Around Skipton

Whilst staying in Wharfedale, I took time out to visit Skipton, its woods, its canal basin and its castle.

Skipton (or Skipton-in-Craven) was a prosperous market town, trading sheep and woollen goods, which also led to its naming, derived from the Old English sceap (sheep) and tun (town or village). A market stemming from its formative years still survives, albeit with significant modification. 

In the 19th century, Skipton emerged as a small mill town connected to the major cities by the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and its branch Thanet Canal, (known locally as 'Springs branch Canal')

Skipton Wood was originally used by Skipton Castle primarily for hunting and fishing, although during the 18th and 19th centuries, the wood was also used to provide timber, building stone and water. The timber and stone was moved out of the wood via Springs Canal (a small branch off the Leeds and Liverpool Canal). 

The water was obtained by damming Eller Beck to form Long Dam, which in turn fed a small reservoir called Round Dam, also known as Mill Dam or Mill Pond. The water was used to power the former sawmill and corn mill located by the castle. Public access to the wood was first allowed by the owners of the castle in 1971 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Over 900 years old, Skipton Castle is one of the most complete and best preserved medieval castles in England. Soon after 1090 Robert de Romille, a Norman baron, built a primitive fort here but its timber ramparts did little to stop rampaging Scots during their frequent raids into northern England. It was replaced with a more formidable stone castle which stood on top of a rocky bluff with rising ground to the front and a sheer precipice falling to the Eller Beck behind.

The history of the castle is inseparable from that of the Clifford family who were granted the property by Edward II in 1310, when Robert Clifford was appointed first Lord Clifford of Skipton and Guardian of Craven, the wide tract of countryside to the north and west of Skipton.

The Clifford's Norman forebears took the name from Clifford Castle in Herefordshire which they also owned. Robert Clifford began heavily fortifying the castle, but he was killed at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 with his new stronghold barely completed.

During the Civil War it was the last Royalist bastion in the North, yielding only after a three-year siege in 1645. ‘Slighted' under the orders of Cromwell, the castle was skilfully restored by the redoubtable Lady Anne Clifford.  Skipton remained the Clifford's principal seat until 1676. Today, their banner flies over the castle with the approval of the present Lord Clifford of Chudleigh

For more details of the Castle see this link Skipton Castle

Skipton’s canal basin is a busy part of the 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.

On 18 March 2010, a bronze statue of Freddie Trueman by Yorkshire-born sculptor Graham Ibbeson was unveiled by Veronica Trueman at the Canal basin in Skipton. 

Just in case you need reminding who he was ... Sir Frederick Sewards ("Fred") Trueman OBE (6 February 1931 – 1 July 2006) was an English cricketer, author, and broadcaster. He was generally acknowledged as one of the greatest fast bowlers in history. A bowler of genuinely fast pace who was widely known as "Fiery Fred", Trueman played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1949 until he retired in 1968. He represented England in 67 Test matches and was the first bowler to take 300 wickets in a Test career.