Introduction to Skipton

The Gateway to the Dales

Skipton is a country market town, up in the Pennines, at the southern base of the Yorkshire Dales. It's a small, friendly town with a population of around 16,000. It has history, a castle, cobbled streets, ducks and canal boats. It's a pretty town to walk around, and gets thousands of visitors.

The name Skipton comes from the Saxon word for sheep - the town really began as a trading centre for sheep and wool. The canal came and went, the mills came, and now it's a big tourist centre for people passing through to see the Yorkshire Dales. The biggest employers in Skipton nowadays are HML and the Skipton Buiding Society. Formerly kingsley Cards was one of the main employers but has closed down and the mill converted to apartments.

History

Skipton 'The Gateway to the Dales' was probably originally just a sheep farm, back before the Norman Conquest. In Airedale, the settlement commanded the Craven Gap, the best passage through the Pennines, and so grew in importance to become the main market town of Craven, and a major trading post for livestock.

The town of Skipton was granted to Robert Romillie after the Norman Conquest, who built the first Skipton Castle, and some parts of the building are still original.

Skipton supported the Lancastrians in the Wars of the Roses, and was on the Royalist side in the Civil War. After the battle of Marston Moor in July 1644, Skipton was the only Royalist stronghold left in the north. The castle was under siege for over a year until December 1645, when a surrender was negotiated.

Cromwell had the roof of the castle removed, but it was replaced just 10 years later, on condition that the new roof was not strong enough to hold cannons. Lady Anne Cliford planted a yew tree in the conduit court of the castle, in 1659, to mark the restoration of the castle. It's still there. She also had the Clifford family's motto carved over the main gateway entrance to the castle: 'Desormais' which apparantly means 'henceforth'. Skipton Castle is well preserved, and a very popular tourist attraction.

Leeds Liverpool Canal

Built in the 1770's. The Leeds-Liverpool canal took 46 years to complete covers a distance of 127miles/204km and the main route includes 91 Locks. The canal's arrival in Skipton brought great prosperity to the town... more

Industry

Skipton has always had a growing industrial sector, click here to see some of Skiptons current industries

Tourism

Skipton is now a busy market town.

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