catholic Church on Coltsgate Hill.
The grant from Historic England, awarded after a successful application from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, will enable the construction of a south porch extension, including toilets.
St. Wilfrid’s, which opened in 1862, is recognised as one of finest parish churches in England.
Its ornate reredos screens designed by Victorian architect Edward Pugin provide dramatic backdrops to the high altar and adjacent side altar, dedicated to St Joseph.
Both architectural works of art, sculpted from solid blocks of stone, provide focal points within the grade II* listed building.
In 1909 fittings from the private chapel at nearby Studley Royal were transferred to St Wilfrid’s following the death of the Marquess of Ripon — the city’s first mayor since the reformation — who had previously created the Lady Chapel within the church.
These include 10 stained-glass windows installed along the north and south aisles and dating from 1878.
Now, more than 50 years after the church’s last major refurbishment, the reredos, along with other parts of the building’s fabric, will be repaired and cleaned by specialists.
Mr Price, an accountant and former Ripon City and Harrogate district councillor, said:
“We were all ready to go earlier this year, but the first covid lockdown brought a temporary halt to everything, with the church having to close to meet the government’s social distancing requirements.”
Ripon’s ancient cathedral, is to receive grants totalling £303,000 to repair a leaking roof and buy equipment for streaming of services.
A grant of £240,000 from the government’s Culture Recovery Fund, will go towards the cost of mending the roof on the cathedral’s library.
In addition, grants of £63,000 have been received from Allchurches Trust and the Church Commissioners, enabling the purchase of new online streaming and associated equipment.
The roof repair to the library, which was added to the cathedral in the 15th century, will cost £300,000, with the remaining £60,000 raised through the ‘A Wing and a Prayer’ fundraising project run in partnership with Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
During the first COVID-19 lockdown, the cathedral was loaned equipment so that online services – including those during the Easter period – could be streamed to the homes of parishioners and a wider audience.
With the £10,000 grant from the Allchurches Trust and additional grants of £53,000, the cathedral will be able to pay for a new website and IT equipment for better quality streaming and recording of services, plus cabling and staff support costs.
Online streamed services began before Easter and the cathedral provided a daily streamed evening prayer, a weekly reflection and a Sunday Eucharist.
An aerial view of Ripon Cathedral.
The services have attracted a growing audience with more than 600 subscribers, some from as far away as California and New Zealand. Larger services, for such as that for VE Day, received more than 2,000 views.
Weddings and funerals have also been streamed for people who could not attend because of the strict cap on numbers. These have been seen thousands of times.
The Very Revd John Dobson, Dean of Ripon, said:
“I cannot thank Allchurches Trust enough for the support they are giving us in this essential area of ministry.
“Twelve months ago, this sort of development was on our agenda for the medium-term future. The experience of this year has changed that completely; it is now an urgent matter and an area of our work that is simply indispensable.
“It is particularly valuable at this time as we have big plans for Christmas which this grant will help us deliver, including live streamed carol concerts for people to sing along to at home, organ recitals and other services”.
Looking further ahead into the new year, the cathedral hopes to develop a more extensive range of online services for the congregation and the wider rural community, particularly as the need to socially distance looks set to continue; the new equipment will help to achieve this goal.
End in sight for Kirkby Malzeard closureThe £19,000 reconstruction and repair of the church wall at St Andrew’s Kirkby Malzeard will move a step closer today.
A 10-metre section of wall collapsed onto Church Street on February 19, causing the closure of the principal route between Kirkby Malzeard and Masham.
A diversion has been in place for more than eight months.
Planning permission is required for reconstruction of the collapsed section and repair of a further 30-metre length of the wall.
Harrogate Borough Council (HBC) has responsibility for the structure bordering the graveyard of the 12th century church, which was registered as a Grade I Listed Building in March 1967.
At a planning committee meeting today councillors will be asked to approve an application for reconstruction and repair of the stone wall.
Approval by members of the committee would be subject to conditions and if supported, final consent will be deferred to the executive officer for development management and building control.
HBC had initially hoped to have the wall reconstructed and repaired and the carriageway reopened to through traffic by the end of June.
However, timescales had to be reviewed because of the impact of the covid-19 pandemic.
St Andrew’s Church
Before work can proceed, further discussions need to be completed with Historic England, which has raised concerns about the proposed method of reconstructing the wall.
In a letter to HBC, the heritage watchdog, said:
“The church complex, including the churchyard and wall is considered to have exceptional heritage significance which derives from its architectural styles, legible plan-form, good surviving historical fabric and its continued focal point for rural community life.”
