Skipton Castle
Skipton Castle
4.5
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Where better to experience almost a thousand years of British history than by visiting Skipton Castle. Open all year round, tours are popular with visitors who come from far and wide to explore what some consider to be, a castle jewel of the North. Overlooking an intriguing market town, this remarkable 900 year old fortress is one of the best preserved and most complete medieval castles in England. The history is inseparable from the Clifford family. During the Civil War, Skipton Castle was the last Royalist bastion in the North, yielding only after a three-year siege in 1645. ‘Slighted’ under the orders of Cromwell, the Castle was skilfully restored years later by the indubitable matriarch and egalitarian, Lady Anne Clifford (1589-1676) who was born here. Today the dedicated team at Skipton Castle follow in her footsteps in its preservation. It is the focal point at the top of the High Street, so after a visit, it is fun and easy to take a stroll around the lovely shops, old mark
Duration: 1-2 hours
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- P SLeeds, United Kingdom63 contributionsFantastic day out for all agesVery well preserved Castle. An abundance of information . Staff extremely approachable, informative and friendly to all age groups. Shop is well equipped. Cafe on site, unfortunately we ran out to try it out. Toilets are clean. Large car park nearby which can be pre-paid online with the Castle tickets at only £3.50 for the day. Bargain! All in all, we had a brilliant time.Visited February 2024Travelled with familyWritten 18 February 2024
- Scenic39065709001Colne, United Kingdom61 contributionsInteresting and informative!This is a really interesting place to visit. The castle is preserved enough to fully explore and appreciate how it was once was. You get an information sheet which explains each room and helps you get a sense of how it was when lived in. It's very reasonably priced and well worth a visit.Visited January 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 19 February 2024
- mauritiusbrideBarton-upon-Humber, United Kingdom1,019 contributionsGreat castle!Loved our visit! Saved a bit of money by booking on line before we arrived. Well worth the entrance fee. Proper castle that has been well preserved and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Skipton. Really nice town and castle and woods. Spent all day here and walked 11 miles! The chap at the entrance was very knowledgeable and chatty and gave us lots of information.Visited February 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 24 February 2024
- Helen G6 contributionsA very interesting place to visit.We had a lovely journey through the Yorkshire Dales to Skipton. We have been a few times before. It is an old unspoilt town with a very interesting and historical castle you can spend couple of hour's wondering around. There is also the canal you can walk along or take a trip on one of the many boat trips. Well worth a visit.Visited February 2024Travelled with familyWritten 5 March 2024
- sdeeley42304 contributionsWell worth a visit.First visit to Skipton. Went by train. Had a great day. The castle is lovely. Booked online which gives a bit of a saving. Had a lovely bowl of soup and piece of cake in the cafè and bought a very interesting book in the shop. The castle is impressive and the illustrated guide we received gave lots of information as did the printed guides attached to the walls as you explore. Skipton is also a lovely town. To all the cash only dinosaurs out there please be aware that the castle, shop and cafè are card only.Visited March 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 7 March 2024
- Stwo S3 contributionsPleasant afternoon out, nice tea roomReally interesting, lots of information about the castle. A leaflet with admission helps you to guide yourself around the castle and is also informative. Nice afternoon out, would visit again to read the information boards we missed! Lovely tea room/cafe and a nice little gift shop. An enjoyable way to spend 2 or 3 hours.Visited March 2024Travelled with familyWritten 16 March 2024
- Natalie CBradford, United Kingdom10 contributionsLovely day outWe had a lovely time at the castle. I took my 16 year old son and 8 year old daughter. The man welcoming us gave them both a badge and was very informative. The grounds are kept lovely and the little shop is reasonably priced. Only fault I had was the one way system, I would of liked to be able to explore a little more freely but thats just me. Everything else was lovely and we had a great timeVisited March 2024Travelled with familyWritten 25 March 2024
- Janine87 contributionsA very interesting castle in the heart of SkiptonThis is a really interesting place to visit. It's not a huge castle, but it's quite intricate and has a really pretty "garden" in its centre. On arrival you get a paper guide which explains all it's different parts. I'd definitely recommend it. It's also right in the heart of Skipton, so a step away from many shops, bars and restaurants.Visited January 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 25 March 2024
- Martin BFelixstowe, United Kingdom374 contributionsAmazingly intact castleWe enjoyed our visit to Skipton Castle which is almost fully intact despite being built in the 11th century. There is a lot of useful and interesting information scattered along the one-way walk through the castle. It won't take too long to get round but it's a nice place to visit and affords great views of Skipton and the surrounding countryside.Visited March 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 26 March 2024
- Trek7511792 contributionsGreat family visitWonderful day out in Skipton with our two young boys. It took us about an hour to go round the castle and considering it was a self guided tour, the tickets do seem slightly pricey but the castle was simply stunning and has clearly been well conserved over the years. So I consider it worth it after experiencing all that history! We had a nice wander round the High street and the Castle woods afterward. The castle was definitely not pram friendly (lots of steps) and I don't recall whether there was baby change facilities. My 3 and 6 year old loved it though. The ticket person was particularly kind and informative.Visited April 2024Travelled with familyWritten 15 April 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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4.5
2,394 reviews
Excellent
1,347
Very good
721
Average
204
Poor
66
Terrible
56
Paul C
6 contributions
Jul 2024 • Family
Visited as part of day to Skipton, recommend early visit on a market day as the market is nearby.
