Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Tuesday 9 September - Ripon

Eddie Brown's route 142 bus took us to Ripon by an interesting route through a number of villages. At Marton the phone box on the green had been turned into a book exchange. At Ripon we first visited the cathedral which is in good repair and has excellent glass. Possibly the most pleasant cathedral we have visited. It is set in a quiet green area that doesn't have the large number of tourists that visit York. The sun was shining through the large windows and the organ was playing quietly. A quintessentially English cathedral.

The Ripon canal has been reopened and we lingered at the basin watching the ducks. The ducks grumbled when a dog dusturbed their repose and a few even went into the water.


Walking back into town we were surprised to find a ford which is very well used. The path beside the river is more pleasant than that along the canal because it is quieter. A robin was watching us as it sang its high pitched trill to others hidden in the trees. The Tour de France passed through Ripon and terminated in Harrogate and everywhere there are reminders. The main square of Ripon had been yarn bombed with small yellow, green and polka spotted jerseys. The naim square at Boroughbridge has been similarly decorated.
This doesn't seem a safe way to place a ladder in a busy street.
After lunch at the Unicorn we went to the Spa Gardens which were well kept but which didn't keep us very long and we decided to take the Eddie Brown1415 bus back.
Click here to see all pictures taken at Ripon
This meandered through even more villages than before but we enjoyed it very much. The grain has been completely harvested and the hay bales brought in. The sun was shining brightly and it was warm although there are now definite signs of autumn.

We had dinner in the Blue Bicycle and then had a drink in the Blue Bell where I tried a Yorkshire, Bradford, Salamander Brewery Five Faced Bishop stout. It was pretty good with a rich consistency and taste similar to Guinness but slightly more bitter but with hints of chocolate