Hi all
After 40 years living in Swaledale it looks as if I have to bite to bullet and move to a town… (thanks 2nd homes/holiday cottages/lack of affordable houses)
I work in Harrogate but sadly I’m not a millionaire so am looking at Ripon. Anyone live there? I’ve worked there a bit but no idea what living there might be like?
How do people who’ve lived really rural always handle moving to a town?! It’s properly making me anxious.

Ripon isn’t exactly a bustling metropolis, it’s basically a market town with a cathedral.

Just looked it up – population 16,000. Harrogate has 75,000, for comparison.

We did something similar, moved from rural Teesdale to Skipton (population 14,000), and it was fine, obviously. People are less friendly, generally, and yes, there’s more light pollution, noise, traffic, but you soon get used to it. The convenience of not having to jump in your car and drive for 40 minutes to get anything more than essentials is a bonus.

Rent to start with, if you hate it, pick somewhere else.

Ripon is a city in name only, by all other measures it is a town, and not a big one either. You will be surrounded by country with easy access to open space. There are much worse places to live.

I recently went from Heptonstall to South Manchester, last time I lived in a city was when I lived in Hong Kong as a child. Somethings are great some things less so.

Things that are not so not so great 

Noise and people. light pollution, traffic pollution,  Buses, cars all over the place and not paying attention at all to what’s going on around them. The noise in particular took me ages to get used to, folks coming home from parties or the pub at al hours, cars revving up and down the street the street lights coming into the window. Can’t hear the birds and can’t see the horizon. There’s no “real” riding from my house, when you’re used to riding in the heart of the Calder valley, that’s a Proper Bummer

Things are OK, or better 

Everything is a walk away, mostly. Food shopping, or jumping on a tram for town centre so my car use has gone right down. The movie choices and dinner choices in town seem endless along with shopping like Patagonia for instance, I can go a touch things like outdoor stuff without any real hassle, which is great. Went to a poetry reading last Sunday and it didn’t involve working out journey times and cars and car parking and all that jazz, was just decide, hop on tram…brilliant, and Deliveroo…Who knew there are folk who’ll come to your door with your dinner..

There are plenty of nice villages around the Harrogate area.

Anything within budget?

Ripon is okay, I have some friends who live there. It does seem to have a problem with anti-social behaviour, though. Nothing new there, but given the small size of the place it seems a bit out of proportion.

lol I thought you were moving from ripon to an actual city – based on the thread title

ripon is still ‘the countryside’.

My wife is from a village near ripon, Its all quite nice round there, I’m sure you’ll be fine.

It does seem to have a problem with anti-social behaviour

This – the centre has been plagued with it for several months – the police upped patrols for a bit but now they have stopped it is on the increase again.

If you work in Harrogate surely you would be better off looking for somewhere in Harrogate? Just the cost / time saving of the commute would be worth it and Harrogate isn’t *that* much more expensive than Ripon.

I recently went from Heptonstall to South Manchester

I dont think south manchester can be compared to ripon. I currently live in south manchester and my wife is from a village near ripon.

Ripon is still ‘the countryside’ – its tiny.

Having moved from a village in to Sheffield, the best advice I can give is to live on the edge of town if possible. That way you still have countryside in easy reach but have the relative benefits of urban life. Depends if you can find anything in budget I guess as they tend to be pricier than other parts of the city (or any city for that matter).

If you are moving from Swaledale, think of Ripon as a slightly smaller Richmond, if you could cope with that you will be OK.

Ripon is okay, I have some friends who live there. It does seem to have a problem with anti-social behaviour, though. Nothing new there, but given the small size of the place it seems a bit out of proportion

You should have been there back when the Barracks was full of squaddies! It was always chaos on the market square after Sly’s kicked out at 1am!

Beware, my info is 20 years out of date, but I’d not worry too much about the urban thing – yes, it’ll be different, but 10 minute pedalling will get you back out into the country.

live on the edge of town if possible. That way you still have countryside in easy reach

Ripon’s 2 miles across, I think the OP’ll be fine for getting to the countryside!

I used to work in Harrogate, but had to work occasionally in Ripon so I know both towns quite well. I’d much rather have lived in Harrogate than Ripon.

Yes, Harrogate is a bit posh / toffy in parts but there’s plenty of well-priced areas where “normal” people live. Its a lot more cosmopolitan as well, people and facilities wise, with more choice of shops and thing to do.

