■Distance: 7¼ miles/11.7km ■Time: 3 hours ■Grade: Moderate
CHOSEN BY… DAVID MARSH
Ripon has a long history of being a place of sanctuary. Indeed, it was King Athelstan, regarded as the first king of England, who first conferred the Right of Sanctuary to Ripon in 937 AD.
This allowed fugitives overnight sanctuary within a mile’s radius of Ripon’s monastery which was located very close to where the current cathedral now stands. The boundary of the Sanctuary was originally indicated by eight Sanctuary markers and this boundary is commemorated today by a way-marked circular route around the city. This walk takes in the most scenic half of that circuit, with long stretches on the banks of the rivers Ure and Skell. It also passes the sole remaining Sanctuary marker, the Sharow Cross.
1 Start
Facing the W door of Ripon Cathedral, pass to the R of the buildings and head down the steps, through an archway onto Minster Close.
At the bottom, turn L onto High Saint Agnesgate then R onto Low Saint Agnesgate.
Descend to the River Skell and cross the footbridge.
Once over, turn L and follow the mix of paths and roads that run alongside it until it joins the River Ure.
Turn R here and follow the path on its banks, including a long
section on a raised flood defence, until the B6265 and Hewick Bridge is reached.
2 1½ miles/2.6km
Carefully cross the footpath-less bridge then turn immediately L onto the footpath running beside the Ure, travelling in the opposite direction to before. Follow it until the path divides, at the far end of a large fiel
