Town in North Yorkshire, England
Skipton
Skipton's name means 'sheep town', its castle held out for three years in the Civil War, and a local lad helped start Marks & Spencer.
Key information
- County
- North Yorkshire
- Nation
- England
- Population
- About 14,600 (2011 Census)
- Known for
- Skipton Castle, its High Street market, the canal basin and its role as Gateway to the Dales
- Famous people
- Lady Anne Clifford, Thomas Spencer
About Skipton
A town named after sheep
Skipton comes from the Old English for 'sheep town', and the name has never really stopped being accurate. This was where Dales farmers brought their flocks to be sold, and livestock auctions still carry on here. The town sits where the hills of the Yorkshire Dales begin to spread out into the lowlands, which explains its long-standing nickname, the Gateway to the Dales. Walkers, cyclists and day-trippers pass through on their way north, and many never get further than the High Street.
The castle that wouldn't give in
At the top of the High Street stands Skipton Castle, one of the best-preserved medieval castles in England. Its story begins around 1090, when Robert de Romille built the first fortress here, and it was later held for centuries by the powerful Clifford family. In the Civil War the Cliffords' castle stayed loyal to the king. Skipton withstood a siege of about three years and was the last Royalist stronghold in the north of England to surrender, in December 1645. As a punishment, Parliament ordered the roofs removed so the castle could never be used as a fortress again. It looked a ruin for a while, but that was not the end of it.
Lady Anne and the yew tree
Lady Anne Clifford was born in Skipton Castle in 1590 and spent much of her long life fighting for her inheritance. Once she had it, she set about restoring her northern castles, including Skipton, and put the roofs back on in the 1650s. In the castle's Conduit Court stands a yew tree said to have been planted by her in 1659. It is still growing there, which is a pretty good return on one afternoon's gardening. The Clifford family motto, 'Desormais', meaning 'henceforth', still hangs over the castle's story. It suits a family that kept going after being knocked down.
Canal boats beside the castle walls
Skipton's second great landmark is its canal. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal runs through the town, and a short branch, the Springs Branch, curls right up beside the castle walls. It is one of the few places where you can watch narrowboats glide past a medieval fortress. The canal arrived in the age of cotton and wool, when mills sprang up along the waterside. The old mill buildings have since found new lives, and the canal basin is now a busy spot for boat trips, cafes and a stroll before lunch. Skipton Building Society, founded here in the 1850s, grew up in the same industrial era and still has its home in the town.
Market town, market days
Skipton's High Street is one of the widest and handsomest in the Dales, and it is a proper working market street. The stalls come out four days a week, on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, with the castle gateway and Holy Trinity Church at the head of the street. The Craven Museum, in the Town Hall, tells the story of the surrounding area, and the town's many independent shops and pubs make it a good place for a long wander. Skipton formerly hosted Sheep Day, a summer celebration of its sheep-farming heritage. It is a quirky reminder of what the place is named for.
From Skipton to the high street
Skipton's most famous export may be a shopping giant. Thomas Spencer, born here in 1851, went on to become the co-founder of Marks & Spencer, and so helped set up one of Britain's best-known retailers. His career began locally with a drapery apprenticeship, before taking him to Leeds, where he worked for the wholesaler I. J. Dewhirst. His birthplace gives Skipton a neat claim: the market town that gave Britain one of its biggest high street names. Between Lady Anne Clifford and Tom Spencer, the town has produced a woman who restored castles and a man who built shops, and both left their mark on England.