UK Town of Culture: Ripon's bid will focus on its rich history and the theme of 'pilgrimage'
Ripon has launched a bold bid in the race competition to be UK Town of Culture 2028.
Officially a city but home to just 17,000 people, Ripon faces competition from an increasing number of rival towns in the new competition which will offer the winning location £3 million with £250,000 for the other two finalists.
At the heart of Ripon’s bid called “Small City, Big Landscape” will be the idea of “pilgrimage” - a unifying theme of journey, discovery, connection, growth, and healing - shaping a year-long, place-based cultural programme.
Pilgrimage also encompasses the idea of Ripon’s close connection to its hinterland, and this bid led by the Uredale Community Partnership reflects that connection.
Pilgrimage has deep roots in Ripon. The 7th-century crypt of St Wilfrid at Ripon Cathedral drew early visitors, a tradition that continues today with the annual Boxing Day pilgrimage to Fountains Abbey.
Charlie Studdy from the Culture and Green Space Working Group for the Uredale Community Partnership and a volunteer for Ripon Theatre Festival helped bring partners together across the city.
Charlie said: “Ripon has been a place of pilgrimage since 672 AD.
"In 2028, we want it to be one again – this time for culture.
"Our vision is to build on Ripon’s unique, ancient foundations to create a sustainable, culture-led future, using the all-encompassing idea of pilgrimage.”
Located at the meeting point of three rivers, the city combines its unbroken civic life stretching back over a millennium with a distinctive rural setting.
St Wilfrid’s Procession, held each summer, celebrates the city’s founder.
Its Market Place has been a centre of trade for its community and surrounding villages for centuries, while the Hornblower ceremony – dating back to 886 AD – continues nightly, making it one of the longest-running civic traditions in the world.
Partners involved in Ripon’s bid include Ripon Together, Ripon BID, Ripon Theatre Festival, Ripon Cathedral, Ripon YMCA, Ripon Disability Forum, Ripon Civic Society and Ripon Arts Hub, alongside community groups spanning the Ure valley from Masham to the villages of Bishop Monkton and Langthorpe.
Ripon’s bid will also highlight its cultural richness and its wider impact outside the city.
The city’s historic environment is linked to figures including Lewis Carroll and Wilfred Owen, while landscapes such as Fountains Abbey, Hackfall Woods and the Ripon Canal continue to inspire artists today. Its creative identity extends from traditional baking – Wilfrid Tarts date back to at least 1108 – to contemporary community projects like the nationally recognised Ripon Community Poppy Project.
The programme for UK Town of Culture will be designed to connect Ripon’s city centre with the dale communities along the River Ure, from Masham through to Bishop Monkton and Langthorpe.
The Dean of Ripon, The Very Reverend John Dobson, chair of the Uredale Community Partnership, said: “Ripon has always been at the heart of a wider rural area and has an impact far beyond the city boundaries.
"It is wonderful that the Uredale Community Partnership has been the catalyst for this bid and has been able to bring together so many committed partners across the area.”
Lilla Bathurst, Manager at Ripon BID, said: “Ripon captures hearts with its heritage, community spirit, and countryside, but it is often overshadowed by larger neighbours such as Harrogate and York."