I have lived in Ripon for 21 years and walk through Minster Gardens almost every day. I know it well. I am thrilled by the Cathedral annexe proposal which will occupy just a part of the gardens and bring so much benefit to that corner of Ripon and to the whole community.
The recently amended plans for a new annexe for Ripon Cathedral are the outcome of more than a decade of planning and research. The building has been proposed because of the Cathedral’s special place in the city – as a place of worship, the centre for much of the city’s cultural life and as a significant tourist attraction bringing in visitors, and extra trade for local businesses.
Ripon Cathedral’s 1,350 years of history
As well as its regular daily services of worship, the Cathedral embraces over 1,350 years of history, with the crypt the oldest surviving structure of any cathedral in England. It welcomes more than 100,000 visitors each year to experience the cathedral’s grandeur and look back into history. It is the city’s major tourist attraction.
In addition, it is the largest venue locally regularly hosting concerts, events, exhibitions and education programmes. Many of these could not be held in the city or wider area if not at the Cathedral. It is a cultural hub and with its teams of staff and volunteers it makes a hugely important contribution to local and regional life.
An article by Premier Christian News earlier this year, stated that one in four cathedrals now charge for entry, and that the costs of running and maintaining ancient buildings have spiralled. Ripon Cathedral offers free entry and wants to continue to do so. Currently it spends around £2mn each year for its services, music and education and to run community events. The cost of maintaining a grade 1 listed historic building, estimated to be at least £250,000 a year, comes on top of that.
The Cathedral’s main sources of income are voluntary donations, investment income, grant applications and service collections. More visitors will mean more donations, and better facilities will enable the Cathedral to hold more events.
Meeting local needs in Ripon
There are many reasons for the presentation of these new amended plans, some of which relate to the Cathedral’s needs, some relate to the needs of Ripon.
As mentioned, the Cathedral hosts many functions, some of these involving hundreds of people at a time. One problem is the lack of decent toilets; Ripon is one of very few cathedrals in the country which doesn’t have its own toilets. Visitors must use public toilets which are in a dark and unwelcoming area and are in dire need of updating. And the lack of catering facilities means the Cathedral is unable to offer hospitality to tour groups, which many now expect.
But there are other important needs. The children who come for the choir rehearsals, often daily, have no dedicated or adequate rehearsal space. Visiting school groups have nowhere to store coats or bags while on a tour, and there isn’t enough space for project work or for the children to eat their sandwiches. This, together with the poor toilet facilities, has led to schools making complaints following their visit.
Considerable amounts of seating, staging, lighting, and sound equipment currently must be stored in the Cathedral, meaning that some significant historic areas of this ancient building have to be closed off to the public. Among these are the north quire aisle with its rare 12th century architecture and the ancient Chapel of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary with its remarkable medieval wall painting, an area currently used as a very basic kitchen.
Other improvements will become possible once the annexe is operational, including potentially providing disabled access to the library, opening the very significant Chapter House and also being able to display important historic artefacts currently in storage.
Support from local leaders
The Cathedral has made efforts to find solutions to these problems, going back many years and involving considerable costly research and plans. Each potential site for an annexe has been thoroughly explored, including all the alternatives that have been put forward most recently.
For example, a building attached to the Cathedral on the south side was vetoed by Historic England, as it intruded too much on the southern aspect. The site in Minster Gardens is now considered the only remaining workable solution to the Cathedral’s needs, and importantly has the support of Historic England. In their comments on the application they said, “We consider that its heritage impact would overall be neutral, and that it represents an opportunity to deliver notable public benefits for both Cathedral and city.”
The Cathedral authorities have engaged with a great number of people and local and national organisations in preparing the plans. Local people have been consulted. Many, including significant community leaders, have expressed their support. Of those raising objections, 52% were concerned about the effect on existing trees and public open space.
In early 2024 the Cathedral paused the application, in order to listen again to comments and concerns from the people of Ripon and the region. Following this further consultation, amended plans were drawn up and submitted. The revised plans crucially allow the retention of the veteran beech tree through reshaping the building and reconfiguring the internal rooms. The proposal is a longer building which stretches into the stonemasons’ yard.
Redesigned and improved gardens
In terms of the local setting, it is often not recognised that the new building will occupy only one aspect of the gardens. Its design echoes features of the cathedral. The redesigned gardens will incorporate the stonemasons’ yard, which at present is inaccessible and unattractive. There will be more seating. The result will be a larger public garden – not a smaller one. The Memorial Garden will be enhanced in close cooperation with the British Legion.
Whilst the veteran beech tree will be saved, some trees will be removed. However, within the gardens they will be replaced with better planting and more trees, along with additional trees in the Cathedral grounds. Hundreds more will be planted in the Studley area. As a result, biodiversity will be increased, in turn leading to attractive gardens that locals and visitors will want to linger in.
Good for Ripon
In total the benefits for the community are anticipated to be considerable. A significant increase in visitors to Ripon (estimated at an additional 20,000 a year once the annexe is built, with further increases expected over a period of time) will bring more trade to shops, businesses and hospitality. Estimates of the financial benefit range from £825,000 per year (as detailed in the amended plans) to almost £3mn per year (based on data from the Scarborough Tourism Economic Activity Model, which shows each additional visit to Ripon to be worth an average £130.52).
An area that at present is neglected and underused will be transformed in line with the best principles of conservation. This includes maintenance of the Minster Gardens as a community asset, as recently designated by North Yorkshire Council, who stated in their accompanying report:
“There is a current planning application that has the potential to impact how part of the site is used, but this would not negate continued community use. There is no evidence that the current, or similar, uses could not continue.”
The revised plans have now received the support of the former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Rowan Williams, along with many local politicians, and community and business leaders. The proposals give us a vision for the future – a building which will serve the Cathedral and the community, which will be fitting for its place in the city, and which will be a striking feature of the Cathedral complex. A building of which Ripon can be proud.
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