| Where: | Ripon Market Square and environs |
| When: | The Saturday before the 1st Monday in August (this can sometimes be the last Saturday of July) |
| Time: | 2pm onwards |
St Wilfrid was the Abbot of Ripon and Bishop of York and was influential in the Early English Church. The Cathedral at Ripon is dedicated to him and every year his return to the town is celebrated with a parade led by an actor playing the Saint on his horse, followed by floats, musicians and dancers and the Wakeman of Ripon (see Daily Customs). There are also fairground rides and stalls in the Market Square. Until recently Wilfra or Wilfrid Tarts were available at a local bakery which has now closed – these are apple-and-Wensleydale-cheese pies – if anyone starts making them again I would like to try one!
Helpful Hints
Follow the plentiful signs to the large car park situated near the Cathedral and Market area but be prepared to search for a space as town gets full. The terrain is easy to negotiate – all clean hard surfaces. Look out for the best-dressed Morris man I’ve ever seen!
In 2025 it should be on Saturday 2nd August (to be confirmed).
Click here for the event Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/stwilfridsprocessionripon/
Click here for the Cathedral website: https://www.riponcathedral.org.uk
and here for Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cathedralripon/
and here for the dancers:https://www.facebook.com/riponcitymorris
and : http://www.riponcitymorrisdancers.org.uk
I came to Ripon in 1941 aged 3 to escape the London bombs, and I remember my Mum telling me about Wilfra. I have fond memories of Holy Trinity School and am pleased that is the answer to one of my bank’s security questions “The name of your primary school?” I’ve been planning to return to Ripon to see my childhood haunts, so this procession would be an ideal date to aim for. I’ve lived in Brighton & Hove for many years now, a crazy place and so different from Ripon, but I’ll never forget those peaceful years. I still have an oil painting of Fountains Abbey that Mum bought before returning to London at the end of the war.
Well, I hope you’re not using that security question now…. Hackers paradise
We have a collection box for the St Wilfrid’s Procession, Ripon here at Harrogate Tourist Information Centre, The Royal Baths Crescent Road, Harrogate HG1 2RR Tel: 01423 537301.
Would someone be able to collect it in the near future?
We are open Mon – Sat 9.30am – 5pm
Hello,
Calendar Customs isn’t the website for the organisation of the St Wilfrid’s Procession – we write about a number of events all over the UK to help visitors get to the right place at the right time and we’re not connected to the running of them. If you contact the Ripon Civic Society I expect they’ll know who takes charge of the finances for the event – you can contact them on info@riponcivicsociety.org.uk
Hope that sorts it out for you!
Averil
I need to come into Ripon on Saturday – which roads are closed for the parade? I can’t find any info on line about this.
Hi Pam,
From what I remember (we visited a couple of years ago) there were few formal road closures – the area around the market place was open to traffic until the parade actually started travelling around it (presumably because access is required to access the carparks etc leading off it) and that was for quite a short time. I believe that the parade route is always the same, starting at Studley Road to the west of town, then approaching the Market Place from Westgate and doing a circuit before heading to the Cathedral. Hope that’s some help – the Tourist Info Office at Ripon is now closed for the day or I’d have called them to check but you can ring them on 01765 604625 to make sure that they’re not planning anything different this year. It was fairly busy when we went as regards parking but we managed to find a space in the carpark near Moss Arcade and the Library so it’s worth checking that one out as it’s very near the parade route.Hope you enjoy it!
Averil