IPublic · listed 1952Skipton CastlePhoto: Davegill70 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Skipton Castle · Photo: Davegill70 · CC BY-SA 3.0AHistory Grade
History of Skipton · Historic England
108 listed buildings, 4 of them Grade I
Historic England counts them inside Skipton’s built-up area, 72 for every 10,000 residents. 102 of Skipton’s listed buildings are Grade II. 30% of its homes were built before 1919. We have photos of 9 of its listed buildings and 3 old views of the town. Skipton grades A for history: #9 of 54 in North Yorkshire.
Listed buildings
108
72 per 10,000 residents
Grade I
4
exceptional interest
Grade II*
2
more than special interest
Scheduled monuments
0
nationally important sites
Homes built before 1919
30%
typical UK town 15%
In pictures
Skipton in 12 photos and old views
Nearly every Grade I and II* building, photographed, and the town before 1950. Tap a photo to step through them full screen.
Church of the Holy TrinityGrade I listed
Devonshire HotelGrade II* listed
Brindley MillGrade II listed
Eller Beck BridgeGrade II listed
Electricity Sub-StationGrade II listed+7See all photosPhotos from Wikimedia Commons and Geograph, copied to our own server, each credited to its photographer with its licence; names open the building’s page or its official list entry.
Through time
Skipton from 1810 to 1890
3 old photos and postcards, in date order. All public domain, made before 1950.
1810
c. 1890
c. 1890Public domain, from Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server. Each credit opens the image’s page with its full description and history.
The map
Where Skipton’s history is
Every Grade I and II* building, monument and historic park, over the age of each neighbourhood’s homes.
Grade IGrade II*400 m from Former Chapel at Skipton Castle
Homes built before 1919, by neighbourhoodunder 10%10–25%25–50%50%+
4 of 4Grade I buildings stand within 400 m of Former Chapel at Skipton Castle, a five-minute walk. So do 74 of the 108 listed buildings.
2 of 10neighbourhoods have mostly pre-1919 homes; in the oldest, 89% were built before 1919.
Hover a dot for its name; tap one with a photo to open it.
108 listed buildings by grade
4 Grade I2 Grade II*102 Grade II
Historic England lists buildings in three grades: Grade I for buildings of exceptional interest (about 2.5% of all listed buildings), Grade II* for particularly important buildings of more than special interest (about 5.8%), and Grade II for buildings of special interest (about 91.7%). Listing protects the whole building, inside and out.
Every entry on the National Heritage List for England whose point lies inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary. One list entry can cover a terrace or a group of buildings. Neighbourhood dots: the population-weighted centre of each Census 2021 output area, coloured by its neighbourhood’s (LSOA’s) share of homes built before 1919 (Valuation Office Agency, March 2025).
Grade I
The 4 Grade I listed buildings in Skipton
Buildings of exceptional interest, about 2.5% of all listed buildings; 4 of these stand within 400 m of Former Chapel at Skipton Castle. Every one is photographed. Each opens its own page, with the official list entry.
IChurch · listed 1952Holy Trinity ChurchOn the list as Church of the Holy TrinityPhoto: Unknown photographer · Public domain
IPublic · listed 1952Former Chapel at Skipton CastlePhoto: Davegill70 · CC BY-SA 3.0
IWalls & gates · listed 1952Outer Gatehouse to Skipton Castle (Public Entrance)Photo: Andy Hay from UK · CC BY 2.0
Grade II*
The 2 Grade II* listed buildings in Skipton
Particularly important buildings of more than special interest. Every one is photographed.
II*Inns & shops · listed 1952The DevonshireOn the list as Devonshire HotelPhoto: Dr Neil Clifton · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*Church · listed 1978Christ ChurchPhoto: Dr Neil Clifton · CC BY-SA 2.0
What’s protected
The largest group of Skipton’s listed buildings is homes
Every listed building sorted by what its list name says it is.
Houses, terraces & villas50
Public & civic buildings21
Inns, shops & warehouses16
Walls, gates & bridges10
Churches, chapels & priories6
Memorials, crosses & tombs5
50 entries (46%) are houses, terraces and villas. 6 are churches, chapels and priories, including 1 of the 4 Grade I buildings.
Buildings are sorted by words in each entry’s name (church, gate, inn, memorial…): the list’s open data has no building type. An entry named only by its address counts as a house.
Grade II
102 Grade II listed buildings
Most listed buildings are in this grade, which covers buildings of special interest. Open any building to read its official list entry.