A report to councillors, says:
16 historic Harrogate district sites on ‘at risk’ list“Negotiations are ongoing with regards to the technical details, but the scheme is considered to be acceptable in principle.
“The principle of rebuilding the wall is accepted and whilst any stabilisation works will lead to ‘less than substantial harm’ to the structure it is considered that subject to agreeing a suitable method of construction and stabilisation, the public benefits of rebuilding the wall outweigh this harm.”
Sixteen historic sites in the Harrogate district have been included on Historic England’s at risk register, which was published today.
The register identifies sites most at risk of “being lost as a result of neglect, decay or inappropriate development”.
Historic England, a non-departmental public body, uses the register to work with owners to understand repairs and find funding.
The register downgrades the condition of the Church of St Mary on Harlow Terrace, which is disused, from ‘poor’ to ‘very bad’.
The grade II* listed building dates back to 1916 but has structural problems and needs lots of work. Mineral felt in the roof is leaking and the stone is deteriorating.
The register says proposals to convert St Mary’s into new use are not progressing.
The Heritage at Risk register highlights the plight of a further 15 historic buildings or places in the district:
Ripon renews its search for fourth hornblower
Ripon City Council is looking to recruit a fourth hornblower to perform the 9pm setting of the watch – an event held daily for 1,134 years.
The world-famous hornblower ceremony has not been seen or heard on Ripon’s Market Square for six months.
Social distancing requirements that came into effect at the end of March have meant that the current hornblowers – Wayne Cobbett, Richard Midgley and Allison Clark – have shared the nightly task with four blasts of the horn at their own homes.
Allison Clark, one of the three current Ripon Hornblowers
The behind closed doors ceremony has been broadcast by each person on Facebook.
George Pickles was the last person to singularly hold the hornblower office. When he retired in 2015, a team was recruited to share the duties.
The Mayor of Ripon, Councillor Eamon Parkin, told the Stray Ferret:
“We have been looking to appoint a fourth member of the team for some time, but the coronavirus lockdown interrupted the process.”
Applicants have until 12 noon on Monday 26 October to put their names forward.
The job description, which can be found on the council’s Facebook page, says candidates need to be available for regular duty for up to three nights per week.
According to tradition, the successful applicant will be required to sound the horn with:
“One blast at each of the four corners of the plinth of the obelisk and then provide a brief history of the horn blowing ceremony for the public in attendance.”
The job also involves sounding of the horn outside the mayor’s house each evening and attendance at civic events.
The duties described on the council’s Facebook page will only apply when the Ripon hornblowers return to the Market Square and Cllr Parkin pointed out:
“We don’t know when that is going to be but we need to be ready.”
The ceremony dates back to AD 886 when Alfred the Great, king of the Saxons, awarded a horn to the local people of Ripon in gratitude for the way in which they fought off a Viking attack.
Setting of the watch, or curfew, has survived the Norman Conquest, the Black Death, the English Civil War and two world wars.
The city council is determined to ensure that it will also survive the Covid pandemic.
Church wall repair planned after six-month road closure
Harrogate Borough Council will have to grant itself Listed Building consent before a 40 metre section of church wall in Kirkby Malzeard can be reconstructed and repaired.
The large retaining wall partially collapsed during wet weather in February, causing the closure of a key transport route between Kirkby Malzeard and Masham.
While the reconstruction is necessary before the road can be reopened to through traffic, it is also required to protect the integrity of the ancient churchyard of St Andrew’s Parish Church.
Graves have been left in a precarious position because of the collapse of a ten metre section of the wall, which saw stone fall onto Church Street, forcing the closure of the road.
A planning application for the reconstruction, in addition to the repair of a further 30 metre section of the wall, is being submitted by the council and is currently at the consultation stage, which finishes on September 15. Comments can be submitted on the council’s planning website, using application number 20/02721/LB.
St Andrew’s Parish Church in Kirkby Malzeard
However, the matter is not straightforward, because St Andrew’s is a Grade I listed building and special permissions are required.
The churchyard dates back to the 12th century and consultee Historic England said in a letter to the planning authority:
“The church complex, including the churchyard and wall is considered to have exceptional heritage significance which derives from its architectural styles, legible plan-form, good surviving historical fabric and its continued focal point for rural community life.”
Government legislation says that if graves need to be disturbed for works, such as construction or the provision of utility services, licences and/or faculties will be required.
A report by archaeologists employed by HBC said:
Ripon’s St Wilfrid’s church in line for £500,000 refurbishment“The overriding objective of the archaeological mitigation will be to avoid, or keep to a minimum, any disturbance of archaeological deposits, specifically graves and grave monuments.
