Ripon Canal walk

I've long harboured the desire to explore the Ripon Canal, which at just 2.3 miles is one of our shorter canals. It was completed in 1773, designed to carry goods (chiefly coal, and flax for the linen industry) from the River Ouse up the navigable River Ure and right into the heart of Ripon. I found a circular walking route from Ripon to the village of Bishop Monkton and back - and at the last minute, given that parking in Ripon can be quite difficult to find, I decided to park my car in Bishop Monkton and make Ripon the half-way point, which would enable me to get lunch there. That turned out to be A Very Good Plan, as you will find from subsequent blog posts. 

So... Bishop Monkton proved to be a sprawling but pretty village, with old and new buildings nestled closely together. It has a small stream running through the centre (top photo). Some of the new houses in the area are very cleverly designed in the local vernacular style and often it's quite hard to tell at first glance how old a place is. The route took me through fields and past farms, including a large (rather smelly!) chicken farm; the rainclouds blew away to leave a blue sky and warm sunshine. Passing through the village of Littlethorpe, another attractive little place, I tried the door of the small Victorian church of St Michael and All Angels but it was locked. These villages all looked very prosperous; they are in Ripon and Harrogate's commuter belt, I guess. 

Arriving eventually at the canal, I crossed Nicholsons Bridge and turned to walk on the towpath into Ripon. 

It is a quiet and shady stretch of canal, passing close to the Ripon wetlands, though they are currently not that wet. It would seem that sometimes you can see more as there are a number of hides on the towpath that look over the reserve. You also pass close to the Ripon Racecourse, but there was no meeting that day and nothing to see except the white railings alongside the course. 

On the outskirts of the city, there's a large marina and there were a few boats moving up and down the waterway though not many. 

There are some attractive original buildings: 18th century lock keepers' houses and stores: 

I've always considered the restored canal basin in Ripon, with its old warehouses, to be somewhat French-looking. The modern apartments on the right have a lovely aspect over the canal and fit the ambience very well.   

I stopped off in Ripon for lunch and to explore the Cathedral. I noticed some signs saying various roads were closed, which vindicated my decision not to park in Ripon - but I didn't know why until I arrived in the city centre. You'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out what was happening! After sampling the delights of Ripon, I resumed my walk, returning along the canal towpath as far as Oxclose Lock. There are some fine Georgian properties in Ripon, just peeping over walls adjacent to the canal. 

The white house below was originally a lock keeper's house: 

At Rentons Bridge, a steeply arched brick-built structure, the towpath crosses from one side to the other but continues along a very straight but pretty stretch of the canal.  

Finally arriving at Oxclose Lock (below), this is where the canal meets the River Ure Navigation and here I had to branch off across the fields again to return to the car at Bishop Monkton. It turned out to be a lovely walk - about six miles, I think.