Ripley Castle

One of the Best Places To Visits in Ripley Frequently mentioned in reviews: Top-rated.online cuts through the clutter, highlighting only the reviews that are most helpful, earn the most likes, or come from the most active contributors. We didn't actually enter the so can't comment on that, however we did hear that it is up for sale for offers around £21m! We put in a cheeky offer but not heard anything back yet! 🏰😂 We did enjoy walking around the walls to the lake with our elderly dog then stopping off at the coffee shop. The coffee was very good and the young lady behind the counter was very nice and helpful. 👍 Dogs were also welcome! 🐕 One thing that did surprise me was the standard of the toilets which appeared to be quite run down and did not reflect what you would have expected for a very nice coffee shop and Castle!☹️ Had a around the church graveyard looking at grave stones which give a bit of an insight into time gone by. Quite shocking how many people didn't make it past their 20's in the early 1800's! 😱 Wonderful place to visit, particularly the gardens in winter as it’s really quiet. And the glasshouses are warm inside. I spent an hour in them, but I am a gardener! Pleasant stroll around the of Ripley - Slightly expensive when you consider the itself was shut for a private event, and that you can't the entirety of the if you have dogs with you (understandably to protect the Deer Park) Beautiful castle, very nice gardens small waterfall off the lake. No entry to the at the moment but still spent a few hours taking it all in. There is about a five minute away in Ripley with access to public toilets. There are of course toilet facilities at the castle. A tearoom is a minutes from the entrance on the right hand side. There are deer to see but not visible on my visit. Not fully in bloom just yet so a return is a must. Unfortunately it's closed and up for sale, however the village of Ripley is lovely! Had a great stay at the Boars Head. UPDATE: I Unfairly I gave a one star rating; I could have visited the gardens but it was the that I particularly wanted to see. My apologies to the owners who queried my one star rating. What an amazing place to visit. The and gardens are a must to see. The deer is a sight within itself. It's such an enchanted and beautiful place that takes you back in history. I would recommend this attraction to if ever in Ripley, along with grabbing yourself a taste of the world's famous ice cream. There is free around and it's affordable to visit. A Glorious Day at Ripley Lake – Sunshine, Stalls & Stepping Over Cow Pats! We spent a glorious Sunday at Ripley Lake and it was exactly what we needed – fresh air, sunshine, and a good dose of Yorkshire charm. It was a beaming hot day, and we found easily in the main car park, just a short from the castle. Prices were surprisingly reasonable too, which is always a good start! The little village of Ripley is like something from a postcard, with a proper old-fashioned ice cream parlour (beware: the queue stretches longer than a cow’s memory) and a pub with benches outside – perfect for sipping something cold while watching the world go by. The were hosting Sunday market stalls, adding a nice touch of local flavour to the visit. It really is a sun trap – perfect for a lazy wander or just soaking it all in. The lake next to the was a highlight – peaceful, scenic, and ideal for stretching your legs. But fair warning: it’s open grazing land, so while the cows are friendly enough, their contributions to the path are less so. Think of it as a rustic obstacle course! The café was a final stop – it has a charming walled garden area with picnic tables, where we cooled down with a drink and enjoyed a moment in the shade. All in all, it was a few hours out. Beautiful surroundings, a relaxed atmosphere, and just enough cow pats to keep you on your toes. Highly recommend it if you fancy a peaceful day outdoors with a touch of historic charm! Had a to the today, young gentleman in the was amazing and gave us great tips and advice on our visit, he was super friendly and highly respectful. Spent a few hours walking around the then had a coffee and scone in the which was delicious and great value for money. Highly recommend a visit. Great place for a morning or afternoon out. views. Lake with waterfalls, deer walk, hothouses with amazing plants. All very well looked after. was closed on our visit. Visited recently for a birthday treat at the cafe. On approach to the estate and upon entering the courtyard there is a lack of signage indicating that there are charges or that you are entering an ANPR camera controlled area. Upon passing the building, underneath the sign there is a notice regarding however this is small and in the same livery as numerous other general estate signs in the vicinity. This blends in and is insufficient given that the area is heavily trafficked with pedestrians, hence eyes need to be on the roadway. The “car park” has no clearly designated entrance / exit markings, barriers or signage. There are no marked bays and the location is simply within an enclave roughly surfaced with gravel on either side of the through road / carriageway. It simply appears to be space set aside for customers to rather than a formally designated and controlled car area. In essence it is pure guesswork where the boundaries of this so called car are. The surfaced “carriageway” which passes through the entire courtyard has no markings applied to it, adding to the overall