Ripon’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.