St Mary Magdalen’s Church

The Parish Church in the village of Ripley, Surrey

CYCLING

From the 1870’s Ripley was one of the favourite destinations of those enjoying the opportunity to explore the country by bicycle, especially following the invention of the new “safety bicycle” in the 1880’s. Until the rise of the motor car drove the cyclists off the Portsmouth Road hundreds, perhaps thousands, of cyclists would visit the village at the weekend.

Many of the cyclists took their refreshment in The Anchor pub just a few yards from the Church. A Vicar at that time is said to have sent a message in to the pub asking if they would like to share in “Evensong” - Evening Prayer - and many were happy to do so. Thus it was the cyclists who made the substantial donations which allowed for the installation of the very fine Willis organ in the Church.

When the sisters, Annie and Harriet Dibble, who ran The Anchor, died the cyclists subscribed to the erection of a stained glass window in the Church.

There is also a brass memorial plaque on a wall in the Church which commemorates Herbert Liddell Cortis the first person to do 30 miles per hour on a bicycle. Cortis was born in Filey and there is more about him on a Filey web site.