Skipton is a market town that’s commonly referred to as “the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales” (in fact, it’s on the town signs!) and that alone should be enough to tell you that Skipton enjoys an amazing location, in the heart of Yorkshire’s best countryside. If you think that means it’s quiet and remote though, then think again. Life in Skipton is never dull! There’s the iconic castle, the famous Skipton market, a wealth of independent shops, bars, cafes and restaurants and last but by no means least, is that fierce Yorkshire spirit that comes with living in a proud Yorkshire town. If that’s not enough to already have you wanting to live in Skipton (in which case you need to learn more about our Ellerwood development), then read on to find out five more reasons why people like to call this market town home…

 

• In 2008, Skipton’s high street beat the likes of Portobello Road and Kensington High Street in London, to be named the UK’s best high street! Judges cited that Skipton’s eclectic mix of historic architecture, modern bars and cafes, as well as the town’s famous market all contributed to it winning the accolade. Indeed, residents living in Skipton and the surrounding smaller towns and villages in the district of Craven, all flock to the town to make the most of the fantastic shopping opportunities here. The market is held four days a week and you can pick up anything and everything here from boots to beetroots!

 

• In 2014, The Sunday Times named Skipton Britain's “best place to live” in their annual best places to live supplement, which lists no less than 101 places! The judges noted that Skipton’s buzzing high street, low crime rate, top class schools and excellent transport links all contributed to Skipton winning the crown. This combination of factors, especially the low crime rates and excellent schools are what make Skipton especially popular with families looking to settle down and focus on quality time as a family. The transport links also make it popular with commuters looking for easy access to the cities of York, Harrogate and Leeds.

 

• The Sunday Times has also highlighted Skipton a few more times, most notably placing it among the nine best towns in Yorkshire and the North East! You can read more about that here.

 

• In 2016, Skipton was also awarded a trophy by the National Campaign for Courtesy, who named it Britain’s most courteous town. This above all else, probably captures best, what it’s actually like to live in Skipton. Like most Yorkshire towns, the people are Yorkshire and proud, they are open, friendly and as this award clearly shows, very polite and pleasant to deal with and who wouldn’t want to live in a place with neighbours like that?

 

• Last but not least, an ONS survey investigating the state of the nation’s well being found that people in Craven, the North Yorkshire district that includes Skipton, scored 8.3 out of 10, making it the happiest place in the UK. It is also the area that reported the lowest levels of anxiety and the highest levels of life satisfaction. 

For even more information and inspiration about what it’s like to live in Skipton, we recommend exploring “Welcome to Skipton” and “Yorkshire.com” or better still, check out our other blog articles on Skipton, Yorkshire and the North of England.