ambiguity. Payment machines are right at the back adjacent to numerous large biffa bins and obscured by parked cars. There is no signage as you leave the area on foot heading towards the cafe. When visiting the “car park” area was full. There is a small sign again in estate livery underneath a large red circled speed limit sign and one of three signs clustered together upon leaving the courtyard which is woefully inadequate. Also by which time you would already have been logged as leaving the site by the ANPR camera. Perhaps planning conditions dictated that the signage was required to blend in with the surroundings? Subsequently received a £100 fine however I have the honour of paying just £60 if I pay soon! Thank you Ripley Estate (or should I say Rip Off Estate). I have read numerous reviews expressing dissatisfaction from visitors regarding receipt of fines. I have my own concerns regarding the use of ANPR technology which was designed and intended as a crime fighting tool, to target customers some of whom are disabled, pensioners etc in order to extract their hard earned money at an extortionate rate. With regard to signage for controlled / charged areas the signage elsewhere is without exception brightly highlighted with yellow or red colouring and bold format. Conversely at Ripley the signage simply blends with general estate signs as I discovered upon a re to the site to take the attached photos. Of note and to which Ripley and their employed car management company should take heed of is the following information: The private sector single Code of Practice was published in June 2024 this is a consolidated set of rules and guidance that the UK’s private car operators are expected to follow. One of the key areas covered by the Code relates to signs and surface markings, and how they should give drivers clear information when they enter controlled/private land. Signs must provide information to drivers, indicating that they are entering controlled land, and to display the parking/access terms and conditions, including payment details where applicable. Surface markings should be used in conjunction with signs to direct traffic movements and to delineate bays. Crucially, the Code explains that signs and surface markings must be designed, applied and maintained in such a way as to be visible, legible and unambiguous to drivers. My assessment is that the code is not being complied with at this location. Upon contacting Ripley (who are clearly employing one of the many infamous external management companies) the response was as anticipated, smug and unhelpful. A simple process of an initial warning letter to customers could easily be instigated, however the money grabbing instinct is clearly in full flow. Think twice about visiting an estate where customers are treated with such disdain……….. I had super fun time at Ripley grounds. We visited the for a team building activity and we really enjoyed the game competing to find the 12 Clues and answering the questions. Nothing is fun as competing with fully able-bodied while your team has an expecting woman. We had real fun and most of us left there already thinking about going back with friends or family. family. That shows the attractiveness of Ripley grounds. The reason why I'm rating it 4 is because food nearby is very expensive, we ate a local Pub and it was so expensive such that I opted to water with my meal instead of a drink. The gentleman who assisted us with our games on 23/09/2025 was very helpful and fun. Much appreciation to him. We called our team the Slow Coach because we completed the challenge in 75 minutes! Overall- Ripley is worth visiting and even more enjoyable as a group. with waterfalls and a huge lake to around. Roaming deer, snowdrops and daffodils along with the hothouse brimming with unusual plants were fab! £5 entry was good value. We bought our tickets on line so paid an extra £1 but at this time of year (February half term) it was necessary. The itself wasn't open to the public but was to look at from the outside. A little tearoom completed our day with a Yorkshire tea costing only £2:30 for a pot containing 2 cups! A little gift shop sold a variety of handmade items. Well worth a visit! Lovey place yo visit. Went on Sunday there was market. Lovely little and sandwiches we got were delicious. Massive to in with the cows and deer roaming free. Definitely recommend for nice relaxing day out. We visited the garden and of Ripley for Valentine's Day because my wife loves it there. It was my first time. We had a time walking all around the lake and seeing the deer. We also visited the gardens and hot houses which were interesting. We finished with a light lunch in the cafe. It is a nice environment to eat in, the food was but a bit pricey. All the staff on site were very friendly and helpful, particularly the guy in the coffee house. Overall, great value for money, great way to spend a few hours, views and easy which was not expensive. We would recommend it. place to visit. We went on a Sunday so nothing was happening but it was still a pleasant stroll around the grounds. Parking charge was reasonable £1.80 for two hours. The cost of entry was OK as it goes towards the upkeep of the attraction. Website change monitoring Monitor any webpage for changes – get instant email alerts when prices drop, new jobs are posted, products come back in stock, or competitors update their sites. See how the number of reviews and average review scores have changed over time.