SKI PTON, or K I PTON-IN-CRAVEN, Westaiding of Yorkshire, a market-town and the seat of • Poor-Law Union, In the pariah of Skipton, is situated on an affluent of the river Aire, in 53' 5S' N. lat., 2' 2' W. long., distant 44 miles W. from York, 216 miles N.N.W. from London by road, and 231 miles by the Great Northern and the Leeds and Colne branch of the Midland railways. The population of the town of Skipton in 1851 was 4962. The living is • vicarage in the arehdeaconry of Craven and diocese of Ripon. Skipton Poor Law Union contains 47 townships, with an area of 147,597 acres, and • population in 1851 of 23,363.
Skipton is an ancient town, which appears to have risen with the castle. The houses are built of stone. The only public building belonging to the town Is the town-hall. Skipton Castle, • little to the east of the ohnrch, was formerly a place of great strength. It was built originally by Robert. de Itomill6, about the end of the reign of William the Conqueror. It stood a siege of three years against the parliamentary army, bnt was compelled to surrender on Dec. 22nd, 1615. In 1649 it was dismantled by order of parliament ; but it was afterwards rebuilt by the Countess of Pembroke as a residents.
Some parts of the old castle are incorporated with the modern build ing. The pariah church is a substantial and spacious structure, parts of which are of great antiquity. The district church of Christ church was built in 1838; that of St. Mary's Embeay is a now erection on the site of the first ecclesiastical foundation in Craven. The Primitive Methodists have two chapels, and the Wesleyan Metho dists, Independents, Swedenborgian% and Roman Catholics have each one chapel. There is a Free Grammar school, founded in 1548 by William Ermysted, cenon.reaidentiary of St. Paul's, London. Tho number of scholars In 1854 was above 60. The income from endow ment is about COOL a year. There are National and British schools, • mechanics institute, and a savings bank. The market, which is ou Saturday, is a very large market for corn, and there are fain on alternate Mondays for cattle and sheep. A county court is held. The population is partly agricultural, the vicinity forming an excellent grazing district, but the cotton manufacture is the chief source of employment. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal passes the town.