Skipton (also known as Skipton-in-Craven) is a

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...

and

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in Northern England.The Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority areas of City of York, York and North Yorkshire (district), North Yorkshire are in Yorkshire and t ...

, England.

Historically History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

in the East Division of

Staincliffe Wapentake Staincliffe, also known as Staincliff, was a wapentake of the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. The wapentake was named from a place called Staincliffe, now lost, in Bank Newton, not to be confused with Staincliffe near Dewsbury. Staincliff ...

in the

West Riding of Yorkshire The West Riding of Yorkshire was one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the riding was an administrative county named County of York, West Riding. The Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire, lieu ...

, it is on the

River Aire The River Aire is a major river in Yorkshire, England, in length. Part of the river below Leeds is canalised, and is known as the Aire and Calder Navigation. The ''Handbook for Leeds and Airedale'' (1890) notes that the distance from Malha ...

and the

Leeds and Liverpool Canal The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in Northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Over a distance of , crossing the Pennines, and including 91 locks on the main line. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal has several small branc ...

to the south of the

Yorkshire Dales The Yorkshire Dales are a series of valleys, or Dale (landform), dales, in the Pennines, an Highland, upland range in England. They are mostly located in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, but extend into C ...

. It is situated north-west of

Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...

and west of

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

. At the 2021 Census, the population was 15,042. The town has been listed as one of the best and happiest places to live in the UK.

History

Evidence for prehistoric habitation in the Skipton area includes an "important outlying group" of

cup and ring mark Cup and ring marks or cup marks are a form of prehistoric art found in the Atlantic seaboard of Europe (Ireland, Wales, Northern England, Scotland, France (Brittany), Portugal, and Spain (Galicia (Spain), Galicia) – and in Mediterranean Europe ...

ed rocks on Skipton Moor, to the south-east of the town, and in the same area there is an enclosed

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

hilltop settlement. The name Skipton means 'sheep-town', a northern dialect form of ''Shipton''. Its name derives from the

Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...

''sceap'' (sheep) and ''tun'' (town or village). The name is recorded in the

Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

of 1086. The town was important during the

English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...

, and was the site of prisoner-of-war camps during the First and Second World Wars.

Skipton Castle Skipton Castle is a Grade I Listed medieval castle in Skipton, North Yorkshire, England. It was built in 1090 by Robert de Romille, a Norman baron, and has been preserved for over 931 years. History Skipton Castle was originally a motte a ...

was built in 1090 as a wooden

motte-and-bailey A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively eas ...

Robert de Romille Robert de Romille (also de Rumilly) was an adventurer from Brittany who joined the Normans The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; ; ) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Nor ...

, a Norman baron. In the 12th century William le Gros strengthened it with a stone keep to repel attacks from the

Kingdom of Scotland The Kingdom of Scotland was a sovereign state in northwest Europe, traditionally said to have been founded in 843. Its territories expanded and shrank, but it came to occupy the northern third of the island of Great Britain, sharing a Anglo-Sc ...

to the north, the castle elevated Skipton from a poor dependent village to a

burgh A burgh ( ) is an Autonomy, autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots language, Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when David I of Scotland, King David I created ...

administered by a reeve. The protection offered by Skipton Castle during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

encouraged the urbanisation of the surrounding area, and during times of war and disorder the town attracted an influx of families. It is now one of the most complete and best preserved medieval castles in England and is open to the public. One of the oldest mills in North Yorkshire, High Corn Mill, is powered by the waters of

Eller Beck The Eller Beck is a small river in North Yorkshire, England, that flows through the town of Skipton and is a tributary of the River Aire. Its channel was heavily modified to supply water to mills in the 18th and 19th centuries, and although al ...

. The mill dates to 1310 when it was owned by

Robert de Clifford, 1st Baron de Clifford Robert de Clifford, 1st Baron de Clifford (1 April 1274 – 24 June 1314), of Appleby Castle, Westmorland, feudal baron of Appleby and feudal baron of Skipton in Yorkshire, was an English soldier who became 1st Lord Warden of the Marches, ...

