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The town of Skipton is known to have been in existence since 1085 as it is listed in the Domesday Book. It played roles in history during the English Civil War and as the site of a prisoner of war camp during World War I.
[edit] Governance
Skipton lies within the Parliamentary Constituency of Skipton and Ripon, which was created in 1983. The constituency has returned a Conservative MP since its inception. The seat is currently held by David Curry MP
Skipton forms part of Craven district, a Non-metropolitan district, and is home of the offices of Craven District Council. In March 2007 there were proposals to make North Yorkshire County Council a Unitary Authority, removing the layer of government represented by Craven District.[2] However, these plans were rejected by the Government in July 2007 on the grounds that it would cover too large an area.[3]
Skipton also has its own town council.
[edit] Economy
Skipton is home to the Skipton Building Society. Skipton is served by Airedale NHS Trust.
The local paper is the Craven Herald.
The railway station is next door to a Tesco and a Morrisons.
There is a bus station, with taxi ranks, in the town centre.
There are two theatres serving the town and wider community. The first, Skipton Little Theatre theatre is located not too far from both the railway station and the town centre. The second, The Mart Theatre [1], is an unusual and unique venue. The Mart Theatre opened in October 2005 with funding from European Regional Development Fund, Yorkshire Forward, Craven District Council and from Arts Council England, Yorkshire and is aimed to provide a unique rural theatre, events and other facilities within a functioning Auction Mart. The theatre delivers a developing artistic programme designed to address local cultural and economic needs. A new non-traditional theatre space it is the only theatre placed in a working auction mart in the UK. The Mart Theatre is on the outskirts of Skipton town centre. It is located at Skipton Auction Mart just off the A59/A65 roundabout (the one with the Little Chef). Follow the signs for the Auction Mart found on all the major roads leading to Skipton.
There is a Little Chef, Burger King and Travelodge at the roundabout where the A59, A65 and A629 meet, and a McDonalds to the south of the centre.
Skipton has many pubs, the largest being the Black Horse (a former coaching inn) and The Devonshire, now owned by J. D. Wetherspoon. There are two nightclubs, Strata, in the town centre (opposite the bus station) and Rooder, at the Rendezvous Hotel [2] to the south of town. Restaurants range from traditional fish and chips to high quality French cuisine, taking in modern British, Mexican, Thai, Indian, Chinese and Italian.
Fresh Radio, the local radio station for the Yorkshire Dales, broadcasts programmes from studios based in Skipton.
[edit] Transport
Skipton railway station gives access southbound to regular services for Leeds and Bradford on the electrified Airedale Line; northbound services connect to Morecambe and Carlisle; the latter route is along the Settle-Carlisle Railway, and crosses the Ribblehead Viaduct. Nearby towns and villages include Bolton Abbey, Bradley, Kildwick, Stirton, Carleton, Gargrave, Embsay, Cononley, Lothersdale and Farnhill. The north section (A65 & A59) of the £16.4m Skipton Bypass opened in December 1981. The rest of the six-mile bypass (A629) opened in October 1982, greatly reducing journey times to the Dales. Skipton Bus Station is a hub for local bus services, and is due to be redeveloped in the near future. Burnley, Colne, Barnoldswick and Earby are served hourly by the 210 Pennine bus service. Hourly services are also operated to Settle, Grassington and Keighley. Less frequent services operate to Malham, Clitheroe, Preston and Harrogate.
[edit] Twin Town
Skipton is twinned with the Bavarian town of Simbach.
The first visit, in 1981, was to Skipton by councillors from Simbach including Herr Josef Strasser. They were welcomed by the Council and Mayor Judith Hollings. On 28 March 1982 the first group of school pupils arrived from Simbach. The group was from the Realschule and was led by Frl Andrea Weber-Hohengrund and Herrn Toni Ott. In Skipton the party were hosted by pupils from Aireville School.
In July 1982 the first group of Skipton pupils, from Aireville School made the return journey to Simbach. The group was led by Aireville's Deputy Headmaster, John Tomlinson, and teachers Muriel Hunter and John Phillip. On September 11, 1982 a charter was signed in Skipton Town Hall by Herr Strasser, acting for the Burgermeister Hans Murauer, and Skipton's Mayor Bernard O'Neil. The following year Skipton's new mayor, Brian Phillip, led a delegation to Simbach to sign the charter in the Rathaus.
Now every year schools (including Skipton Girls' High School, Ermysted's Grammar School and the Gymnasium in Simbach) from the two towns embark on a student exchange programme, as do local elected officials.
In December 2007 Brian Phillip was awarded a special medal by the retiring Burgermeister, Richard Findl, for his support of twinning between the two towns over the last twenty years.
[edit] Education
[edit] Primary education
There is a wide variety of choice for pupils at ages 5-11:
[edit] Secondary education
As well as Aireville School (ages 11-16), there are two single-sex grammar schools: Ermysted's Grammar School for boys, and Skipton Girls' High School (SGHS). Both schools are selective (by entrance exam) and obtain comparable high A-Level scores. On the basis of the 2007 A Level results Ermysted's and SGHS were rated first and third respectively in North Yorkshire,[4] Ermysted's ranking 49th nationally.[5]
[edit] Further education
[edit] Sports
Skipton is the home to Skipton Town A.F.C., Skipton Bulldogs, and Skipton LMS, all football teams; Skipton CC and Skipton CI, both cricket teams; and Skipton R.F.C., a Rugby Union club. The Coulthurst Craven Sports Centre, adjacent to the rugby club, has many facilities including all-weather football pitches and squash courts. There are several other gyms in the town as well as a public swimming pool.
[edit] References
- , Census, 2001
- , New Council for North Yorkshire
- , Speak, Jenny. Unitary council plan scrapped. Craven Herald & Pioneer. Retrieved on 2007-08-14.
- , Secondary schools in North Yorkshire: A/AS-level score, BBC News, 2007.
- , Top A-level results, BBC News, 2007.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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(Source: Wikipedia) |