All 102 Grade II listed buildings, A to Z
AckroydsAdministration Block of Raikeswood HospitalAireville GrangeAireville LodgeAttached outbuildings to the Red Lion InnBarclays BankBoarding House at Ermysted's Grammar SchoolBridge HouseBridge over Springs CanalBrindley MillBuilding Immediately South of No 4Canopy to South of Skipton Railway StationCastle InnCock and Bottle Public HouseCraven HotelCross Keys CottageDewhurst's MillEducation Department of North Yorkshire County CouncilElectricity Sub-StationEller Beck BridgeFire Station, Coach StreetFormer Aireville Hall at Aireville SchoolFormer Coach-House at Skipton CastleFormer Cross Keys HotelFormer Hole I' Th' Wall Public House with ShopFormer Midland BankFormer Skipton County Court and attached railingsFormer Stables Building at Skipton CastleFormer Stables to Rear of No 22Former coach-house to west of Cross Keys GarageFriends Meeting HouseGateway Adjoining South-East Corner of East Tower of Skipton CastleHerriots HotelHigh Corn MillHouse Known As the Old Grammar SchoolNew BridgeNo 4 and Mill Bridge House, Mill BridgeNurses Home of Raikeswood HospitalOld Toll HousePack-Horse Bridge over Wilderness BeckPound, Or PinfoldPremises Occupied by Weston, Whalley and Jackson and Wales, Wales and Rawson Adjoining Skipton Castle Gatehouse to North-WestPremises of Ledgard and WynnRed Lion Inn, including rear yardRoman Catholic Church of St StephenRoman Catholic Primary School and SchoolhouseRoyal Shepherd Public HouseShopfront at 32 Sheep StreetSkipton LibrarySkipton Railway StationSouthern and eastern boundary wall at Skipton CastleSpringfieldSt Monica's ConventStatue of Sir Mathew WilsonThe Barge InnThe Black Horse Public HouseThe ChapelThe Dales Outdoor Centre. Pennine Boats Office.The TolboothTwo K6 Telephone Kiosks Outside Town HallUnion MillsUnited Reformed and Methodist Church of St Andrew, SkiptonVictoria Mill and associated mill chimneyWar MemorialWarehouse Immediately North of No 21, Chapel Hill1, High Street1, The Bailey1-11, Craven Terrace1-11, Watsons Houses10, Sheep Street12, Sheep Street14 and 16, Sheep Street15 High Street17-19 High Street and Skipton Town Hall18 and 18A, Swadford Street18, Sheep Street2, Chapel Hill2, Cross Street2-16, King's Street2-18, Queen's Street20, Swadford Street20-24, Sheep Street23, Newmarket Street25, Newmarket Street26 and 28, Sheep Street3 Mill Bridge, Skipton3, 5 and 7, Victoria Square3, High Street30, Sheep Street31 and 33, High Street34 and 36, High Street35, 37, 39 and 41 High Street38 High Street4 and 6, High Street51, High Street58, High Street58A, High Street6, Mill Bridge60, High Street60A, High Street62-66, High Street
Conservation areas
1 conservation area covers 100% of Skipton
Areas the council protects as a whole: demolition and changes to how buildings look need consent, and trees are protected.
No data available for publication by HE454 ha
454 hain conservation areas, of 454 ha inside the built-up area.
108 of the 108 listed buildings stand in one.
Historic England’s conservation areas layer, supplied by councils (incomplete in places, so a page fact, never graded). Hectares are the part of each area inside the built-up area.
How the list grew
More than half of Skipton’s listed buildings were added in one year, 1978
The year each building now on the list was first listed.
1978 · 761952 · 15
19501960197019801990200020102020
The first 15 entries were listed in 1952, 4 of the 4 Grade I buildings among them. 76 came in 1978, in the national resurvey of the 1970s and 80s. Only 6 have been added in the last 15 years.
History Grade
Skipton grades A for history
Protected heritage and the age of the town’s homes, against all UK towns.
Protected heritage, for its size and in all (118 points, 78 per 10,000 residents)More than 76% of UK towns
Homes built before 1919 (30%)More than 83% of UK towns
Two measures, each ranked against every UK town of 1,000 or more, with protected heritage counting twice as much as the age of homes. Protected heritage counts each listed building by its grade (Grade I three points, II* two, II one), each scheduled monument and battlefield two, and each registered park or garden by its grade; it is ranked both per 10,000 residents and as a total, so a village with one fine church doesn’t outrank a historic city. The second measure is the share of homes built before 1919, from the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax records. History is a character grade: it describes the town and isn’t part of the overall grade.
Homes by age
30% of Skipton’s homes were built before 1919
Every home by when it was built, from council tax records, against England & Wales (the dark tick).