; at that point it was transferred to the powerful

Clifford family Baron de Clifford is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1299 for Robert de Clifford, 1st Baron de Clifford, Robert de Clifford (''c.''1274–1314), Feudal barony of Clifford, feudal baron of Clifford in Herefordshire, English ...

by the then

King Edward II Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also known as Edward of Caernarfon or Caernarvon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir to the throne follo ...

. Skipton became a prosperous market town, trading sheep and woollen goods. A

market Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: *Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand *Market economy *Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market *Marketing, the act of sat ...

stemming from its formative years still survives. In the 19th century, Skipton emerged as a small

mill town A mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more List of types of mill#Manufacturing facilities, mills or factories, often cotton mills or factories producing textiles. Europe ...

connected to the major cities by the

and its branch

Thanet Canal The Thanet Canal, also known as the Springs Branch, is a short branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, in North Yorkshire, England. It leaves the main canal in Skipton, and runs to some loading wharfs near Skipton Castle, which were used to l ...

, (known locally as 'Springs branch canal'). During the 20th century Skipton's economy shifted to

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

, aided by its historic architecture and proximity to the

. Skipton was the seat of

Craven District Craven was a non-metropolitan district in the west of North Yorkshire, centred on the market town of Skipton. The name ''Craven'' is much older than the modern district and encompassed Craven in the Domesday Book, a larger area. This history is ...

Council from 1974 until April 2023. The

Skipton Building Society The Skipton Building Society is a building society established in 1853 in Skipton, North Yorkshire, where it remains headquartered. It is the UK's 4th largest building society and has over 1 million members and 100 branches. At December 2022, ...

was founded in the town. Skipton is twinned with the Bavarian town of Simbach and

Erquinghem-Lys Erquinghem-Lys () (''Erkegem an de Leie'' in West Flemish) is a commune situated in the Nord department in northern France. It is part of the Métropole Européenne de Lille. Erquinghem is one of a series of villages on the river Lys establishe ...

in France. The war memorial in Skipton - geograph

Governance

Skipton is part of the parliamentary constituency of Skipton and Ripon, which was created in 1983. Since its creation, the constituency has returned a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

Member of Parliament (MP). , the seat is held by Julian Smith, a former

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland The secretary of state for Northern Ireland (; ), also referred to as Northern Ireland Secretary or SoSNI, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with overall responsibility for the Northern Ireland Office. The offi ...

. Before 1983 Skipton had its own eponymous constituency. From 1974 to 2023 Skipton formed part of Craven District, a

non-metropolitan district Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially "shire districts", are a type of Districts of England, local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties (colloquially ''s ...

, and was home of the offices of Craven District Council. In 2007, proposals to make North Yorkshire County Council a

unitary authority A unitary authority is a type of local government, local authority in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Unitary authorities are responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are ...

, removing the layer of government represented by Craven District, were rejected. However the council was eventually abolished in 2023, being replaced by

North Yorkshire Council North Yorkshire Council, known between 1974 and 2023 as North Yorkshire County Council, is the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of North Yorkshire, England. Since 2023 the council has been a unitary authority, being a county coun ...

. Skipton has its own

town council A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities. Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions. Republic of Ireland In 2002, 49 urban district councils and 26 town commissi ...

consisting of 16 councillors, formed by 4 members from each of the four wards within the parish boundaries, North, East, South and West. The council offices are based on the high street, upstairs in the Town Hall. The councillors elect a town mayor each year at an annual general meeting. For 2024 the town mayor is Councillor Mrs Sheila Bentley.

Economy

The town is known as the 'Gateway to the Dales', because of its close proximity to the Yorkshire Dales. As Skipton is the nearest and largest town to a significant area of the Dales, it attracts numerous visitors, particularly on market days (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday). Owing to the town's many independent shops and national chains, Skipton has received praise for its enduring individuality and character. In 2008, the Academy of Urbanism voted High Street the best shopping spot in Britain. The wide high street once hosted the sheep market, but now a general market is held there and livestock is auctioned at the Auction Mart on the western edge of the town. The town is home to a number of hotels, holiday companies, cottage holiday firms and independent holiday lets. The town is the base for several recruitment agencies, environmental and engineering consultancies and financial and legal services. Skipton is a popular commuter town, with direct trains to Leeds, Bradford and London. One of the town's larger employers is

, with its subsidiary companies.