Prebooking meant we could also book all day parking.
As warned online and by the door, this is a proper Norman castle. It isn’t huge but there are some stone staircases so tricky for anyone with mobility issues. Castle is just empty rooms with info panels, so don’t expect this to be akin to visiting a stately home.
There is a small outside space which on a sunny day was quite pleasant to sit outside and enjoy some food from the tea room. The tea room has usual sort of small cafe options with excellent cakes. All reasonably priced.
The gift shop was likewise usual sort of thing with plenty of things aimed at kids and gifts to take back. Price wise it was a real surprise as much cheaper than similar shops and attractions.
Staff were all very friendly and helpful. Really enjoyed our visit.
Prebooking meant we could also book all day parking.
As warned online and by the door, this is a proper Norman castle. It isn’t huge but there are some stone staircases so tricky for anyone with mobility issues. Castle is just empty rooms with info panels, so don’t expect this to be akin to visiting a stately home.
There is a small outside space which on a sunny day was quite pleasant to sit outside and enjoy some food from the tea room. The tea room has usual sort of small cafe options with excellent cakes. All reasonably priced.
The gift shop was likewise usual sort of thing with plenty of things aimed at kids and gifts to take back. Price wise it was a real surprise as much cheaper than similar shops and attractions.
Staff were all very friendly and helpful. Really enjoyed our visit.
Written 24 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ange717
York, UK231 contributions
Jul 2024 • Couples
Re enactment day a real treat. Around 25 characters including children and dogs made the place come alive with cooking, dancing, a play, fashion, etiquette, embroidery, illuminated letters, sewing, archery displays and a parade and combat session at the end of the day. Very informative and comical with the serious. We learnt a lot. Grounds well kept and picturesque. Tea rooms and loos good, staff very nice everywhere. We happily spent all day there as it was gloriously sunny. Did not have time to walk the canal path and woodland nearby as expected. Car park is close £4.50 till 6pm. The rooms are well preserved and the guide sheet also has some information about their usage in the 14th Century. Over all it was expensive entry but when these events are on it was good value. Otherwise the rooms are empty apart from an information board and I feel you would walk around in an hour or so with not much atmosphere so would not be our choice. There are several of these type of events per year so look out for them! Enjoyed a lot.
Written 29 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Steve Buckley
London, UK8,980 contributions
Sept 2023 • Couples
My wife and myself are currently holidaying in the Lake District and earlier today we visited the impressive Skipton Castle (2 hour train journey from Carlisle).
After paying the £10.20 ‘Seniors’ entry fee each, it soon became clear that both the Castle and Grounds/Facilities are well worth seeing. Unfortunately, however, there is a complete dearth of any artefacts which - for me anyway - took the gloss of things.
As such, I would certainly think twice about paying a return visit!
After paying the £10.20 ‘Seniors’ entry fee each, it soon became clear that both the Castle and Grounds/Facilities are well worth seeing. Unfortunately, however, there is a complete dearth of any artefacts which - for me anyway - took the gloss of things.
As such, I would certainly think twice about paying a return visit!
Written 7 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sam
8 contributions
Apr 2024 • Business
Unfortunately today our experience was very poor indeed . We are support workers who were supporting two individuals with autism and learning disabilities. We had come to check out the Castle previously we were told the individuals would pay full price tickets and the staff would be free. So today we came with the correct money only to told that the staff were not free and had to pay . So checked the individual to see if he had enough to pay for both so presented the lady with the cash only then to be told that they were cashless and we still couldn't access the castle . Obviously our individuals do not carry bank cards and never will due to their disabilities. We then had two anxious individuals who were expecting to go to see a castle today . This has resulted in behavioural issues for the rest of the day . Shame on you !!! We did talk to the office and the person was useless just going on about breaking policies !! I can not tell you how angry and upset i have felt today I feel the individual have been totally discriminated against . A little bit and common sense would go a long way . York minster on the other hand couldn't be more helpful they let the young man I support in for free as they don't take cash and recognised that he was getting anxious.
