Arsonists attempted to set fire to Ripon Cathedral this morning.
North Yorkshire Police, which was alerted to the incident at 10.40am, is appealing for information.
Nobody was injured and no damage was caused. No further details have been released.
A spokeswoman for North Yorkshire Police said:
“We were alerted to a suspected attempted arson incident at Ripon Cathedral at around 10.40am today. Thankfully there were no injuries and no damage caused.
“An investigation is ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.”
Read more:
- St Aidan’s Chamber Choir marks 30 years with Ripon Cathedral concert
- Harrogate’s Valley Gardens to host spectacular fire and light show
The cathedral, which is celebrating its 1,350th anniversary this year, was open as normal this afternoon.
A spokesperson confirmed firefighters were called this morning after smoke was smelt inside the building. The spokesperson added:
“We have been asked not to give any more details while investigations are ongoing.”
Inside the cathedral, pictured this afternoon.
Police asked anyone with information to email sarah.hargreaves@northyorkshire.police.uk or call North Yorkshire Police on 101.
Alternatively, they can contact Crimestoppers anonymously via its website or by calling 0800 555 111.
Quote reference number 12220031515.
Families invited to enjoy the sights and sounds of Ripon
Seven of Ripon’s best-known locations are combining on Saturday March 12 to provide free entertainment and interactive fun for families.
The Sights and Sounds of Ripon programme, organised by Harrogate Borough Council, runs from 11am until 2pm at all venues.
It includes activities ranging from participation in a Victorian school lesson at the Workhouse Museum, to a visit to the bell tower at Ripon Cathedral.
Anyone interested in how fingerprints have been used to catch criminals can find out at the Prison and Police Museum, on St Marygate, where they can try fingerprinting themselves.
The cathedral will host singing, dancing, displays, craft activities and a bell tower tour.
At the nearby Courthouse Museum on Minster Road, visitors can see how the city’s criminals were brought to justice in bygone days.
In addition to the array of activities at the three heritage attractions run by Ripon Museum Trust, the cathedral, which celebrates its 1,350th anniversary this year, will host an exhibition featuring community services provided by 14 local organisations.
There be family crafts and games and performances from local choirs, Ripon City Morris Dancers and Betty Lupton’s Ladle Laikers.
The dancers and the Ladle Laikers will also be performing at the Workhouse Museum, along with singers and a ukulele band, while Punch and Judy shows will take place at 11.30am and 1.30pm.
The city council’s treasured items will be the focus of talks in the Mayor’s Parlour
At Ripon Town Hall, the city’s silverware and other treasures, collected over centuries, will be the focus of talks held on the hour from 11am in the Mayor’s parlour.
Those looking for some interactive entertainment will find it at Ripon Arts Hub on Allhallowgate, where they can view a working rehearsal by Ripon Youth Theatre between 11am and 12 noon and join in live Oliver! workshops at 12.15pm, 1pm and 1.45pm.
Read more:
The city’s library will hold storytime readings for 0-6 year-olds from 11am and there will be stories and activities for 7-11-year-olds between 12 noon a 12.45pm.
In addition to the daytime programme at the library, which will feature community information stalls, Ripon Poetry Festival will be staging a free to attend open mic night at 7.30pm, for which places need to be booked in advance.
Further programme details are available here.
A gala concert in honour of the Queen’s platinum jubilee will be held at Ripon Cathedral on Saturday March 5.
St Cecilia Orchestra will play some of the best-loved English orchestral music, compered by Nidderdale-based actor and playwright, Nevin Ward.
He promises:
“A glorious, thrilling programme that is not just some of the finest English music ever written, it’s some of the best music ever, full stop!”
The programme will open with Walton’s rousing Orb and Sceptre march, specially commissioned for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation.
This will be followed by Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, which takes the listener on a whistlestop tour of the orchestra by means of a cleverly adapted set of variations on a theme from Purcell’s Abdelazer.
