Grade I listed 14th-century citadel with its personal village goes on sale for eyewatering sum for the primary time in 700 YEARS… this is why locals are NOT blissful
A Grade I listed castle with its own village was put on the market for £21 million for the first time in 700 years – but locals are not happy.
Ripley Castle in North Yorkshire is a 14th-century country house located three miles north of upmarket Harrogate.
The village is home to around 200 residents and has a primary school, post office and store selling ‘world-famous’ Ripley ice cream.
The estate has been owned by the Ingilby baronets for 28 generations and once homed evacuees during World War II.
Current owners Sir Thomas and Lady Ingilby have already downsized to a five-bedroom house in the village and said retirement and their adult children influenced their decision to sell, according to the Times.
They described the country house as ‘a much loved family home’, adding the sale is with the support of their family.
The estate is for sale as a whole or in separate lots and includes 188 acres of woodland, a cricket ground, a hotel and pub, a car park, a village store and a gift shop.
One resident who asked to be anonymous said: ‘I hope whatever happens to the castle that it’s something not too busy.

Ripley Castle in North Yorkshire is located three miles north of Harrogate and is on the market for £21 million

The historic 14th-century Grade I-listed Ripley Castle is the centrepiece of the estate

The castle and estate has been owned by the Ingilby baronets for 28 generations and once homed evacuees during World War II
She continued: ‘My husband is buried in the graveyard and parking can be an issue. We have heard nothing as to what will happen but I think the cost will be astronomical.’
Another resident who asked not to be named said: ‘I bumped into Sir Thomas the other day and he said they had received a variety of interest in the estate but they won’t go any further.
‘Big events affect the village and the weekly car boot sale causes the car park to fill.
‘Sometimes you cannot get out of the roundabout to leave the village.
‘It depends what the new buyers decide to do with the estate in terms of how it will impact residents.
‘There is some stability as the school and village institute are separately owned.
‘The shop has a question mark over it and in the past it was owned by the shop keeper. We would hate to lose it.
‘When I first moved here 30 years ago it was a village shop where you could buy things like a light bulb. Now it has become more of a visitor store and ice cream parlour’.

The estate is for sale as a whole or in separate lots and includes 188 acres of woodland, a cricket ground, a hotel and pub, a car park, a village store and a gift shop

The Gift Shop and Grindhus Coffee Shop run parallel to the east elevation of the castle, separated by three significant stone turrets

The owners described the country house as ‘a much loved family home’, adding the sale is with the support of their family

The Ingilbys opened up the castle for dinners and teas and turned some of the estate’s stables and outbuildings into shops in the late 1980s

The Castle Apartment provides extensive private living accommodation, arranged over the first and second floors and approached by its own independent staircase

The exclusive Castle Apartment has three reception rooms, 11 bedrooms, and six bathrooms. The medieval arched gatehouse is now a charming one-bedroom apartment

Dating back over seven centuries, the castle originally formed part of Edeline Thweng’s dowry to Sir Thomas Ingilby in the early 1300s and it has been the family home of the Ingilbys ever since

Carter Jonas estate agents said the launch of the estate for sale ‘offers an extraordinary opportunity to acquire one of the region’s most unique and prestigious properties’

All Saints Churchyard cemetery in Ripley dates to the 14th century and features a very old ‘weeping cross’ where pilgrims and penitents kneeled in prayer

The estate approximately 445 acres of picturesque parkland, ornamental gardens and agricultural land
Staff at Ripley Store would not comment on the future of the shop, which is let from the estate.
Joan Hogg, from the nearby village of Bishop Monkton, said: ‘I knew the Ingilby family were struggling which you can understand and I would not want to stop them selling it.
‘I’ve visited the artisan market at the castle and it would be a shame if the village shop goes – I love the ginger ice cream!’
One home owner, who asked not to be named, said: ‘It is difficult when we are residents here and one family own almost everything in the village.
‘As residents we are all concerned about the green areas which form part of the sale.
‘There is no indication of what will happen and it could bring new development.
‘I am one of the older residents here and I have seen a lot of changes. For example there was not a pub here when we came, the cricket field has moved and the castle functions have changed.
‘I remain optimistic but I just don’t know what will happen. I’m sad for the family who are selling the castle in a way.’

Joan Hogg from Bishop Monkton (left) met her friend in the village for a catch up. She said: ‘It would be a shame if the village shop goes – I love the ginger ice cream!’

