Home of the majestic Ripley Castle, world famous ice cream, and scenic walks, this is a little village with a lot to give. One of our favourite aspects of Ripley is it's rich history! It has taken some time for this charismatic village to reach perfection, in fact, Ripley is the only village in England to have been completely rebuilt twice, by the same family, over a span of 700 years…which is quite astonishing really! The original village developed further south, on the north bank of the River Nidd. In the 14th century it was rebuilt in its present location by the Ingilby family. Then in the 1830s, Sir William Amcotts Ingilby rebuilt it completely, from the ground up, as a model estate village and a model estate village it certainly is. Ripley is known for its typical French style, with houses and public buildings all in the same style and all painted in the Ingilby colours.
Ripley Castle itself has been home to the Ingilby family since 1308, is steeped in history with magnificent grounds, lakes, Deer Park, Walled Gardens, Hothouses and Kitchen Garden.The Castle Gardens and Parkland are open to the public all year round, viewed by guided tour from April to October; a visit to the Estate makes for a fascinating and entertaining day out.
Crowned North Yorkshire’s best village to live in during 2015, Ripley’s attractions definitely don’t stop there. The Boars Head is the place to be in Ripley, a beautiful traditional Coaching Inn with 24 individual bedrooms, a welcoming bar and a dining room, serving seasonal menus with local produce.
We know that your mouth is watering, but it doesn’t’ stop there! Ripley is renowned for its heavenly ice cream. Locally made, to a specific secret recipe, you can taste this fresh ice cream at the Ripley Ice Cream shop on the main street. But be prepared to queue as it is always in such high demand, especially in the summer!