Chocolatier A chocolatier ( ; ; ) is a person or company that makes and sells chocolate confections. Chocolatiers are distinct from chocolate makers, who create chocolate from cacao beans and other raw ingredients. Chocolatiers work artisanally with pre- ...

Whitakers, based in the town, was established in 1889 in nearby

Cross Hills Cross Hills is a village in the county of North Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Skipton and Keighley. The village is at the centre of a built-up area that includes the adjoining settlements of Glusburn, Kildwick, Eastburn, West Yo ...

. Ida Whitaker began making chocolates there in 1903, taught by the wife of the vicar of

Kildwick Kildwick, or Kildwick-in-Craven, is a village and civil parish in the county of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated between Skipton and Keighley and had a population of 191 in 2001, rising slightly to 194 at the 2011 census. Kildwick is a ...

Culture and community

In 2014, ''

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...

'' judged Skipton as the 'best place to live' in Britain. In 2017, an annual study of the nation's happiness and

wellbeing Well-being is what is ultimately good for a person. Also called "welfare" and "quality of life", it is a measure of how well life is going for someone. It is a central goal of many individual and societal endeavors. Subjective well-being ref ...

by the ONS found Craven – which includes the town of Skipton – reported the highest levels of happiness and life satisfaction and the lowest levels of anxiety among residents. In 2018, the town was again listed in ''

'', in their report on the 'Best Places to Live' in northern England. Additionally, the town was twice listed in the UK's top ten happiest places to live in Rightmove's 'Happy at Home Index' in 2020 and 2023. In 2024, the town was again judged by ''

'' as one of the best places to live in the UK. Skipton moor sunset

Events in Skipton include the annual heritage event 'Skipton Sheep Day' which takes place on the first Sunday in July and celebrates the town's association with sheep. The event takes place on the high street and features a

petting zoo A petting zoo (also called a children's zoo, children's farm, or petting farm) features a combination of domesticated animals and some wild species that are docile enough to touch and feed. In addition to independent petting zoos, many general ...

, educational shows and a variety of food and drink stalls. Skipton has an annual

gala Gala may refer to: Music * ''Gala'' (album), a 1990 album by the English alternative rock band Lush * Gala (singer), Italian singer and songwriter *'' Gala – The Collection'', a 2016 album by Sarah Brightman * GALA Choruses, an association of ...

on the second Saturday of June. The gala begins with a procession through the town centre featuring decorated floats, a

marching band A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who play while marching. Historically they were used in armed forces and many marching bands remain military bands. Others are still associated with military units or emulate a military sty ...

and classic cars. The procession ends in Aireville Park with live music performances, a firework display and a variety of stalls. The gala was first held in 1901 to raise money for the Skipton and District Cottage Hospital, but following the formation of the

National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the term for the publicly funded health care, publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom: the National Health Service (England), NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care (Northern ...

, the gala continued raising money for local charities and non-profit-making organisations. Skipton hosts a

Christmas market A Christmas market is a street market associated with the celebration of Christmas during the four weeks of Advent. These markets originated in Germany, but are now held in many countries. Some in the U.S. have Phono-semantic matching, adapted ...

during which the high street is closed to traffic and the regular market traders are joined by more than 50 additional stall holders. The event features entertainment, live music, a brass band, funfair and the switch-on of the town's

Christmas lights Christmas lights (also known as fairy lights, festive lights or string lights) are lights often used for decoration in celebration of Christmas, often on display throughout the Christmas season including Advent and Christmastide. The custom ...

