A Timeline of principal events and developments in Skipton’s history
7th Century – Anglo-Saxon settlement infiltrated the North. Skipton’s origin is likely to be in this period
1086 – in the Domesday Book Skipton was referred to as ‘Sciptone’ or ‘Sheepfarm’ and being ‘land of the King’
c1087 – Robert de Romille was granted a significant amount of land in the Skipton area
1120 – first mention of existence of Holy Trinity Church, but the existing building date to the 14th and 15th centuries, with substantial repairs after the Civil War
1130 – first documentary reference to a castle at Skipton
1204 – Market rights were granted for Skipton by King John
1266 – Skipton rated as a ‘Borough’ rather than a village as it possessed a sufficiently large population, a fair portion of it engaged in industry/trade, a market and a court
1274 – At some earlier stage the Honour of Skipton belonging to Romille passed to the counts of Aumale and the Forz family. In 1274, with the lack of a Forz heir the honour of Skipton passed to the Crown.
1292 – Edward I stayed for a week in Skipton Castle on his way to Scotland
1310 – High Corn Mill
1310 – An Inquisition of this year showed that Skipton was home to a leper hospital
1308 – Skipton Castle granted to the Royal favourite, Peter de Gaveston
1310 – Castle handed over to Robert de Clifford by Edward II
1318 – the Scots sacked Skipton, but the castle was spared damage
1350 – Skipton Castle was fully concentric and immensely strong
1400s – Earl Clifford sided with House of Lancaster in the War of the Roses
1475 – The lordship of Skipton granted to Richard, Duke of Gloucester, KIng Richard III to be
1492 – Earliest reference to foundation of Skipton Grammar School in chantry of Holy Trinity Church
1548 – Skipton Grammar School established in site on east side of Skipton
1597 – Charter sanctioning the holding of a fair every second Tuesday, from Easter to Christmas, for the sale of livestock
1642 – Start of English Civil War; Skipton aligned with King
1645 – Siege and surrender of Skipton Castle to Parliamentary forces
1648 – Cromwell visited Skipton and ordered the Castle be ‘slighted’ to render less defendable.
1660 – Skipton hosted the first national General Meeting of the Quakers
1675 – ownership of Skipton Castle and its estate passed Lady Anne Clifford’s daughter to the Earls of Thanet
1693 – Quakers Meeting House established, making it one of the earliest Friends meeting houses in the country
1757 – Shortbank Common Land handed over to the Vicar by the Freeholders of Skipton, in lieu of paying Tithe
1764 – John Wesley preached in Skipton
1773 –first leg of Leeds Liverpool Canal opened, Skipton to Bingley. Signals the onset of the Industrial Revolution in Skipton.
1773- Springs Canal extends Leeds-Liverpool canal to foot of Skipton Castle to transport mined limestone
1785 – High Mills (cotton spinning mill) opens powered by waters Eller Beck
1791 – Chapel Hill Methodist Chapel opened
1791- Craven Bank formed; later merged into Martin’s Bank and then Barclay’s
1814 – ‘National School’ on Rectory Lane provided elementary education for boys; girls’ school opened in 1816 across the road
1829 – Dewhursts Mill opened
1832 – The present road to Gargrave was constructed about this time
1834 – Skipton made a polling station after the Great Reform Act of 1832
1836 – Skipton Gas Company opened
1837 – building of Christ Church begun; consecrated in 1839
1839 – Low Mill opened in Sackville Street by Christopher Sidgwick; from 1896 the Silk Mill
1840 – The Union Workhouse opened off Gargrave Road replacing a ‘poorhouse’ previously on Broughton Road
1842 – Catholic Church opened off Gargrave Road
1842 – Plug Plot riots reach Skipton. Unemployed Lancastrian mill workers, opposing steam powered manufacture, arrive in Skipton; dispersed by the military
1844 – ‘British School’ opened providing elementary education
1844 – number of voters in Skipton = 141
1846 – Cemetery in Raikes Road opened
1847 – Railway arrived at Skipton linking with Bradford
1847 – New county court house opened on Court Lane
1847 – Mechanics’ Institute established
1848 – Railway between Skipton and Colne opened
1853 – Skipton Cricket Club founded
1853 – Skipton Building Society founded
1853 – First number of the Craven Herald issued
1860 – Pioneer newspaper first published
1863 – Skipton Town Hall opened
1865 – New Wesleyan chapel opened on Water Street
1866 – Union Mill opened
1872 – Skipton Rugby Football Club founded
1874 – Craven Herald newspaper first published