Read more:
Mr Ward, a native Northumbrian who has lived in Nidderdale for 45 years, voices the narration in the evening concert and also in a special family highlights matinee at 5.00 pm – designed to give younger children the opportunity to take part in the celebrations and hear live orchestral playing.
Following the interval, the orchestra’s string section will feature in Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis, written for double string orchestra with string quartet and based on a melody of the English Renaissance.
Conductor Xenophon Kelsey is looking forward to hearing the fantasia in the generous acoustic of Ripon Cathedral. He said:
“The Vaughan Williams work is glorious – so atmospheric and evocative, especially in the cathedral!”
Elgar finale
The concert will come to a close with one of Elgar’s musical masterpieces, the Enigma Variations, consisting of 14 pieces based on an original melody, each of which is a sketch depicting one of the composer’s friends.
Elgar himself explained that the work ‘commenced in a spirit of humour’, as he improvised at the piano one evening, but it ‘continued in deep seriousness’.
In naming the theme ‘Enigma’, the composer posed a challenge which has generated much speculation over the years but has never been definitively answered.
Tickets for the full evening performance are priced at £20 for adults and are free for under 18s. Available via the orchestra website, www.st-cecilia.org.uk, from the Little Ripon Bookshop and Henry Roberts, or reserve by phone: 01423 531062. The performance begins at 7.30pm.
Tickets for the short family matinee at 5.00pm (Walton and Britten only) cost £5 for adults and are free for under 18s, and are available from the same outlets.
A memorial service will be held at Ripon Cathedral at 3pm on Tuesday for playwright and TV dramatist Ian Curteis, whose play about the 1982 Falklands conflict was at the centre of a BBC controversy.
Mr Curteis, who in 2001 married Lady Deirdre Hare, widow of the 7th Baron Grantley of Markenfield Hall, spent the latter years of his life focused on the conservation and restoration of the medieval building, which has been the Grantley family seat since the 13th Century. He died in November.
In 2008, he and Lady Deirdre, who described the moated hall as ‘the loveliest place you’ve never heard of’ won the first annual restoration award sponsored by Sotheby’s and the Historic Houses Association.
Better known to people who followed Mr Curteis’ writing rather than restoration activities, was his work on the BBC blockbuster drama series, The Onedin Line, for which he was commissioned to write a number of episodes.
Markenfield Hall.
His innovative approach saw him pioneer a new drama-documentary format for his play on the 1956 Suez crisis, broadcast by the BBC in 1979.
Mr Curteis used the same drama-documentary approach for a play about the Falklands War commissioned by the then BBC director-general Alasdair Milne in April 1983 — just a year after the conflict had started.
Read more:
- Ripon councillors call for extension of Barracks development consultation
- Still no opening date for Ripon’s new swimming pool
However, The Falklands Play, which was for many years at the centre of a controversy involving claims of political bias and attempted censorship, was finally broadcast on BBC Four after a number of re-writes in April 2002.
In a less controversial arena, Mr Curteis wrote an adaptation of JB Priestley’s last novel Lost Empires for ITV and also adapted for broadcast by the BBC The Choir , a novel written by Joanna Trollope.
Ripon photographer Mike Smith has shot a series of photos showing some of the city’s most beautiful winter scenes.
Mr Smith, who moved to the city from West Yorkshire in 2018, is a keen photographer who has sold numerous images over the years.
The main image here shows blue skies over Ripon canal basin last weekend.
This swan below was photographed passing below Rentons Bridge at Littlethorpe.
Ripon’s famous cathedral celebrates its 1,350th anniversary this year and, as this photo shot at sunrise shows, it remains perhaps the most striking and beautiful building in the Harrogate district.
Mr Smith said:
“I have combined my passion for photography with my enjoyment for walking and exploring the area around our new home.
“I share a lot of my photos on local social media as there are a good number of elderly Riponians far and wide who either cannot get out into the countryside any longer or who have moved away from the area.
“They enjoy seeing my photos. Local folk asked me to produce a calendar each year and to date I have sold around 1,000.”
Local charities have benefited through part of the proceeds of sales.
