History Of The Unicorn Hotel

Thursday 01 May

While travellers have always visited the ancient and charming city of Ripon on foot or horseback, the considerable improvements to road surfaces during the early nineteenth century heralded the golden age of the stagecoach.

For a period before the railways arrived, the stagecoach ruled supreme as the only reliable form of fast public transport...rattling along at previously unheard of speeds of up to 12 miles per hour! The stagecoach, a heavy and cumbersome carriage often without any form of springs, was introduced in Britain in 1640. Up to eight of the more prosperous passengers could be packed inside a stagecoach. Second-class seats are available in a large open basket attached to the back. The least privileged travellers sit on the roof with the luggage, relying on a hand rail to prevent themselves slithering off. This immensely unwieldy vehicle, drawn by either four or six horses, lurches along the rutted roads where the danger from highwaymen is only one of many inconveniences on such a journey.

Stagecoach travel was so popular that, as with all things new, it became a cause for public concern. Stagecoaches were considered to be both "...mischievous to trade and destructive to public health, persons travelling by this means would become idle and incapable of riding a few miles, unable to endure frost, snow or rain, or sleep in a field!"

However, stagecoaches soon became a part of daily life until they were ultimately replaced by the train and the omnibus. Many of the inns which were organised around providing accommodation and food for weary stagecoach travellers, the staff and of course the horses themselves, which had been thriving during the heyday of the Stagecoach, gradually disappeared or were converted to other uses.

The demise of these often superb, historic buildings was considered a tragedy in many areas and towns, and in later decades Trusts were set up to protect the remaining examples. Several hostelries in Ripon serviced the coach trade and there must have been healthy competition between them. The Crown has now disappeared though its sign can still be seen above the entrance to Sainsbury's. The Black Bull and The Unicorn Hotel still exist. All vied for the lucrative Stagecoach trade.

The Unicorn regularly serviced The Royal Mail coach from Glasgow to London and The Telegraph, a stagecoach which undertook the gruelling 36 hour journey from Newcastle to London. Today a journey from New Zealand to Ripon can be achieved in less time and accommodation can be booked in advance at the click of a mouse!

The Unicorn was the largest and most notable coaching inn in Ripon and boasted extensive facilities. Over fifty horses were able to be stabled here at any one time and it must have been the 19th century equivalent of a large motorway service station. So how is such an historic building adjusting to an era of cars and the internet? Helen Boyle, general manager of The Unicorn, says "The Unicorn has been around, in one form or another, for over five hundred years. It is a great pleasure to work in a building that has offered hospitality to everyone from Kings to boot boys. The Unicorn remains one of the most popular inns for many miles around."

A visit shows that The Unicorn remains part of the rich fabric of the city, popular with locals and visitors alike. There are numerous examples of its history on display, from framed newspaper cuttings and paintings detailing stagecoach arrivals, to the well known engraving of The Unicorn's famous boot boy, Tom Crudd. He entertained guests by accepting tips between his extraordinarily long nose and protuberant chin. The bar named after him offers a friendly welcome.

The restaurant serves excellent food in superb surroundings, and a continuing programme of refurbishment at the Unicorn is keeping abreast of modern times whilst retaining all the charms and traditions of a bygone age. If you haven't tried the new menu, you are definitely missing out - look out for seasonal specials as well as great offers. Over the winter the Unicorn has undergone a facelift with the newly painted exterior, modernised restaurant, bars and reception.

Being centrally situated in the scenic Market Square, The Unicorn is ideally placed for local meetings, conferences and the friendly staff are happy to help with private functions and weddings.

Helen Boyle says "We are keen to build on The Unicorns 'coaching inn' past and will be reflecting this in our accommodation as renovations progress. We are very positive about the future and are looking forward to serving locals and visitors alike for another few hundred years yet!"

In a time of featureless motorway service stations, bland lodges offering impersonal accommodation and fast food chains, a revival is long overdue for our fabulous and individual Coaching Inns all across the country, where good food and personal attention is supplemented by a slice of history and community. In the current discerning climate, the future looks bright for Ripon's oldest hotel.

The Unicorn Hotel Market Square Ripon HG4 1BP 01765 602202 www.unicorn-hotel.co.uk

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