The St Wilfrid's Procession takes place this Saturday (3rd August) around Ripon City centre.
Held on either the last Saturday of July or the first Saturday in August each year, the St Wilfrid’s Procession is a unique event that was traditionally held to mark the feast of St Wilfrid.
Your Harrogate will be part of the procession and our coverage of the day is all thanks to the Inn Collection Group.
Who was St Wilfrid?
St Wilfrid was born in 663 to a noble Northumbrian family and during his late teens, studied at the monastery on Lindisfarne before continuing to Canterbury and Rome to strengthen his devotion to the Roman Church.
Upon return from mainland Europe, Wilfrid returned to Northumbria before receiving a monastery in Ripon from the reigning King Oswiu’s son, Alhfrith, from where he continued his journey before dying in what is now Sussex in 709 / 710AD.
After his death, Wilfrid’s body was transferred to Ripon where he was buried and venerated as a saint, with his shrine being situated in Ripon Cathedral, roughly where the high alter is today.
Why the procession?
The St Wilfrid’s Procession dates back to 1108 when King Henry I granted a charter to the city to hold an annual feast each year around the 30th July.
Whether the charter is connected to the birth of St Wilfrid or the celebration of St Wilfrid’s return from unjust exile in around 705AD, has never been discovered.
What to expect on the day
It'll be a carnival atmosphere in Ripon. The procession is led by "St Wilfrid" on horseback and features music, dancing and brightly decorated floats, all of whom go to great efforts with different themes, in a bid to win trophies and the crowd's adulation. You can vote for your favourite on the day here.
Your Harrogate's Pete Egerton will be travelling the route in a Ripon Farm Services' tractor, whilst Nick Hancock will be handing out treats in the market square.
The St Wilfrid's Committee chairman, Anthony Prince, told Your Harrogate the market square will be full of entertainment:
"We've got rides for the children, bubble makers, face painters, a climbing wall and dragons!"
"It's an ancient day for Ripon. It's important we keep up this heritage and we keep these traditions alive. It does cause a little bit of traffic issue, but it's a rolling road closure and so no one is waiting for longer than twenty minutes at a time."
"It's a fantastic day for Ripon - one of the biggest in the calendar!"
The Route and approximate timings
Map by Rebus Design.
- Studley Road - 13:40
- Spa Gardens - 13:45
- Westgate - 13:50
- Market Place West -13:55
- North Street - 14:00
- North Road - 14:05
- Magdalen's Road - 14:15
- Stonebridgegate - 14:25
- Allhallowgate - 14:30
Break
- Allhallowgate - 14:50
- Market Place East - 14:55
- Kirkgate - 15:00
- Bedern Bank - 15:05
- Bondgate - 15:10
- Southgate - 15:15
Break
- Southgate - 15:35
- Barefoot Street - 15:45
- Harrogate Road - 15:50
- High Skellgate - 15:55
- Westgate - 16:00
- Blossomgate - 16:05
- Marshall Way - 16:10
- North Street - 16:15
- Market Place East - 16:20
- Kirkgate - 16:25
- Cathedral - 16:30
The procession concludes with a short service at Ripon Cathedral and the winning floats being announced.
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