The Village Store, a Grade II listed property, operates as a shop and ice cream parlour selling ‘world famous’ Ripley ice cream

The town is home to around 200 residents and has a primary school, post office and village store

The Boars Head Hotel features a bar, lounge, restaurant, and 23 en suite bedrooms across two Grade II listed properties

Local business owner Deborah de Brunner said: ‘We have been left in limbo as we have an 18-month lease but we could be forced to leave when it’s sold’
Deborah de Brunner owns Just Makers, a gift shop close to Ripley Castle, which she leases from the estate.
She said: ‘We have been left in limbo as we have an 18-month lease but we could be forced to leave when it’s sold.
‘It is a very vibrant, lovely village with good access and both the residents and holiday makers who come in the shop are brilliant. Despite hearing lots of rumours, we have no idea what will happen.’
Brian, who works at Hutchinson’s Butchers, said: ‘I am keeping my fingers crossed that the business will not be affected.
‘I have lots of questions, like whether it will be a private buyer or if it will re-open as a spa hotel.
‘Nobody knows what will happen. I wish whoever buys it will keep it as it is. I also hope that the car park goes back to being free.’
Rebecca Hiersche, who moved to Ripley from America, said: ‘I have rented my home in Ripley since summer and we love the area.
‘The more local things can be kept the better. I hope the National Trust or English Heritage buys the castle. Anything with big historical impact should be kept open for people to visit.

Brian, who works at Hutchinson’s Butchers, said: ‘I am keeping my fingers crossed that the business will not be affected’

Mr and Mrs Amondio stayed in Ripley for the night to break up the drive from London back home to Northumberland. They said: ‘The castle is a beautiful, unique feature and it belongs to the people’

Lady Ingilby opened the castle up to the public in the late 1980s and co-runs the estate alongside her husband

Gillian and Colin Sinclair regularly visit the village. They said: ‘It’s a shame when places like France look after their castles but it’s not the same here’
She continued: ‘I heard a rumour Donald Trump was looking at buying the property and I don’t want him as a neighbour despite being a fellow American.’
Colin and Gillian Sinclair from the nearby town of Harrogate said: ‘It’s a shame when places like France look after their castles but it’s not the same here.
‘There is a lot going on in the village and it has a lot of character – I’ve been to a wedding inside the castle before with an indoor BBQ.’
Mr and Mrs Amodio, a couple visiting from Northumberland, echoed a fear for a potential buyer from abroad.
They said: ‘The castle is a beautiful, unique feature and it belongs to the people. It’s part of our heritage and it’s so historic – it would be awful if foreign people bought it.
‘It’s quite sad to see it’s going when it’s been in the family for hundreds of years but the upkeep must be massive.’
The listing comes as Grade I listed Walworth Castle in County Durham was sold for an undisclosed price in October 2024 to Millwood Hotels.
The castle has been a hotel since 1981 and was previously used as a prisoner-of-war camp during World War II.

The castle’s Estate Offices and East Wing provide extensive rooms where successful wedding business has been operated

The parkland plays host to a wide range of commercial and community events including lakeside concerts, classic car rallys and the Ripley Agricultural Show

In March 2017 Ripley was named number 17 out of the 20 Best Villages in Britain to live in

The full extent of Ripley Castle’s layout can be seen in the floorplan
Other similar properties on the market include Corby Castle in Cumbria for £15 million and Wytham Abbey in Oxfordshire listed for £18.5 million.
Despite owning the nearby Studley Royal Water Garden and Fountains Abbey, the National Trust and English Heritage said they have no plan to buy Ripley Castle.
Councillor Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, who represents Masham and Fountains for North Yorkshire County Council, said: ‘The sale of the castle and estate has created a great deal of uncertainty in the village as the Ingilby family are an integral part of the community and have been for hundreds of years.
‘I hope the new owner will continue to support the village but we may be looking at multiple owners who may all have different ambitions.
‘One issue that has been mentioned to me is the future for the car park and concerns that the new owner will not continue to operate it.
‘Parking is very limited within the village, so without the car park the residents and shops and businesses within the village would be significantly impacted.
‘The car park is also used by walkers and cyclists on the Nidderdale Greenway and by commuters and shoppers who take the bus into Harrogate from there – so it enables visitors and local residents to get out into the countryside and helps reduce congestion and emissions in the town.’