“The objective of the mitigation strategy is to ensure that any archaeological deposits that might be uncovered can be recorded and that any human remains that are disturbed are treated appropriately.”
Ripon’s St Wilfrid’s Catholic Church is looking forward to a £500,000 refurbishment, but is still welcoming worshippers back.
St Wilfrid is inextricably linked to Ripon’s ancient Cathedral, but less than a mile away, another architectural gem of later vintage, also bears the name of the city’s patron saint.
St. Wilfrid’s Catholic Church, which opened in 1862, is recognised as one of finest parish churches in England, with ornate reredos designed by Victorian architect Edwin Pugin providing dramatic backdrops to the high altar and adjacent side altar, dedicated to St Joseph.
Both architectural works of art, sculpted from solid blocks of stone, provide focal points within the Grade II* Listed Building.
St Wilfrid’s Catholic Church, on Coltsgate Hill, Ripon
Now, more than 50 years after the church’s last major refurbishment, the reredos, along with other parts of the building’s fabric, are in need of expert repair and cleaning by specialists, which will be paid for out of a £500,000 fund raised by the parish over the past five years.
Before the work can go ahead, the green light is required next month from the Catholic Diocese of Leeds, which owns the building.
Subject to receiving that approval, the restoration and renovation work can proceed.
Parishioner Barrie Price, an accountant and former Ripon City and Harrogate district councillor, who chaired the fundraising appeal, said:
“We have all the planning permissions required for work on a Grade II* Listed building and, importantly, the finance is in place.”
He added:
“We were all ready to go earlier this year, but COVID-19 brought a temporary halt to everything, with the church having to close to meet the government’s social distancing requirements.”
St Wilfrid’s, which serves Ripon, Boroughbridge, Kirkby Malzeard and surrounding rural areas, is welcoming worshippers once more with Mass being said every weekend and each weekday apart from Mondays.
Parish priest Canon Ian Smith, said:
“We have an army of volunteer stewards, whose work has enabled us to reopen and keep the building safe, with hand sanitiser and social distancing measures in place. In addition we are supported by members of the St Vincent de Paul charity, who assist in bringing parishioners with limited mobility to our services.”
He added:
“We look forward to welcoming parishioners and visitors to our celebrations.”
The services are at 9.30am and 5,30pm on Saturdays; 9am and 10.30am on Sundays and weekday Masses are at 9.30am (Tuesdays 9am).
Worshippers wishing to attend the Vigil or Sunday Masses, should email their choice of time to stwilfridripon@gmail.com anyone without email access can call Canon Smith on 01765 279263.
Ripon to celebrate St Wilfrid despite coronavirus
The covid pandemic may have prevented many large scale public gatherings but it is not going to stop Ripon celebrating its patron saint on Saturday.
For centuries, processions and mass events in honour of St Wilfrid have been held to venerate the man who shares equal billing with St Peter at the cathedral, which is located on the site where Wilfrid established a church in AD 672.
Born in Northumbria in AD 634, Wilfrid’s name can be found on street signs, a primary school, cafe and Catholic church within the ancient city and other towns and cities across the country.
It’s 912 years since King Henry I granted permission for the city to hold a fair to celebrate the birth of the saint and Ripon – a city that takes great pride in its heritage – has held on to this tradition.
In normal years, St Wilfrid’s procession sees large crowds line the streets of Ripon
In normal years, a large procession would circle the city, led by an actor on horseback playing St Wilfrid and concluding with a service in the cathedral.
The procession, including Ripon city band and floats representing clubs, schools, businesses and neighbourhood groups, would pass the market place, where fairground rides, Morris dancers and much more would be present for the enjoyment of people of all ages.
Social distancing rules brought in by the government in a bid to beat coronavirus, mean that this year’s celebration will, like the VE Day 75th anniversary celebration in May, be largely restricted to window displays, bunting and floral tributes along the route that the procession would normally take.
The Ripon City Morris Dancers Band will be performing in the garden of 12 Church Lane from 2pm and details of other activities can be found on the St Wilfrid’s Procession FaceBook page.
To help raise awareness of Saturday’s event, Paul Simms dressed as St Wilfrid and his wife Sue, walked the processional route, where they met Mayor of Ripon, councillor Eamon Parkin, outside his Magdalens pub.
Cllr Parkin, said:
“It’s a shame that we can’t have the usual celebrations of our patron saint this year. This is a big annual event for the city that draws large crowds, but public safety is paramount and once we have defeated coronavirus, we will be able to have the large-scale events once more.
“Thanks to Paul and Sue and others involved with the St Wilfrid’s procession, we will still mark the day – but in a quieter way this year.”