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Since 1974 Skipton (also known as Skipton in Craven) is a market town and civil parish in the Craven District of North Yorkshire, England. Prior to 1974 it was located in the West Riding of Yorkshire. It is on the River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal to the south of the Yorkshire Dales, 16 miles (26 km) northwest of Bradford and 38 miles (61 km) west of York. At the 2011 Census, the population was 14,623. [edit] HistoryOne of the oldest mills in North Yorkshire, High Corn Mill is powered by the waters of Eller Beck, and dates to 1310 when it was owned by Robert de Clifford, 1st Baron de Clifford (1274-1314); at that point it was transferred to the powerful Clifford family by the then King Edward II. The mill as it appears today is only half of what used to exist when two mills were in operation to produce corn for the whole of Skipton. The mill has been completely redesigned, from the mill grounds to the buildings themselves. The outside walls of the mill have been sandblasted and the two main buildings of the old mill have been turned into flats from 2007 onwards, with one stand-alone building yet to be redesigned, touched or sandblasted. Skipton Castle was built in 1090 as a wooden motte-and-bailey by Robert de Romille, a Norman baron. In the 12th century William le Gros strengthened it with a stone keep to repel attacks from the Kingdom of Scotland to the north. The castle elevated Skipton from a poor dependent village to a burgh or borough administered by a reeve. The protection offered by Skipton Castle during the Middle Ages encouraged the urbanisation of the surrounding area, and during times of war and disorder the town attracted an influx of families. It is now one of the most complete and best preserved medieval castles in England and is open to the public. Skipton became a prosperous market town, trading sheep and woollen goods: its name derives from the Old English sceap (sheep) and tun (town or village). A market stemming from its formative years still survives. 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'), but during the 20th century Skipton's economy shifted to tourism, aided by its historic architecture and proximity to the Yorkshire Dales. Since 1974, Skipton has been the seat of Craven District Council. The Skipton Building Society was founded in the town.
Originally Skipton was an ecclesiastical or "ancient" parish in the Staincliffe and Ewcross Wapentake in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. As an ancient parish it included the townships of Barden (near Skipton), Beamsley, Bolton Abbey, Draughton, Embsay with Eastby, Halton East, Hazlewood with Storiths. From 1894 until 1974 it was an urban district. Since the nationwide reorganization of municipalities in 1974 it has been in the Craven District of North Yorkshire. [edit] Research Tips
Categories: West Riding of Yorkshire, England | Skipton, West Riding of Yorkshire, England | Staincliffe and Ewcross Wapentake, West Riding of Yorkshire, England | Claro Wapentake, West Riding of Yorkshire, England | Skipton Rural, West Riding of Yorkshire, England | Craven District, North Yorkshire, England | North Yorkshire, England |