Skipton

The castle

Skipton Castle dates back to around 1090 and is widely regarded as one of the most complete medieval castles standing in England, having survived largely because the Clifford family — who held it for centuries — rebuilt rather than abandoned it after Civil War damage in the 1640s, when Cromwell's forces ordered its roofs removed. The Conduit Court and the six connected round towers are original medieval fabric rather than later restoration, which is unusual for a castle of this age still open to the public.

The canal basin

The Leeds and Liverpool Canal runs directly through the town centre, and Skipton's canal basin — with its working boatyard and moored narrowboats — sits a two-minute walk from the high street. The canal was built in stages between 1770 and 1816 and originally moved limestone, coal, and textiles; today the same stretch through town is a working leisure-boating basin with boat trips and canalside cafés rather than an industrial artefact behind glass.

Market days

Skipton's outdoor market runs on the high street on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and has operated on essentially the same site since the town received its market charter in 1204 — one of the longest continuous market traditions in Yorkshire. It's a genuine working market for the surrounding farming area, not a crafts-only tourist version, though stalls do vary noticeably by day.

Practical notes

Skipton has its own railway station on the Leeds–Settle–Carlisle line, which makes it the single most practical no-car base for exploring the Dales by public transport — buses from the station forecourt connect on to Grassington, Malham, and further into Wharfedale. Market days bring heavier town-centre traffic and reduced short-stay parking; a non-market weekday is the easier day to drive in.