🥾 A CIRCULAR RIPON WALK TO STUDLEY ROYAL AND FOUNTAINS ABBEY
🏰 This circular walk from the heart of Ripon links three of North Yorkshire's great landmarks, the cathedral city itself, the deer park at Studley Royal and the Fountains Abbey estate, all tied together by the River Skell. It follows quiet riverside paths, open countryside and the freely accessible parkland of a World Heritage landscape. The route passes close to Fountains Abbey and the Studley Royal water garden, which are the ticketed part of the National Trust estate, but it keeps to the free, open paths and only glimpses the abbey from a distance, so the whole walk can be enjoyed without an admission charge.
🗺️ The walk starts at the Cathedral Car Park in the centre of Ripon and drops down to Bondgate Bridge for a first look at the River Skell. It follows the river to Hell Wath Nature Reserve, then heads out past Whitcliffe Hall and onto the Ripon Rowel bridleway, entering Studley Royal Deer Park through the Seven Bridges Valley. After visiting The Lake it climbs across Mackershaw Park and follows the ancient Abbey Wall, before returning by St Mary's Church, Choristers' House and a long avenue that lines up with Ripon Cathedral. From there it passes through the village of Studley Roger and back along the Skell to the bridge and the cathedral where you began.
📏 This is a circular route of about 10¼ miles (16½ kilometres), climbing around 223 metres (732 feet), and it takes roughly four and a half hours at a comfortable pace. The recommended map is the Ordnance Survey Explorer 298, which covers Nidderdale. Parking is at the long stay pay and display Cathedral Car Park in the city centre, where the charges were very reasonable at the time of writing.
🏛️ Ripon is a cathedral city set where the rivers Laver and Skell meet before joining the Ure. It's the smallest city in Yorkshire and one of the smallest in England, yet it carries more than thirteen centuries of history. The settlement grew up around a church founded by Saint Wilfrid in the seventh century, and his Saxon crypt of 672 still survives beneath the cathedral. The city was once known for making spurs, so much so that fine steel was said to be as true as Ripon rowels, a name echoed by the Ripon Rowel route that this walk briefly follows.
📸 There's a great deal to see along the way. Near the start the route passes the T. and R. Williamson varnish works, established in 1775 and the oldest established varnish house in the United Kingdom. At Hell Wath Nature Reserve you come across rusted silhouette soldiers that mark Ripon's First World War story, on ground that was once part of the largest army camp in the country. The deer park brings the old stone bridges of the Seven Bridges Valley, the curious tower known as the Roman Monument or Devil's Chimney, and The Lake, shaped as part of John Aislabie's water garden. Later highlights include St Mary's Church, a High Victorian masterpiece by William Burges, the nearby Choristers' House and the grand Studley Great Gate, with the Fairy Steps and a final riverside stretch leading back to the cathedral.
👣 It's a walk that fits a remarkable amount into a single day, from ancient crypt to glimpsed abbey and grand water garden. The full guide has detailed directions, a complete set of photographs and links to view and download the route, so you can follow every step with confidence. Take a look and start planning your own day out on this Ripon walk.
Follow the River Skell on this circular Ripon walk to Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, passing Hell Wath Nature Reserve and a deer park.