. Skipton Car Show is held annually in June and attracts thousands of spectators. The free show sees hundreds of classic, vintage, rare and exotic vehicles exhibited on the town's closed high street. Police vehicles are also displayed alongside demonstrations from the town's fire service. Skipton Town Hall holds events and performances such as music, theatre and comedy, as well as markets and fairs. In 2021, the building received funding from the

National Lottery National Lottery may refer to: *National Lottery (Ireland), the state lottery of Ireland *National Lottery (United Kingdom), the lottery franchise in the United Kingdom *South African National Lottery, established in 2000 *A number of countries con ...

and Craven District Council to undergo a refurbishment. It is also home to the

Craven Museum & Gallery Craven Museum & Gallery is a museum located in the town of Skipton, North Yorkshire, England, in Skipton Town Hall. The museum holds a collection of local artefacts that depict life in Craven from the prehistoric times to the modern day. O ...

which has won numerous awards and in 2024 was shortlisted for the Art Fund Museum of the Year Award. The town has two

theatres Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communica ...

. The Mart Theatre located in Craven Cattle Mart opened in October 2005 with funding from the

European Regional Development Fund The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is one of the European Structural and Investment Funds allocated by the European Union. Its purpose is to transfer money from richer regions (not countries), and invest it in the infrastructure and se ...

, Yorkshire Forward, Craven District Council and the Arts Council England. It provides rural theatre, events and other facilities. Skipton Little Theatre is a smaller 70-seater theatre located on Clifford Street and operated by a

not-for-profit A not-for-profit or non-for-profit organization (NFPO) is a Legal Entity, legal entity that does not distribute surplus funds to its members and is formed to fulfill specific objectives. While not-for-profit organizations and Nonprofit organ ...

group. The theatre is the home of Skipton Players, the town's amateur dramatics society. Craven Arts is an organisation founded in 2017 by experienced local artists which supports

the arts The arts or creative arts are a vast range of human practices involving creative expression, storytelling, and cultural participation. The arts encompass diverse and plural modes of thought, deeds, and existence in an extensive range of m ...

and operates centres in the town for exhibitions, events and creative workshops. In December 2022, with funding from Craven District Council,

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, a battlefield, medieval castles, Roman forts, historic industrial sites, Lis ...

, Heritage Action Zone,

Arts Council England Arts Council England is an arm's length non-departmental public body of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is also a registered charity. It was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council o ...

and

Architectural Heritage Fund The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) is a registered charity (No. 266780) founded in 1976 to promote the conservation and re-use of historic buildings across the United Kingdom. The AHF provides communities with advice, grants and loans to help th ...

, Craven Arts renovated the former Parish Church school located on Otley Street and opened an arts centre. Named 'Craven Arts House', the centre provides studio space, classrooms, meeting rooms, a community hall, green screen room and recording studio. The organisation also operates a small shop, on Otley Street, selling works from local artists. Skipton has a

public library A public library is a library, most often a lending library, that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil servic ...

, and three bookshops; an

Oxfam bookshop Oxfam is the largest retailer of second-hand books in Europe, selling around 12 million per year. Most of Oxfam's 600 charity shops around the UK sell books, and around 100 are specialist bookshops or book and music shops. A typical Oxfam bookshop ...

, selling secondhand books for charity, Keogh's Books, a secondhand and antiquarian bookseller, and The Little Bookshop, sellers of new books. From 1979, the Box of Delights bookshop on Otley Street served the town for almost 40 years, before closing in 2018. Skipton has a hospitality sector, with around 85

public houses A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...

, cafés, coffee shops, bars and restaurants. These establishments serve a wide range of food and drink in various settings, from restaurants specialising in world cuisines to traditional Yorkshire pubs. The town is home to the independent

Plaza Cinema Plaza Cinema may refer to the following cinemas in England: * Plaza Cinema, Chichester (1920–1960) * Plaza Cinema, Skipton (1912–present) *Plaza Cinema, Stockport (1932–present) *Plaza Cinema, Weston-super-Mare (1911–2023) {{disambigua ...

on Sackville Street, a cinema showing a varied programme, from arthouse movies to big releases from major studios. The cinema plays host to Skipton Film Club and the annual Hinterlands

film festival A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theater, cinemas or screening venues, usually annually and in a single city or region. Some film festivals show films outdoors or online. Films may be of recent ...

