Ripley Castle, set on the banks of the River Nidd and surrounded by magnificent gardens, has been the home of the Ingilby family for nearly 700 years.
Around 1320 Sir Thomas Ingilby married the heiress of the estate and obtained permission from the King to hold a weekly market in the village beside what was to become Ripley Castle.
In the mid-15th century his descendant, Sir John Ingilby, constructed the oldest surviving part of the present group of building. This crenellated stone gatehouse stands to the west of the village market place.
The present house, however, dates from two building phases.
In 1548 - 55 Sir William Ingilby erected a three-storeyed semi-fortified tower of a type still popular in the north of England.
In 1783 - 86 another Sir John Ingilby commissioned John Carr of York to build a new house next to the tower, on the site of the medieval hall and adjoining buildings.
Since then there have been few changes to the house but Sir John's son William, a great traveller on the Continent, improved the gardens and in the 1820s had the estate village rebuilt in a picturesque style.
Ripley Castle is approached through the estate village and entered opposite the 15th century parish church.
The house has a plain castellated appearance which blends with the 16th century tower, with its gritstone walls and a crenellated roofline. The house consists of a square block with the original tower projecting to the south and service wing to the east.
The interior of Ripley Castle is decorated in the neo-classical style more usually associated with Carr.
The Entrance Hall has a Doric colonnade screening a smaller, oval Inner Hall.
The castle is noted for its fine portraits, paintings, furnishings and chandeliers. The portraits include include a painting of Sir John Ingilby holding plans of the house. There are four paintings showing the old house before it was demolished, commissioned by Sir John.
The north front comprises the Dining Room and two drawing rooms.
The Round Drawing Room contains a set of chairs and settees by Thomas Chippendale, whilst the Large Drawing Room has an Adamesque plaster ceiling and some 18th century furniture including two Kentian mirrors on either side of the neo-classical chimneypiece.
Paintings here include works by Kneller and Gainsborough. But the highlight of the artworks in this room is the sculpture of 'Venus emerging from her bath' by Canova purchased by Sir William Ingilby in 1817.
A semi-circular Staircase Hall to the south is lit by a Venetian window with armorial glass by William Peckitt of York dated 1784 - 85. Beyond this is the wood-panelled Library on the ground floor of the three-storeyed tower.
The tower contains some splendid Civil War armour, early printed books, family portraits and mementos, panelling and a priest's secret hiding place. At the top of the staircase are paintings, including a picture of Constantinople by Jan van Mour dated 1730.
The first floor room has a plaster ceiling which was made for a visit by James I in 1603 on his way from Edinburgh to London.
On the floor above is The Knight's Chamber, which retains its original mid-16th century wooden roof and panelling.
Ripley Castle has extensive walled gardens, a Regency conservatory and a landscape designed by 'Capability' Brown.
The five acres of walled gardens have been transformed and the planting of hyacinths in formal beds now represents the National Hyacinth Collection. The Ripley tropical plant collection, with many rare and exotic species, is also located here.
The Bell Gate leads into the bottom gardens where the kitchen garden grows old and rare varieties of fruit and vegetables.
Ripley village, the model estate village beside the castle, has many interesting shops, an art gallery and a farm museum.
