Ripple is the most southerly parish of Worcestershire and consists of the communities of Ryall, Holly Green, The Grove, Naunton, Uckinghall and Ripple.

The name ‘Rippell’ first appears in a charter of AD680, in which land was donated to produce the income to build a minster or monastery.  By cAD900 ‘Rippel’ was held by the Bishop of Worcester and in the Domesday Book of 1086 the Bishop’s manor of Rippel is listed which includes part of Upton and the separate holdings of the three Croomes, Queenhill and Holdfast.  It was at that time one of the largest manors in Worcestershire. Over the years the attached holdings became separate ecclesiastical and civil parishes,

‘Ripel’ was a Norwegian word, incorporated into Old English, meaning a ‘strip’, sometimes of wood or coppice.  It could also mean a long strip of land, which is appropriate for Ripple today, as that is its shape, being 4.5 miles north to south and only 1.5 miles east to west.

In April, 1643, the minor Battle of Ripple Field was fought between the Parliamentarians led by Sir William Waller, and the Royalists under the command of Prince Maurice.  Unexpectedly the victory went to the Royalists and the Parliamentarians were routed.

Lying next to the river Severn for much of its length and having very fertile soil, Ripple became a flourishing market garden centre, even sending produce to London from its railway station.