Ripon has been an important centre in Yorkshire since the early Middle Ages. The crypt of St Wifrid's seventh-century church still survives beneath the remarkable Gothic Minster, which became a cathedral in 1836. The city's imposing market place became a focus for local trading. By the 19th century, Ripon was more industrial, with many mills and a flourishing varnish industry. It housed major military camps during the first World War.