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| Newby Hall |
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| Fountains Abbey |
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| Thorp Perrow |
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Gallery
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Newby Hall, near Ripon, is the Yorkshire home of Mr & Mrs Richard Compton. Featured in BBC television's "Heirs & Graces", this beautiful late 17th century house, with much of the interior later designed by Robert Adam, was built in the style of Sir Christopher Wren.
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The 25 acres of award-winning Gardens are full of rare and beautiful plants. Newby's famous double herbaceous borders form the main axis; off this central walk are formal compartmented gardens such as Sylvia's Garden, a species Rose Garden, Water Garden and even a Tropical Garden.
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Three miles south-west of Ripon is Fountains Abbey, the best-preserved Cistercian abbey in Britain.
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The evocative and beautifully located ruins of the 12th-century Cistercian abbey are the National Trust's most visited attraction. It was founded in 1132 by a group of dissident Benedictine monks who travelled from York and turned what had been a wilderness into the richest abbey in medieval Britain, with extensive estates and large numbers of livestock. Windows at either end of the nave stand some 18 metres (60 feet) high, and the whole story of the abbey is explained in the large but discreet
visitor centre.
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Thorp Perrow Arboretum is one of the finest private collections of trees and shrubs in
the country.
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Situated in the peaceful and unspoilt Yorkshire Dales, not far from the historic town of Bedale, Thorp Perrow is an exciting place to explore offering something for everyone. This tranquil and peaceful haven is home to some of the largest and rarest trees and shrubs in England. A treasure trove of specimen trees and woodland walks. There are tree trails, nature trail and children's trail, a large lake, picnic area and a children's play area.
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| Sharow Cross, from which the house takes its name, was set up in the middle ages to mark the limit of "sanctuary", a privilege for fugitives who came within a mile of St. Wilfrid's Monastery. In the thirteenth century there were eight such crosses around Ripon, but today only Sharow Cross remains. |
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| The Studley Royal Estate, a separate estate from Fountains Abbey until 1767, was inherited by John Aislabie in 1693. His visionary scheme to transform what had been a wild, wooded valley was completed by his son William, who purchased the Abbey ruins in 1767 and landscaped the Seven Bridges Valley and Abbey grounds. |
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| Horse Racing has been part of Ripon's life since 1664. Fourteen days flat racing are staged between April and August at Ripon's racecourse. |
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| Photographs © 2000 by Alan Clifton. |
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