. The town has four allotment sites. Three are operated by Skipton Town Council and include two large sites, one in the Middletown area and another on Broughton Road, alongside a smaller site at Burnside Chapel. A fourth independent allotment site is located behind the town's Plaza Cinema. The local newspaper is the ''

Craven Herald & Pioneer The ''Craven Herald & Pioneer'' is a weekly newspaper covering the Craven area of North Yorkshire as well as part of the Pendle area of Lancashire. Until 29 October 2009 it remained one of only two weekly papers in the United Kingdom that co ...

'', with a history stretching back to 1853. Local news and television programmes are provided by

BBC Yorkshire BBC Yorkshire is one of the English regions of the BBC. It was formed from the division of the former BBC North region into BBC Yorkshire and BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, based in Kingston upon Hull. Serving West, North and South Yorkshir ...

and

ITV Yorkshire ITV Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire Television and commonly referred to as just YTV, is the British television service provided by ITV Broadcasting Limited for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV (TV network), ITV network. Until 19 ...

. Local radio stations are

BBC Radio York BBC Radio York is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of North Yorkshire. It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios in the Bootham area of York. According to RAJAR, the station has a weekly audience ...

Greatest Hits Radio Yorkshire Greatest Hits Radio (GHR) is a classic hits radio network in the United Kingdom, owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK. It currently includes 18 local and regional radio stations operating over 50 FM and DAB licences in England, Scotl ...

, Drystone Radio and Rombalds Radio.

Transport

Railway

Skipton railway station Skipton railway station is a Grade II listed station which serves the market town of Skipton in North Yorkshire, England. It is a stop on the Airedale Line, which provides access to destinations such as Leeds, Bradford, Carlisle, Lancaster, Lan ...

is managed by

Northern Trains Northern Trains, Trade name, trading as Northern, is a British train operating company that operates Commuter rail, commuter and Inter-city rail, medium-distance intercity services in the North of England. It is owned by DfT Operator for the Dep ...

and is served by the following routes: * The electrified Airedale Line provides regular services to , and , operated by Northern Trains * Northbound services connect to , , and ; these are operated by Northern Trains. The route to Carlisle includes the scenic Settle-Carlisle line, passing over the

Ribblehead Viaduct The Ribblehead Viaduct or Batty Moss Viaduct carries the Settle–Carlisle railway across Batty Moss in the Ribble Valley at Ribblehead, in North Yorkshire, England. The viaduct, built by the Midland Railway, is north-west of Skipton and s ...

London North Eastern Railway London North Eastern Railway (LNER) is a British train operating company which operates most services on the East Coast Main Line. It is owned by DfT Operator for the Department for Transport (DfT). The company's name echoes that of the Londo ...

operates a daily return service to

London King's Cross King's Cross railway station, also known as London King's Cross, is a passenger railway terminus in the London Borough of Camden, on the edge of Central London. It is in the London station group, one of the List of busiest railway stations in ...

, via Leeds.

Buses

Skipton bus station Skipton bus station serves the town of Skipton, North Yorkshire, England. It is situated in the town centre, just off Keighley Road, and has eight stands. The main bus operators are Transdev Blazefield (operating as the Keighley Bus Company), ...

was rebuilt in 2009 and is the focal point for bus services throughout the local area. Key routes link the town with

Clitheroe Clitheroe () is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Ribble Valley, Borough of Ribble Valley, Lancashire, England; it is located north-west of Manchester. It is near the Forest of Bowland and is often used as a base for to ...

Harrogate Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and civil parish in the North Yorkshire District, district and North Yorkshire, county of North Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist de ...

Ilkley Ilkley is a spa town and civil parish in the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, in Northern England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Ilkley civil parish includes the adjacent village of Ben Rhydding and is a ward within ...

Malham Malham is a village and civil parish in the county of North Yorkshire, England. In the ''Domesday Book'', the name is given as Malgun, meaning "settlement by the gravelly places". Until 1974 it was part of the Settle Rural District, in the ...

and Preston ( service 280). Services are operated by

Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire is a major operator of bus services in North West England. It is a subsidiary of the Stagecoach Group and is headquartered in Liverpool. History Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire can trace i ...

