Skipton High Street
Skipton High Street has beaten its London rivals to be crowned Great British High Street of the Year 2009.
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Skipton Castle
Over 900 years old, Skipton Castle is one of the most complete and best preserved medieval castles in England.Fully roofed and with an enchanting early Tudor courtyard the stout towers of the gatehouse only hint at the splendour which is revealed as the visitor enters the castle grounds.Visitors can explore every corner of this impressive history-rich castle, which withstood a three year siege during the Civil War. View the Banqueting Hall, the Kitchen, the Bedchamber and Privy. Climb from the depths of the Dungeon to the top storey of the watch Tower.
Visit Skipton Castle
Canal Basin & Freddie Trueman Statue
The canal basin in Skipton is a busy part of this ancient market town. Traditional and modern boats can be seen on this stretch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal which threads its way through the centre of Skipton. Visitors can take boat trips on the canal, walk along the network of canal towpaths or simply sit and watch the colourful narrow-boats go by. Once a year, the canal basin is the venue for the Skipton Waterway Festival, the largest annual meeting of canal boats in the north of England.
Freddie Trueman a statue of a local fast bowler, a world record holder of international repute, feared by all batsmen, is also placed there. That is where todays cricketers can pay homage to him.
Craven Museum
Craven Museum & Gallery is situated within the Town Hall in the centre of Skipton. The museum tells the story of the southern part of the Yorkshire Dales known as Craven. It has impressive displays of social history, archaeology, costume and art. The exhibition gallery on the ground floor shows a changing programme of exhibitions related to heritage and the arts.
Visitors to the museum now have the chance to see a Shakespeare First Folio. In 1623, seven years after William Shakespeare’s death, 36 of his plays were published together in one volume. The Skipton First Folio is currently one of only four to be on permanent display in the world.
Auction Mart
For the town and city dwellers: “an eye opener” exciting/ interesting/ start of the food chain, unchanged over the centuries, not to be missed. The CCM Auctions estate offers more than just an auction with machinery dealers, animal health product shops, outdoor clothes shops, land and estate agents, meat packing, NFU insurance brokers and further education training on site, not to mention high class catering facilities. All the sales are available for public viewing.
Holy Trinity Church
The first church was built in the early 1100’s, possibly made of wood. It was near where the tower now stands. Another church was built about 1300 with help from the monks at Bolton Priory. It was extended further eastwards towards the end of the 1400’s, probably helped by a gift from Richard III. The tower was damaged during the Civil War, but it was restored in the 1650’s (along with some of the windows too) by Lady Anne Clifford from the castle next door. The tower suffered again in 1853 – this time from lightning.
There used to be galleries with seats to fit everyone in, and the pews used to be box pews, but the galleries came down in 1909 and the pews were replaced by the present oak ones with their little doors.
Craven Court
Come inside and visit Skipton’s Victorian Themed Shopping arcade. Beautiful painted ironwork and the clear glass roof make this covered shopping arcade quite unique, and well worth a visit if you’re in the Skipton area.
The shopping centre was developed and expanded from a 16th century theatre. Today its original stone walls are partly listed and provide a traditional backdrop to this unique shopping experience.
High Street Market
The market is set on both sides of High Street and operates regularly every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
During off peak periods the market may finish as early as 4.30pm. So come early and shop longer!! If the weather is extremely bad (especially wind) traders may find it impossible to put up their stalls, but it’s very rare.
Skipton Woods
A magical land in the heart of town – that’s one way to describe Skipton Woods, a woodland haven by one of Britain’s best preserved, most popular medieval castles. The wood’s links with the castle date back at least 1,000 years. A canal towpath, following the line of Skipton Castle ramparts and Springs Canal, provides a direct link between the town’s High Street and the woods, following the course of Eller Beck through a stunning steep-sided valley.
Mill Bridge Gallery
Opened on the 10th September, Mill Bridge Gallery, located in a canal-side building dating back to 1675 and said to be the oldest dwelling in Skipton, showcases the work of more than 20 talented local photographers and sculptors.
The groundfloor stone-flagged gallery houses photography by new and established landscape and street photographers. Upstairs, alongside the 17th century beams, contemporary photographic art is showcased. The upstairs space will also feature changing themed exhibitions.
The renovated canal-side garden displays original sculptural pieces in metal, ceramics and stone. All work is available to purchase with prices starting at £50.
Open: Wed – Fri 10.30am – 6pm
Sat 10.30 – 7pm, and at other times by appointment.
Attractions Within Reach of Skipton
Bronte Parsonage at Haworth
The Brontë Parsonage Museum is maintained by the Brontë Society in honour of the famed Brontë sisters – Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë – in their old home located in Haworth, West Yorkshire, an area of England covered in much open, expansive moorland. It is popular with those seeking to find the source of the sisters’ inspiration, and is of particular interest as the Brontës spent most of their lives here and wrote their famous novels in these surroundings.
Robert Thompson Visitor Centre
From a single acorn to a finished piece of beautifully hand crafted oak furniture. One man’s work from start to finish. A simple ethos established by The Mouseman.
In perfect reflection of this, the new Mouseman Visitor Centre will take you on an amazing journey through the life and times of the Robert Thompson from humble beginnings to furniture legend.
Wensleydale Cheese Factory
Tucked away within the market town of Hawes – The home of Real Yorkshire Wensleydale – the Visitor Centre is the ideal destination for every fan of cheese…including Wallace & Gromit!
View the handcrafting of world famous cheese; discover its origins in the museum and taste the results in the specialist cheese shop, restaurant and coffee shop. There also is a spacious gift shop to explore.
Nidderdale Museum
From a single acorn to a finished piece of beautifully hand crafted oak furniture. One man’s work from start to finish. A simple ethos established by The Mouseman.
In perfect reflection of this, the new Mouseman Visitor Centre will take you on an amazing journey through the life and times of the Robert Thompson from humble beginnings to furniture legend.
Calendar Girls
Calendar Girls
Visit the county of the original calendar girls and see places where the film was made.