Ripon Cathedral

Infobox UK cathedral
building_name = Ripon Cathedral
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caption = The east end of the cathedral
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location = Ripon
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county = North Yorkshire
country = England
ecclesiastical = yes
denomination = Church of England
province = York
diocese = Ripon and Leeds
bishop = Rt Revd John Packer
dean = Very Revd Keith Jukes
precentor = Revd Canon Paul Greenwell
canons = Revd Canon Keith Punshon
canons = Venerable Janett Henderson
director_music = Andrew Bryden
organist = Thomas Leech
Deans_Verger = Mrs Gill Steer
website = [http://www.riponcathedral.org.uk www.riponcathedral.org.uk]
building = yes
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architecture_style = Gothic (Early English)
became_cathedral = 1836
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year_built = 1160-1547
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Ripon Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds and the motherchurch of the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds, situated in the small North Yorkshire city of Ripon.

Background

A church on the site is thought to date from 672, when it is believed to have been the second stone building erected in the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria Fact|date=February 2007. The crypt dates from this period.

People have been coming to worship and pray at Ripon for more than 1,350 years. The Cathedral building itself is part of this continuing act of worship, begun in the 7th century when Saint Wilfrid built one of England’s first stone churches on this site, and still renewed every day. Within the nave and choir, you can see the evidence of 800 years in which master craftsmen have expressed their faith in wood and stone.

History

Today’s church is in fact the fourth to have stood on this site. Saint Wilfrid brought stonemasons, plasterers and glaziers from France and Italy to build his great basilica in AD 672. A contemporary account by Eddius Stephanus tells us:

"In Ripon, Saint Wilfrid built and completed from the foundations to the roof a church of dressed stone, supported by various columns and side-aisles to a great height and many windows, arched vaults and a winding cloister."

Devastated by the English king in AD 948 as a warning to the Archbishop of York, only the crypt of Wilfrid’s church survived but today this tiny 7th century chapel rests complete beneath the later grandeur of Archbishop Roger de Pont l’Evêque’s 12th century minster.

A second minster soon arose at Ripon, but it too perished – this time in 1069 at the hands of William the Conqueror. Thomas of Bayeux, first Norman Archbishop of York, then instigated the construction of a third church, traces of which were incorporated into the later chapter house of Roger’s minster.

The exceptional Early English west front was added in 1220, its twin towers originally crowned with wooden spires and lead. Major rebuilding had to be postponed due to the outbreak of the Wars of the Roses but resumed after the accession of Henry VII of England and the restoration of peace in 1485. The nave was widened and the central tower partially rebuilt. Ripon Cathedral’s exquisite misericords were carved about this time.

But in 1547, before this work was finished, Edward VI dissolved Ripon’s college of canons. All revenues were appropriated by the Crown and the tower never received its last Perpendicular arches. It was not until 1604 that James I of England issued his Charter of Restoration.

Cathedral status

The minster finally became a cathedral (the church where the Bishop has his cathedra or throne) in 1836, the focal point of the newly created Diocese of Ripon - the first to be established since the Reformation.

Music

The musical tradition in the cathedral is very strong. The current director and assistant director of music are Andrew Bryden and Thomas Leech respectively. The Organ Scholar for 2008/9 is Tim Semken.

Organ

The cathedral has a fine organ by Harrison and Harrison dating from 1926. The organ is on the screen and has casework by Gilbert Scott. A specification of the organ can be found on the [http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N07116 National Pipe Organ Register] .

List of organists

*1447 Thomas Litster (priest)
*1478 Lawrence Lancaster
*???? Wanlass ?
*1670 Wilson
*1677 William Sorrell
*???? Shaw
*1682 John Hawkins
*1690 Thomas Preston (sen)
*1731 Thomas Preston (jun)
*1748 William Ayrton
*1799 William F. M. Ayrton
*1802 Nicholas T. D. Ayrton
*1823 John Henry Bond
*1829 George Bates
*1874 Edwin John Crow
*1902 Charles Henry Moody, CBE
*1954 Lionel Frederick Dakers
*1957 Philip Marshall
*1966 Ronald Edward Perrin
*1994 Kerry Beaumont
*2002 Andrew Bryden (Acting)
*2003 Simon Morley
*2003 Andrew Bryden

Bells

The ring of 10 bells is hung in the south west tower. They were cast in 1932. The cathedral has an appeal to increase the ring to 12.

ee also

*Ripon
* Architecture of the medieval cathedrals of England
* English Gothic architecture
* Romanesque architecture
* Church of England

External links

* [http://www.riponcathedral.org.uk Ripon Cathedral Website]
* [http://www.skyscrapernews.com/buildings.php?id=2406 Ripon Cathedral on Skyscrapernews.com]
* [http://www.ofchoristers.net/Chapters/Ripon.htm A history of the choristers of Ripon Cathedral]
* [http://www.scottbeer.com/rcmf MUSIC AT RIPON CATHEDRAL 657-2008]