Harrogate Bus Company The Harrogate Bus Company operates both local and regional bus services in North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, England. It is a subsidiary of Transdev Blazefield. History In November 1906, The Harrogate Road Car Company was formed. Initially op ...

Keighley Bus Company The Keighley Bus Company operates both local and regional bus services in West Yorkshire, England. It is a subsidiary of Transdev Blazefield. History When founded, the company was part of Tilling & British Automobile Traction. In 1927, follow ...

and

North Yorkshire County Council North Yorkshire Council, known between 1974 and 2023 as North Yorkshire County Council, is the Local government in England, local authority for the non-metropolitan county of North Yorkshire (district), North Yorkshire, England. Since 2023 the ...

Roads

Skipton lies close to the junction of the

A65 road The A65 is a major road in England. It runs north west from Leeds in West Yorkshire via Kirkstall, Horsforth, Yeadon, Guiseley, Ilkley and Skipton, west of Settle, Ingleton and Kirkby Lonsdale before terminating at Kendal in Cumbria. Bypass ...

(from Leeds to the

Lake District The Lake District, also known as ''the Lakes'' or ''Lakeland'', is a mountainous region and National parks of the United Kingdom, national park in Cumbria, North West England. It is famous for its landscape, including its lakes, coast, and mou ...

) and the A59 (from

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

). The northern section (A65 & A59) of the £16.4 million Skipton by-pass opened in December 1981; the rest of the route ( A629) opened in October 1982, greatly reducing journey times to the Dales. The

M65 motorway The M65 is a motorway between Preston, Lancashire, Preston and Colne in Lancashire, England. It runs from Bamber Bridge just south of Preston, through major junctions with the M6 motorway, M6 and M61 motorways, east past Darwen, Blackburn, Ac ...

signs Skipton as an eastbound destination from its eastern junctions in

Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...

, but terminates at

Colne Colne () is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England. The town is northeast of Nelson, Lancashire, Nelson, northeast of Burnley and east of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. The ...

; the route to Skipton continues as the A56 as far as its terminating roundabout with the A59.

Water

The

runs through Skipton and is a popular destination for tourists, with walking and boat hire.

Education

Primary education

*Non-denominational: **Greatwood Community Primary School **Water Street Community Primary School *Roman Catholic: **St Stephen's Catholic Primary School *Church of England: **Christ Church Primary School **Parish Church Primary School

Secondary education

As well as The Skipton Academy (ages 11–16), there are two single-sex

grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a Latin school, school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented Se ...

Ermysted's Grammar School Ermysted's Grammar School is an 11-18 boys' Voluntary aided school, voluntary aided grammar school in Skipton, North Yorkshire, England. It was founded by Peter Toller in the 15th century and is the List of the oldest schools in the United Kin ...

for boys and

Skipton Girls' High School Skipton Girls' High School, founded in 1886 by the Petyt Trust, is an all-girls selective grammar school situated in Skipton, North Yorkshire, England. The school is a founding member of Northern Star Academies Trust, and leads Northern Lights ...

(SGHS). Both schools are selective by entrance exam and have obtained comparable high

A-Level The A-level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational ...

scores. On the basis of the 2009 A level results, Ermysted's performed 13th best in the UK and SGHS was rated 42nd but, in 2011, it was rated at number 44.

Further education

Craven College Craven College is a further education college based in Skipton, North Yorkshire, England. Craven offers a variety of further and higher education courses, including bachelor degrees. Craven College started life in the early 1800s as the Skipton ...

is sited next to The Skipton Academy.

Sport

Skipton is home to Skipton Town A.F.C.; Skipton Juniors F.C.; Skipton Cricket Club, Skipton Church Institute Cricket Club and Skipton Kashmir, all cricket clubs; Skipton Cycling Club; Skipton Swimming Club; Skipton Athletics Club; Skipton Karate Centre; Strike Taekwondo; Craven Energy Triathlon Club; Skipton R.F.C., a rugby union club and Skipton Golf Club, founded in 1893. The Coulthurst Craven Sports Centre is adjacent to the rugby club, with facilities including all-weather football pitches and squash courts. Skipton Tennis Club is also adjacent to the Sports Centre and has been awarded the LTA Club of the Year Award on several occasions. There are a number of gyms in the town, a public swimming pool, an outdoor skatepark and a pump track. Skipton is host to a free weekly Parkrun event which takes place in Aireville Park. On 5 July 2014, the

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...