Mr Smith, who used to work in financial services, has given talks to local groups and had work published magazines.
Have you taken any great photos of the Harrogate district? We love receiving readers’ images and occasionally publish them alongside the name of the photographer. Send them to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.
Sneak peek: New owners refurbish The Old Deanery in Ripon
The new owners of The Old Deanery are set to be the first couple to have their wedding at the venue after completing the first phase of a major refurbishment.
It is a new chapter for the Grade II* listed mansion. The venue has sat in the shadow of Ripon Cathedral since it was built in 1625.
Chris Layton and Rebecca Hill, who also own the Galtres Lodge Hotel in York, took on the business in August 2021.
The previous owners closed the business in June 2020 due to coronavirus. That closure came as a major blow for the city with countless memories attached to the building.
Where couples will have their wedding breakfast. Photo: Tim Hardy
So with news of new owners came a lot of interest from locals curious about Chris and Rebecca’s plan for the place.
While they are open-minded about how The Old Deanery will operate in future, they have put the restaurant and hotel side of the business on hold to focus on weddings and events.
The new owners have been busy refurbishing and redecorating the venue since they took it on last summer.
Read more:
- Building a £117m business in Ripon over 40 years
- North Stainley school’s fundraising 10K race to return next month
- New owners unveil Minskip pub’s fresh look
The Old Deanery will look quite different to how people remember the venue. The couple have brought out the original features of the building where they can and opted for a more neutral colour palette.
A new look for The Old Deanery.
Mr Layton and Ms Hill told the Stray Ferret:
“We do most of the work ourselves so we don’t have to decide on a vision for the place straight away and it evolves naturally. In a way the place tells you what it wants.
“By no means is the renovation over. We are looking at orangeries, oak garages for the drive and a library. All of the things that would have gone with a big stately home.
“We want this to be part of the community. That is why we are opening as more of an events venue than a hotel.”
Lewis Carroll was apparently inspired to write Alice in Wonderland during his time in the garden here.
The first wedding at the new Old Deanery
It is now ready for its first wedding of the new era later this month — which just so happens to be the wedding of Mr Layton and Ms Hill. Rebecca added:
Ripon’s platinum jubilee plans take shape“We have been engaged a while. With a big chunk of coronavirus in the middle you can forget how much time has passed.
“Chris wanted to get married in our own place but our venue in York was too small.
“We only decided before Christmas to get married here so we didn’t have long to plan it but everybody we wanted just happened to be available. It all just fell into place when we found The Old Deanery.”
A new horn for Ripon will blast out for the Queen’s platinum jubilee, as part of the city’s celebrations.
The instrument will be used for the first time in the hornblower ceremony on Market Square at 9pm on Saturday 4 June and will be in regular use thereafter.
The event will be one of the highlights of the extended Bank Holiday weekend extravaganza, which also includes a special tea party at Ripon Cathedral for people with a June birthday, born between 1952 and 2021.
The aim is to create a ‘human timeline’ dating back to 1952, with one person from each of the 70 years of the Queen’s reign invited to attend, with a guest.
Ripon Cathedral will host a ‘timeline’ tea party with guests from each year of the Queen’s reign
City council leader Andrew Williams, told the Stray Ferret:
“In partnership with the cathedral, Ripon Business Improvement District, Ripon Together and the Ripon Community Poppy Project, we will provide an inclusive four-day programme of activities, that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.
“There will be something for everybody as we and the entire nation join in the celebrations and after the bunting has gone from the streets, the platinum jubilee horn will provide a constant reminder of the Queen’s remarkable service to this country.”
On June 2, the cathedral, which celebrates its 1,350th anniversary this year, will be the focus of attention, when it hosts the civic service for North Yorkshire and later on that day, on Market Square, Ripon will join in a nation-wide beacon lighting ceremony.
Read more:
Free live music will be played from 11am until 11.30pm on Market Square between June 2 and 4 and fairground rides for children of all ages and adults will be in place.
On Sunday June 5, Spa Park will be the venue for music from Ripon City Band and children’s entertainers will also be performing.
