Ripon is one of England's smallest cities and has a long history that
encompasses saints and actors, marquesses, mayors and murderers, writers
and eccentrics. Its Hornblower sets the watch each evening in a
tradition said to be more than a thousand years old; each year
festivities celebrate the return from exile of St Wilfrid in 705AD; its
19th-century workhouse is the most complete still surviving; in the
First World War the city was almost surrounded by the country's largest
army camp, where Wilfred Owen stayed before his final posting and death.
Round every corner and down every winding street, Ripon offers
unexpected historical and architectural surprises, quirky details and
the stories of a diverse cast of former Riponians. In words and images
from the past and today, local author David Winpenny reveals the secrets
of this historic and fascinating city. Disappear down the rabbit holes
with one-time resident Lewis Carroll, and reach the heights with
England's first free-standing obelisk. Explore Ripon Cathedral, from its
Saxon crypt to its modern glass, learn the city's history of law and
order (and sometimes disorder) and discover why the very ground beneath
your feet is dissolving. Ripon really is a place of secrets.