25%
Before 1900
4.7%
1900–18
4.9%
1919–29
9.8%
1930s
6.2%
1945–54
5.3%
1955–64
3.5%
1965–72
7.8%
1973–82
7.5%
1983–92
5.6%
1993–99
4.1%
2000–08
4.3%
2009–15
11%
2016–25
SkiptonEngland & Wales
25% of homes are Victorian or older, against 16% across England and Wales. The busiest period since was 2016–25, which added 11% of today’s homes.
Valuation Office Agency, council tax stock of properties by build period, 31 March 2025, for the neighbourhoods (LSOAs) that make up the town, split by where their residents live. Homes with no recorded build period (0 here) are left out; 1939–44 is not a period in the data.
Born here
11 notable people born in Skipton before 1900
Their lives on one timeline, earliest first.
Anne Clifford
Thomas Cresap
Stephen Catterson Smith
Henry Sidgwick
Mary Benson
Henry Young
Thomas Spencer
Johnny Hammond
George Thornton
Charles Wilson, 1st Baron Moran
Thomas Jacques
155016001650170017501800185019001950
Henry Sidgwick1838–1900 · English philosopher (1838–1900)
Anne Clifford1590–1676 · English countess (1590-1676)
George Thornton1867–1939 · English born Test and County cricketer (1867-1939)
TS
Thomas Spencer1852–1905 · One of the two co-founders of the retail chain Marks & Spencer (1852-…
CM
Charles Wilson, 1st Baron Moran1882–1977 · British doctor (1882-1977)
Mary Benson1841–1918 · English wife of Revd. Edward Benson (1841–1918)
TJ
Thomas Jacques1890–1968 · English footballer (1890-1968)
TC
Thomas Cresap1694–1790 · American settler
Everyone born in Skipton → Birthplaces from Wikidata; portraits from Wikimedia Commons.
Towns its size
Skipton has the 26th most Grade I buildings of 545 towns its size
Places of 9,000–24,000 people outside London, by Grade I listed buildings.
Skipton4
#123 of 545for listed buildings per resident (72 per 10,000). Ludlow, Bridport and Monmouth lead.
25 have more. The typical town its size has 0.
Neighbours
Listed buildings in the places around Skipton
| Town | People | Listed | Grade I | History |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skipton | 15,050 | 108 | 4 | A |
| Embsay | 1,723 | 14 | 0 | B+ |
| Carleton-in-Craven | 1,060 | 18 | 0 | A |
| Low Bradley | 1,203 | 7 | 0 | B |
| Gargrave | 1,502 | 30 | 0 | A |
| Cross Hills | 4,809 | 16 | 0 | B |
| Silsden | 8,392 | 31 | 0 | B+ |
| Sutton-in-Craven | 2,719 | 15 | 0 | B+ |
In brief
Skipton in brief
Old houses are part of Skipton’s character: 30% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town. In all there are 108 listed buildings, 4 of them Grade I, including Skipton Castle. Per resident, it has more listed heritage than 76% of UK towns. Its Grade I buildings cluster together: 4 of them stand within 400 m of Former Chapel at Skipton Castle.
Only 25 of the 545 towns nearest its size have more Grade I buildings. High Street alone has 14 listed buildings. A conservation area protects part of it.
Questions about Skipton’s history
How many listed buildings are there in Skipton?
Historic England lists 108 buildings inside Skipton’s built-up area: 4 Grade I, 2 Grade II* and 102 Grade II.
What are the Grade I listed buildings in Skipton?
4, including Church of the Holy Trinity, Former Chapel at Skipton Castle, Outer Gatehouse to Skipton Castle (Public Entrance) and Skipton Castle.
How many conservation areas are there in Skipton?
1, covering about 454 hectares of the town. The largest is No data available for publication by HE.
When were Skipton’s buildings listed?
The first in 1952; the most, 76, in 1978.
Are there old photos of Skipton?
Yes: 3 public-domain photos and postcards from 1810 to 1890, all on this page.
Who was born in Skipton?
Among people born before 1900: Henry Sidgwick (1838), Anne Clifford (1590), George Thornton (1867), Thomas Spencer (1852) and Charles Wilson, 1st Baron Moran (1882).
How old are the homes in Skipton?
30% of homes were built before 1919 and 44% before 1940, from the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax records (March 2025).
© Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. The National Heritage List for England is the official, up-to-date register of all nationally protected historic buildings and sites in England; check an entry on Historic England’s website before relying on it.
Sources: Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only · Historic England conservation areas (supplied by local planning authorities; October 2026). All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.