Daniel Defoe visited Ripon in the early 18th century, and wrote; 

"Ripon is a very neat, pleasant, well built town, and has not only an agreeable situation on a rising ground between two rivers, but the market place is the finest and most beautiful that is to be seen of its kind in England. In the middle of it stands a curious column of stone, imitating the obelisks of the ancients, tho' not so high, but rather like the pillar of the middle of Covent Garden, or that in Lincoln's Inn, with dials also upon it".

It was built in 1703 to replace an earlier Market Cross, and half of the cost to erect it was given by John Aislabie, Mayor of Ripon. On top are the Ripon Horn and a star. It was repaired in 1781 by William Aislabie, John's son, who served as an MP for Ripon for 60 years.