Exploring Skipton: A Day of History, Hills and a Few Pints

Michael Palmer
Jan 2
2 min read

9.23mi Skipton to Low Bradley Circular Walk

We stayed at the Travelodge, which is why the walk starts and finishes there. Before heading out, we called in at Robertshaw’s next door for a grand breakfast to set us up for the day. We also enjoyed a few pints along the route, and that may explain why the walk ended up in two parts — I accidentally pressed “finish” on the app after one of those said pints!!!

Origins of Skipton

Skipton’s story stretches back over a thousand years. Its name comes from the Old English Sceap‑tun — “sheep town” — a reminder that long before markets, castles, and canals, this was a simple farming settlement on the edge of the Dales. By the time the Domesday Book was compiled in 1086, Skipton was already established enough to earn a mention, marking it as an important place in the Craven district.

Early Settlements on Skipton Moor

Long before written records, people were active on the surrounding moorland. Prehistoric cup‑and‑ring stones and the remains of an Iron Age settlement on Skipton Moor hint at life here thousands of years before the Normans arrived. The landscape has always drawn people in.

The Rise of Skipton Castle

The town’s defining landmark, Skipton Castle, was first built around 1090 by the Norman baron Robert de Romille. Over the centuries it grew into one of the best‑preserved medieval castles in England. Its strength shaped the town’s future — especially during the English Civil War, when Skipton Castle became the last Royalist stronghold in the North to surrender after a long and difficult siege in 1645.

Skipton in the Medieval Era

Skipton’s fortunes rose again in 1204 when it was granted market rights. That decision changed everything. The High Street has been a place of trade and gathering ever since, and the market tradition continues today much as it did eight centuries ago.

Industry, Canals, and Expansion

The arrival of the Leeds–Liverpool Canal in the late 1700s brought new industry and prosperity, turning Skipton into a busy hub for milling, textiles, and transport. Even through the First and Second World Wars, the area played its part, hosting prisoner‑of‑war camps and supporting the wider region.

Skipton in the Modern Day

Today, Skipton blends all of this history with the charm of a thriving market town. Medieval walls, Georgian streets, canalside walks, and the rolling Dales beyond — it’s a place where Yorkshire’s past and present sit comfortably side by side.