The event is being arranged by the Ripon Community Poppy Project and attendees will be invited to take their own picnic.
St Aidan’s Chamber Choir marks 30 years with Ripon Cathedral concert
A concert will take place at Ripon Cathedral in April to mark the 30th anniversary of St Aidan’s Chamber Choir.
Ex-members of the choir, including Cathy Roberts, former director of music at St Aidan’s, who founded the choir in 1992, and Greg Beardsell, a founder member of the choir and now a professional conductor and TV presenter, have agreed to attend.
The concert, on April 2, will bring together all three of the school choirs, the symphony orchestra and a ‘choir of choirs’ made up of former members.
St Aidan’s Church of England High School in Harrogate has about 2,000 students. Its chamber choir is one of its best loved and prestigious musical ensembles.
Read More:
- St Aidan’s school in Harrogate rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted
- St Aidan’s ‘absolutely delighted’ at pitch approval
The school said in a statement:
“We would like to invite the wider St Aidan’s community to participate as singers or players in the community chorus and orchestra for some massed items, including Haydn’s The Heavens are Telling.
The event is open to all parents, carers, staff, students and anyone else with a St Aidan’s connection.
To be part of the event, or for further details, email music@staidans.co.uk with the subject CC30.
St Wilfrid’s procession returns to Ripon this yearRipon’s traditional St Wilfrid’s procession will be back this summer, after the covid pandemic caused its cancellation for the past two years.
Held in honour of the city’s patron saint, it is one of the largest events in the city each year, usually attracting thousands of people to the streets and Market Square.
The procession’s return on Saturday 30 July means it will be part of the 2022 celebrations marking the 1,350th anniversary of Wilfrid’s founding of Ripon’s ancient cathedral in 672 AD.
Born in Northumbria in 634 AD, the saint’s name can be found on street signs, a primary school, a cafe and a Catholic church in the city as well as in other towns and cities across the country.
It’s 914 years since King Henry I granted permission for the city to hold a fair to celebrate Wilfrid’s birth and Ripon – a city that takes great pride in its heritage – has held on to this tradition.
Procession organisers have kept the tradition alive in a scaled-back way over the past years, with a St Wilfrid Trail in 2020 and a walk around the city last year.
The new business owners of The Old Deanery in Ripon have been granted a licence to reopen the 16th century building as a hotel, restaurant and wedding venue this month.
Hoteliers Rebecca Hill and Chris Layton took over the historic building last year after it was forced to close following months of coronavirus lockdowns.
The pair – who also run York’s Galtres Lodge Hotel – plan to renovate the building and have now been granted a premises licence after a meeting of Harrogate Borough Council’s sub-licensing committee today.
Ms Hill told the committee that Ripon residents wanted to see The Old Deanery “thrive” as a new business and that support from locals had been “huge”.
She said:
“The Old Deanery is one of the most significant businesses in Ripon.
“It is a key part of the city, both for the business community and tourism economy, as well as the wider residential community.”
Read more:
- Swimming club ‘mortified’ after Harrogate council hikes fee for new pool
- Ripon’s Old Deanery hotel to reopen under new occupiers
Despite the support of residents, Ms Hill said the licence application had been hit by “unnecessary” conditions put forward by environmental protection officers at Harrogate Borough Council.
These included a ban on speakers and music being played outdoors.
Ms Hill said the rules were suggested with “little knowledge” of the area and would have been a “detriment” to the new business, which wants to ensure The Old Deanery’s gardens remain open to the public and music is permitted outdoors.
Council officers argued the rules were “fair and lenient” – but they were later dropped by members of the sub-licensing committee.
Ms Hill said:
“The representations from Harrogate Borough Council’s environmental protection team centre around noise disturbance – something that we hold in the highest importance.
“We do not believe our application will cause any issues in this respect.”
The Old Deanery neighbours and is owned by Ripon Cathedral.
It dates from 1625 and has 11 bedrooms, gardens, and several public areas which are being restored back to a country house that will be available for weddings and other events.