Whether a local, a regular visitor, or a tourist, you'll discover some interesting aspect of Skipton that you did know before your walk.
Most people know Skipton for its fine High Street, with the middle row of shops that seperate it from Sheep Street. That is already judged one of the three finest high streets in England in 2008. You surely must know of Skipton Castle built by the Normans, defended by the Royalists, and restored by Lady Anne Clifford, and a must for any visitor winter spring summer or fall. The Skipton Building Society and it's associated businesses make modern Skipton a thriving financial centre.
The Skipton Millennium Walk pays attention to details of the High Street that may have escaped your attention. Features such as the base of the long removed Market Cross, or the Bull Baiting Stone, or the Vicars Paving. While not entering the Castle or any of the Christian Churches the walk takes you conveniently close so that you can explore these seperately.
You'll enjoy the Towpath of the Springs Canal as it meets The Leeds Liverpool and the colourful barges that ply holiday makers along nearly the northernmost part of the canal which is at nearby village of Gargrave.
The industrial heritage of Skipton is worthy of note, the original wool town swopped over to Cotton, and here is the former home of Sylko Cotton, that had a place is every darned home. The famous Dewhurst Mill is currently undergoing massive interior alteration to apartments.
The railways put paid to the canals as a transport route, and Skipton Station was re-placed so that it gave best access to the Dewhurst Home at Aireville. The Gardens are now a park and the house incorporated into a school. You may be suprised that Skipton actually has a intercity service to King's Cross.
The walk skirts the base of a drumlin that is Middletown, as it heads by Waller Beck to the Wilderness adjacent to the original location of Canon Ermysteds School, though you may find the schoolmaster's house - now the Cross Keys - out of scale.
Returning to the high Street along Otley Street you'll see stone carvings on quoin stones, and passing the Soroptomists Rooms you'll also pass by a house that bears Rudyard Kiplin's name.
The shopping of the High Street has extended to Craven Court and several of the ginnels and streets close by, creating an enjoyable experience served by Thomas's and other independent retails along with the usual suspects.
Oh yes, the reason for this page on a jewellers website is to continue promoting the Millennium Hertitage generated by a Taskforce that I was proud to lead.
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There is a leaflet to accompany the Millennium Walk available from the Tourist Information Office for just a pound. Or by post in the UK for Four first class stamps from: Skipton Millennium Walk 36 Sheep Street, Skipton, BD23 1HY |
A book, Skipton 2000, was written by the former Editor of the Craven Herald, Mr Ian Lockwood to which I added some pictures and the story of Thomas Cresap. The first edition hardback is available at £20 and the paperback version at £10, both post free from Thomas's should you want to read up before you come. The leaflet is available by post for four first class stamps. |
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The Waymarkers were a development of the logo of The Skipton Millennium Taskforce which was
which had the dual purpose of meaning from 1 to 2000, or as there is no J in the original roman alaphabet, the letter I was used, so it is also from J for Jesus to the year 2000. I approached a good friend Jim Wales who was an outstanding architect to come up with design ideas, and this in a rough form is what he suggested. I chose this as it used so simply several key elements, the direction indicator, the extended I and the two Ms. On a landscape level it also features the point of Sharphaw a hill which bold stands behind Skipton when approaching from the south, and the M's reflect the roofline of the back to back terrace that cram the drumlin that is occupied by Middletown. When the book was in the process of being published I took the design to Lamber Print and Design in Settle who specialised in small run publications for self- publishers. They slightly ammended the design concept in their CAD so that the four points of the arrow and their extreme points of the two Ms were equi-distant from the inner circle. This had the look of Vitruvius’s measurements of good proportion as featured by Leonadrdo Da Vinci, Michael Angelo and Albrect Durer and that must be good company. The Waymarkers were cast in Bronze and the £3,000 cost of production was given by The Rotary Club of Skipton for the benefit of the town. They were drilled into yorkstone pavements by Turner Construction
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