Not knocking Ripon or anything, I have a few good friends from there, but the town itself is a bit League of Gentlemenesque. There’s a lot of lovely little villages surrounding it but prices are steep. As others have said, there is quite a lot of anti-social behaviour in Ripon town itself, mainly bored teens and gypsy types getting drunk / drugged up at weekends. On the subject of drugs, there’s been big problems with county lines dealing there lately, although my friends tell me that drugs have always been a problem in Ripon.

Also, the commute in and out of Harrogate can be a bit of a pain in the morning, with inevitable delays on the Ripon Road / Skipton Road roundabout near B&Q.

On the subject of drugs, there’s been big problems with county lines dealing there lately

It’s certainly no better in Harrogate though (although I know that isn’t the entire reason for your opinion of the place). In fact I’d suggest the ‘county lines’ drugs problem is worse in Harrogate with several violent offences recently.

Edit – just found this article – Harrogate has the biggest problem in North Yorkshire.

After 40 years living in Swaledale it looks as if I have to bite to bullet and move to a town… (thanks 2nd homes/holiday cottages/lack of affordable houses)

A work colleauge did it gradually, Gunnerside -> Reeth then a few years later Reeth -> Richmond.

Pateley Bridge might be worth considering if you’re wanting something a little bigger but not too big.

When you’ve dealt with the urban grind of downtown Muker I think you’ll be able to handle anything.

Is that you James? If so, I’m Ed from Red watch! Have a word with Blandy, Matt Clough or Kev Man as they all live in or very near Ripon.

Blimey, the city of Ripon is about three and a half times the size of my village. We could skip the whole “town” stage depending on where they stick the new houses!

Lolz at “Moving to a city – Ripon”.

Ripon city centre

^^^
blimey, you caught it on a busy day! That park bench is almost full! Agree about the Royston Vasey vibe. one of those places i’ve never felt inclined to hang about. Also, getting into viking country.

I used to work in Ripon from time to time and was always surprised at how many waifs and strays it seemed to have for a beautiful North Yorks er….city, far more than the likes of Skipton.

What you gain are good pork butchers (IIRC separate from the regular butchers in Ripon), curd cakes from the bakers and The One Eyed Rat is a great pub.
Other than that the Ripon to Harrogate road is not great and market towns can get rough on a night and because it’s smaller it’s obvious where the big city it’s only in the odd corner. The only thing ‘to do’ on a night in a small town is drink / drugs which can get out of hand and there is often villages / town agro for no reason. Big cities there are more places to go and more management of venues but there is even rougher trouble if you go looking.
Advantage of small town life is good local shops, you can walk out of your door to do the shopping or a walk out into fields.
My gran lived in Ripon them later Harrogate. I like Harrogate and have only really ever stopped briefly in Ripon since I was a kid save to shop en route to the Dales or go to the Rat. Seems nice enough though.
The biggest issue for me when moving to towns when I left home was street lights. I still find they can disturb my sleep yet the sun rising at 4 am in summer doesn’t. Fewer stars too!
P.S. I live in a small town now and generally find it a good compromise for me.

There’s a bit more going on in Ripon than Boroughbridge that’s for sure! More pubs & eateries & closer to hills for starters. As others have said though, it does have an element of ASB but where doesn’t? Even Boroughbridge has it’s moments nowadays & maybe always has but in a different way. A lad I work with lived here years ago & reckons on a Friday & Saturday night Boroughbridge & Ripon were like the Wild West with scrapping all over.
I wouldn’t live in Arrogit. Full of Tories & the roads are shite. I know cos I’m driving round the place all day. GlennQuagmire seems a decent chap though. 🙂

But Boroughbridge does have the advantage of working like a large service station when heading North on the A1 with its Morrison’s at the top end for fuel and Chinese takeaway in town for food. Even managed a stop at the park to let the kids play for half an hour on one over tedious return trip from somewhere.

Is there a bakery that sells curd cake?

Is there a bakery that sells curd cake?

Probably. There’s plenty of bakery/cafe type places, all cyclist friendly.

I know a lot of Boroughbridge’s finest. Some great people but Boroughbridge rules are Boroughbridge rules!

GlennQuagmire seems a decent chap though. 🙂

Thanks @esselgruntfuttock, you seem like a decent chap as well 🙂