The village of Ripley in Lower Nidderdale, situated on the leeward side of the Yorkshire Dales, was designed and built, by Sir William Amcotts Ingleby in the 1830’s. Sir William was so inspired by a model estate village he saw on a visit to France, that he came home and demolished the existing buildings in Ripley, beginning again from scratch to a classic French design. Today, the village is small and unspoilt and boasts a beautiful Castle in the centre (still home to the Ingleby family) with extensive gardens open to the public which include waterfalls, bridges and a lake. Deer graze in the grounds and there is a shop and tea-rooms within the Castle. The village has a large cobbled market place in the centre, overlooked by the Boar’s Head – an old coaching inn which offers an excellent restaurant, bar and bistro. There is a village store and ice cream parlour where visitors can enjoy the very popular Ripley ice cream, along with a butcher’s, art gallery and much more.