1875 – Whinnygill Reservoir filled with water for first time
1876 – New Skipton Grammar School built off Gargrave Road
1876 – new railway station opened
1877 – Waltonwrays Cemetery opened
1877 – Firth Mill opened
1878 – Police Station in Otley Street erected
1885 – Skipton Division of Yorkshire parliamentary constituency established. Sir Matthew Wilson was the first MP for the constituency, standing as a Liberal
1889 – Girls’ Endowed School opened on Gargrave Road, to become Skipton Girls’ High School
1889 – Park Mill opened
1891 – Wesleyan elementary school opened off Water Street
1892 – Drill Hall opened on Otley Street as a base for the Skipton company of the 3rd Volunteer Battalion Duke of Wellington’s Regiment
1894 – Science and Art School opened off High Street
1894 – First meeting of the Skipton Urban District Council
1895 – Skipton Urban District Council came into being as a result of national local government reorganisation
1899 – Skipton’s cottage hospital opened on Granville Street paid for by charitable donations during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year of 1897
1901 – annual Skipton Gala organised to raise funds for Skipton’s cottage hospital
1902 – Skipton Infectious Diseases Hospital opened
1902 – Skipton-Grassington Railway branch
1905 – Skipton Golf Club opened
1906 – Skipton Cattle Market opened at Jerry Croft
1908 – Formation of Territorial Force. 6th Battalion Duke of Wellington’s Regiment based at Skipton
1908 – Scouts established in Skipton
1908 – floods in Skipton caused considerable damage
1910 – Town’s library opened
1912 – visit of 10,000 members of the Territorial Force to the district for the annual camp
1915 – Military training camp established on Raikes initially used by Bradford Pals
1915 – First 6th Battalion Duke of Wellington’s Regiment leave for Western Front in France and Belgium
1917 – Second Battalion DoWR leave for France fighting in battles of Arras and Cambrai
1918 – In the General Election a Conservative MP was elected for Skipton; the constituency has remained in Conservative hands ever since
1920 – Skipton transfers to the Diocese of Bradford from the Diocese of Ripon
1922 – First 18 social houses occupied on the new Burnside estate
1922 – Skipton’s war memorial unveiled
1922 – laying of electric cable in Skipton commenced
1923 – Opening of Electricity Station at Old Grammar School; current switched on
1924 – First electric street lamp at Ship Corner
1928 – Craven Museum opened
1931 – Contract entered into build 156 houses on Short Bank Road Estate by the Council
1935 – Decision to demolish cottages on Waller Hill to make way for Bus Station
1938 – Decision by Council to acquire 12 acres of land near Horse Close Bridge as a housing site. Construction would be postponed by war
1939 – Evacuees arrived in Skipton, mainly from Bradford. With no immediate bombing many were withdrawn
1944 – Italian prisoner of war camp at Overdale established
1944 – By-election in Skipton sees the election of a candidate from the ‘Commonwealth Party’
1946 – Work commenced on Horse Close housing site roads and sewers using German POW labour
1947 – Severe winter weather led to Mills being closed due to fuel shortage
1950 – Opening of Waller Hill Bus Station
1954 – Greatwood Primary School opened
1956 – Skipton Castle bought by T Fattorini from Lord Hothfield, in whose family it had been for 107 years
1957 – Transfer of secondary modern school to premises in Aireville Park
1950s – social housing estate of Horse Close and Greatwood completed
1961 – Extension to Skipton General Hospital opened by the Princess Royal
1964 – Aireville Pool opened by Miss Anita Lonsborough, M.B.E.
1970 – Rt Hon Ian McLeod, Chancellor of the Exchequer, died. Born in Skipton in 1911.
1971 – First plot of land sold at Keighley Road Industrial Estate for factory building
1971 – Skipton and Craven History Society founded
1971 – Public gained access to Skipton Woods
1971 – District converted to North Sea Gas
1972 – Sandylands Sports Centre opened
1979 – George Burnaby Drayson T.D. retired as MP for Skipton after serving for 34 years and winning 10 constituency elections
1979 – Flash summer flood hit Skipton; Miss Jane Barraclough (90) was drowned in her living room. A flood relief appeal raised £15846
1981 – Skipton by-pass opened
1982 – Skipton twinned with Bavarian town of Simbach
1984 – new parliamentary constituency
1990 – New auction mart opened by HRH The Princess Royal
1990 – New Skipton Building Society premises on Harrogate Road built