Evening sunshine belies turbulent past of castle

RIPLEY CASTLE could hardly look more tranquil in the early evening sun but the Grade I listed country house a few miles north of Harrogate has seen more than its fair share of drama and intrigue down the centuries.

The castle has been the seat of one of England’s most notable families, the Ingilbys, since the early 14th century.

Sir Thomas Ingilby acquired the estate as a dowry after marrying heiress Edeline Thwenge. Henry Ingilby collected taxes for 14th century monarch Edward III and helped the king finance the construction of Windsor Castle.

He was followed by Sir William, who served Henry VIII, Mary Tudor and Elizabeth I. But two of his sons became known as “the most dangerous papists in the North of England”. One of them, Francis, was executed during Elizabeth’s reign and in 1987 he was beatified by Pope John Paul II for his martyrdom.

King James I stayed at the castle in 1603. But by 1605 the Ingilbys were plotting to kill him: nine of the 11 known conspirators of the Gunpowder Plot were close relations or associates of the family. The plotters were allowed to stay at Ripley while they procured horses.

A few decades later Oliver Cromwell was imprisoned overnight in the castle’s library after the Battle of Marston Moor, which had been won by the Parliamentarians against the Royalists, who the Ingilbys were supporting. The story goes that “Trooper” Jane Ingilby met Cromwell at the doors of the castle after she had fought in the battle disguised as a man in a full suit of armour.

She kept Cromwell at gunpoint overnight to prevent his forces finding her brother William, a wanted man hiding in a priest hole in the castle.

In 2009, the family celebrated 700 years at Ripley Castle, which now opens to public tours in altogether calmer circumstances.

The castle’s website states: “The family survived, despite plagues, civil wars, attempts at regicide, religious and political conspiracies, broken marriages, inept heirs and, yes, numerous periods of dire economic hardship.”

■ Technical details: Nikon D4 camera, 17-35mm Nikkor lens, 1/800th second at f8, ISO 200.