Stage 1 from Leeds to Harrogate passed through the town.

Notable people

A number of notable people have been born in Skipton. The philosopher

Henry Sidgwick Henry Sidgwick (; 31 May 1838 – 28 August 1900) was an English Utilitarianism, utilitarian philosopher and economist and is best known in philosophy for his utilitarian treatise ''The Methods of Ethics''. His work in economics has also had a ...

was born in 1838. Thomas Spencer, the co-founder of

Marks & Spencer Marks and Spencer plc (commonly abbreviated to M&S and colloquially known as Marks & Sparks or simply Marks) is a major British multinational retailer based in London, England, that specialises in selling clothing, beauty products, home produc ...

, was born in Queen's Court in 1858. The American mathematician

Thomas William Edmondson Thomas William Edmondson, Ph. D., (1869– 5 November 1938) was an Anglo-American mathematician, born at Skipton-in-Craven, Yorkshire, England. He graduated from the University of London, studied at Cambridge, and also at Clark University, Worces ...

was born in 1869.

Geoffrey Dawson George Geoffrey Dawson (25 October 1874 – 7 November 1944) was editor of ''The Times'' from 1912 to 1919 and again from 1923 until 1941. His original last name was Robinson, but he changed it in 1917. He married Hon. Margaret Cecilia Lawley, ...

, editor of ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'' from 1912 to 1919 and from 1923 until 1941, was born in 1874. Two politicians were born in Skipton: the former

MP and

Chancellor of the Exchequer The chancellor of the exchequer, often abbreviated to chancellor, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and the head of HM Treasury, His Majesty's Treasury. As one of the four Great Offices of State, t ...

Iain Macleod Iain Norman Macleod (11 November 1913 – 20 July 1970) was a British Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party politician. A playboy and professional Contract bridge, bridge player in his twenties, after war service Macleod worked for the ...

in 1913, and the Labour MP Joan Humble in 1951. Former British

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

's personal physician during the Second World War, Charles Wilson, the first Baron Moran, was born in Skipton in 1882. The poet and author

Blake Morrison Philip Blake Morrison (born 8 October 1950) is an English poet and author who has published in a wide range of fiction and non-fiction genres. His greatest success came with the publication of his memoirs ''And When Did You Last See Your Father?' ...

was born in Skipton in 1950. The former

Manchester City Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...

footballer

Rick Holden Richard William Holden (born 9 September 1964) is an English former professional footballer who played as a winger for six clubs in a decade-long career. Early life Born at Cawder Gill Hospital, Holden forged an interest in football at an ear ...

was born in Skipton in 1964. The actress Elaine Glover, who appeared in ''

Footballers' Wives ''Footballers' Wives'' is a British television drama about fictional Premier League football club Earls Park F.C., its players and their wives. It was broadcast on ITV from 2002 to 2006. The show initially focuses on three very different coupl ...

'' and ''

HolbyBlue ''HolbyBlue'' (also known as ''Holby Blue'') is a British police procedural drama series that ran for two series from 2007 to 2008. The show revolves around the daily lives of a number of police officers working at Holby South police station. T ...

'', was born in Skipton in 1983. Former Lancashire and England cricketer and coach, Glen Chapple was born in Skipton in 1974. Former England and Leicestershire cricketer, and current England national selector, James Whitaker was born in Skipton in 1962. * Nick Hitchon (1957–2023), nuclear fusion scientist and professor, whose life was profiled in the Up documentary film series, was born in Skipton. * Rhoda Bloodworth (1889–1980), New Zealand labour activist, community worker and feminist, born in Skipton.

References

External links

Skipton Town Council

Skipton Chamber of Trade and Commerce

Skipton Business Improvement District or Skipton Town Partnership
{{authority control Skipton, Market towns in North Yorkshire Civil parishes in North Yorkshire Craven District Towns in North Yorkshire