New names unveiled for prime North Yorkshire premises

Progress continues apace on the refurbishment of two landmark North Yorkshire properties by The Inn Collection Group (ICG), with the Newcastle-based operator confirming the new names identities of The Ripon Spa Hotel and Harrogate’s Hotel St George.

The Ripon Inn will be the new name for the Edwardian property, which was acquired by the group in June 2021, whilst the spa town premises will become The Harrogate Inn upon reopening later this summer.

In keeping with the brand style for the company, both venues have had a new coat of arms created that embrace iconography synonymous with the locations in which they are sited.

For The Ripon Inn, the crest is made up of a shield flanked by a pair of stags, linking to the historical coat of arms of the Earl and Marquess of Ripon.

The left half of the shield contains a representation of the Ripon horn in recognition of the history of the wakemen and hornblowers, one of the longest ongoing traditions in the world.

Sitting on a red background — a colour scheme and motif that appear in the city’s coat of arms – this is combined with a yellow chevron which is again informed by the Earl and Marquess of Ripon’s heraldry.

The right-hand side of the shield features a stylised illustration of the grade one listed Ripon Cathedral and its Early English gothic West front, dating back to 1220 and regarded as one of the best examples of its type.

The 43-bedroom Edwardian hotel – which is set in six acres of gardens – has been closed to guests since July 2020 and is currently undergoing a construction programme which is seeing the hotel undergo extensive internal and external works.

For The Harrogate Inn’s new identity, the coat of arms sees the left half of the shield contain a red and white asymmetrical crossed pattern taken from the town’s original coat of arms, together with the white rose of Yorkshire.

The right hand side of the shield features a lion ‘passant’ taken from the borough council’s arms, and this is bounded top and bottom by repeating wavy lines to represent the importance of springs in the town’s history.

Supporting the shield are a pair of griffins taken from the crest of the Slingsby family, who were instrumental in bringing prosperity to the town through Sir William Slingsby and his discovered of the first spring in Harrogate, the Tewitt Well, over three hundred years ago.

Discussing the new identities, The Inn Collection Group’s marketing manager Zoe Cooper said: “We’re excited to confirm the new identity of The Ripon Inn and The Harrogate Inn.

“As with the new names we have unveiled for other sites recently, including The Knaresborough Inn, we have looked to embrace the history of the wider area and we hope the new look will create a talking point that serves as a link to the past while the site embarks on an exciting future.

“With both sites we have adopted the name of the locale for the property, which allows us to introduce its setting more easily for potential visitors who may be considering a stay, allowing them to look further into what all these fantastic places have to offer.

Once complete, the refurbished guest accommodation at The Ripon Inn will be varied and will provide a mix of double, twin and family bedrooms, accessible rooms, suites, and dog friendly rooms.

The refurbishment at The Harrogate Inn will see six new bedrooms added on the ground floor as well as a complete transformation of the venue’s hospitality spaces, providing attractive and comfortable drinking and dining facilities both internally and externally, with new jobs being created across both site.

Serving food and drink all day, every day, The Inn Collection Group stays true to its pub roots offering great ales, good food, an inviting atmosphere, and warm welcomes.