There are plenty of cities across the UK that draw in huge crowds every year. Places like London, York, Oxford and Bath often steal the spotlight, but there is one small cathedral city that many visitors say is the county’s real hidden gem.

It is believed to have more than 100 independent shops, has a tradition that dates back over a thousand years and easy access to some of the country’s most scenic countryside. Despite all that, it still feels calm, local and refreshingly authentic, according to those who have visited.

That city is Ripon. Located in North Yorkshire, Ripon sits at the meeting point of the Rivers Laver and Skell, close to the River Ure.

It is around 12 miles north of Harrogate, 27 miles north of Leeds and 25 miles northwest of York. It also acts as a gateway to the Yorkshire Dales and the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Ripon is often described as a “micro-city” because it is one of the smallest cities in the UK.

Visitors get the prestige of a cathedral city, but with the walkable and friendly feel of a market town.

Its history stretches back more than 1,300 years. Every night at 9pm, the Hornblower sounds a horn at the four corners of the Market Cross to “set the watch”. It’s a tradition that has continued for over a millennium.

Shopping is a big part of the city’s appeal. There are believed to be more than 50 independent businesses in the city centre alone, and more than 100 across the wider city.

One TripAdvisor review said: “Ripon is truly the UK’s best hidden gem. It’s a beautiful, historic city with so much to see and do, but without the overwhelming crowds you find in York. The atmosphere is so welcoming and relaxed.”

Halls of Ripon is a must-visit for shoppers. It houses around 20 independent traders under one roof, selling everything from vintage clothes and handmade jewellery to fossils and clocks.

Another visitor wrote: “What a find! Halls of Ripon is a fantastic hidden gem for shopping. So many unique independent traders under one roof. We found things here we haven’t seen anywhere else.”

Kirkgate, the cobbled street leading to the cathedral, is also lined with boutiques and gift shops.

There is also the Market Place, which hosts a weekly market every Thursday, a tradition that dates back to the 1100s.

A third reviewer said: “Ripon is a stunning little city that feels like a well-kept secret. We stumbled upon it while visiting the Dales and were blown away by the history and the lovely independent shops.”

Ripon Cathedral is another of the city’s highlights. Its 7th-century crypt is the oldest surviving Anglo-Saxon structure in any English cathedral.

Just a few miles away is Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Founded in 1132, the abbey ruins are the largest and best-preserved Cistercian monastery ruins in England.

The site also includes an 18th-century water garden and a large deer park, which is home to more than 300 red, fallow and sika deer.