Hundreds enjoyed a bank holiday brew yesterday (Mon) when the Ripon Cathedral Beer festival returned after a three year absence.

The popular event in the Dean’s Garden against the backdrop of the magnificent Ripon Cathedral had suffered an enforced break due to Covid-related restrictions.

But despite the cloud and some light rain, the crowds put the pandemic behind them as they enjoyed many of Yorkshire finest ales and ciders, plus live music and other entertainment.

The festival was part of a weekend of celebratory events and worship as Ripon Cathedral launched its 1350th anniversary celebrations, to mark its origins in 672AD.

Children enjoyed a bouncy castle, ice cream van and Brick Box Yorkshire’s ‘play and create sessions’ featuring a huge quantity of Lego.

Featured breweries included Theakston’s, Hambleton Ales, Rudgate, Wold Top, Roosters, Yorkshire Heart, Daleside, Harrogate Brewing Company, Pennine, Bosun and Timothy Taylor’s.

New this year was also the Alcohol Free Company of Wetherby, serving a range of alcohol-free beers and drinks.

The festival is a fundraiser for the cathedral, to help fund its heritage conservation, education programme and music.

It has received support from Hambleton Ales, Rudgate Brewery and Valentino’s of Ripon with the logistics, plus business sponsors including Wolseley, Brew Dolphin and Raworths Solicitors of Harrogate.

Margaret Hammond, manager of the fund-raising team said: “We could not put on this event without the generous support of so many local businesses and volunteers who support the beer festival. We are truly grateful to everyone who gives their time and expertise to help give the local community a fun day and at the same time raise funds for the cathedral.”

The cathedral on Minster Road kicked off its celebrations on Thursday with jazz, and dancing.

Friday saw bell-ringing, a guided tour, meet the organist, live choir, plus talks from Jonathan Clarke, Cathedral Archaeologist and Alanah Honey, Cathedral Architect of Caroe Architecture Ltd.

Saturday saw a look at how manuscripts are made, bell ringing, art in the church, meet the organist, a talk from Prof Joyce Hill on making medieval manuscripts, plus a Son et Lumiere.

Sunday included a guided pilgrimage.

The weekend also saw more than 27 spectacular flower displays on show.

Dean John Dobson said the launch night saw 400 people enjoy the jazz, dancing and the floral arrangements which tell the story of St Wilfred and his miracles, plus a taste of the son et Lumiere.

“We couldn’t have asked for more! And this is only the first event in a programme which extends to October,” he said.

“Ripon Cathedral has much to celebrate. With the Anglo-Saxon crypt, we have the oldest built fabric of all England’s cathedrals – walls which speak of the utter dependability of God through all the ups and downs of our nation’s history over thirteen-and-a-half centuries, and of the faithfulness of the church in this place throughout that time.”