Written 24 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John P
Leeds, United Kingdom359 contributions
May 2024 • Solo
Skipton castle and grounds are beautifully maintained but more effort should be made for the benefit of visitors. The rooms are empty and bare, lacking anything but minimum information, and the long gallery is in the private apartments and therefore not accessible. Many historic places now have audio guides and this can really make a visit much more interesting. I visited the castle in Ghent recently where the audio guide was not only educational but also highly amusing, being narrated from the point of view of an ordinary medieval citizen. York Castle museum has long had some excellent audio-visual projections onto walls in the old prison - one example of an imaginative way to inform visitors. The narrative could be developed in conjunction with Skipton Museum, with more information about the history of the town and its ordinary people over the nine centuries the castle has dominated. Much more detailed interpretation boards in each room would be helpful. The dungeon is mainly memorable for the risible suggestion that prisoners kept there would have been fed well. The tea rooms are very nice, but tea and a modest piece of flapjack for £6.60 made me feel a little like an exploited serf. The guidebook is of some interest but at a cost of £4.80, nothing like the standard generally produced by English Heritage for buildings under its care. The staff (volunteers? - I hope they were being paid) were pleasant, but it would have been good to have ticket prices explained including the modest discount for pensioners. With claims to host 100,000 visitors a year at around £10/head there should be enough revenue for a little more investment to make this a more interesting and informative experience as opposed to a walk around a lovely but unadorned old building.
Written 3 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CrocodileRoc
Worcester, UK319 contributions
Oct 2024 • Couples
It was an educational trip adding more to the jigsaw of our knowledge of the civil war. It was informative regarding the structure of the building but we had not expected the internal aspect to be totally devoid of contents. Glad we went. The staff were very helpful especially one of the gardening team. The car park was very convenient with decent sized spaces which was pre booked online as part of the entrance fee. Too many children running around with no parental control but it was half term holiday!
Written 31 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Daniel B
5 contributions
Dec 2024 • Solo
I just the most frustrating day at Skipton castle.
I'm a keen amateur photographer.
It's a passion of mine, so I checked the castle website and, it says quite clearly photographery allowed.
Nowhere does it say no tripods, that I could see on their website.
Just as I was setting up my first shot of the day, I'm told by a gentleman that no tripods are allowed to be used. I explained to him that it was for personal use, I only put them on a small private group but not for commercial use.
But he insisted that I cannot use a tripod.
Absolutely ridiculous!!!!
If I go in with a camera or a mobile phone like most people do, a high percentage of who will post their pictures on social media, then it's ok.
I found the whole conversation very frustrating so I asked for a refund. Only so far even though I scanned my card for a refund. NO! refund has been received.
A very disgusted and disappointed customer.
You don't expect to visit somewhere a basically be accused of lying. PHOTOGRAPHERS BE WARNED!!!
Leave your tripod behind.
I'm a keen amateur photographer.
It's a passion of mine, so I checked the castle website and, it says quite clearly photographery allowed.
Nowhere does it say no tripods, that I could see on their website.
Just as I was setting up my first shot of the day, I'm told by a gentleman that no tripods are allowed to be used. I explained to him that it was for personal use, I only put them on a small private group but not for commercial use.
But he insisted that I cannot use a tripod.
Absolutely ridiculous!!!!
If I go in with a camera or a mobile phone like most people do, a high percentage of who will post their pictures on social media, then it's ok.
I found the whole conversation very frustrating so I asked for a refund. Only so far even though I scanned my card for a refund. NO! refund has been received.
A very disgusted and disappointed customer.
You don't expect to visit somewhere a basically be accused of lying. PHOTOGRAPHERS BE WARNED!!!
Leave your tripod behind.
Written 6 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pam G
Leeds, UK11 contributions
Feb 2024 • Family
Although the castle is well maintained and lots of different rooms to explore I was very annoyed that only card payments were accepted. The excuse being that since covid cash has never been reinstated also an excuse that their bank is closing! My Granddaughter had her birthday money to spend but couldn’t due to no cash which I find appalling. I refuse to use a card for such a small amount for the purchase of a pencil and suchlike. I wouldn’t buy from the shop again.
We didn’t use the cafe but on reflection I wouldn’t have bought from there either due to cash not being accepted.
Other than that it’s worth a visit.
We didn’t use the cafe but on reflection I wouldn’t have bought from there either due to cash not being accepted.
Other than that it’s worth a visit.
Written 16 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
andreweberry
Halifax, UK9 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
For us entertaining our 6 year grandson, this was a visit par excellence. On a sunny day we had a picnic in the absolutely immaculate grounds and exploring the castle itself was easy and informative. The welcome, availability of helpful and informed guides and the general ambience of the place was fabulous. If you pre book, you save on the entry fee and are guaranteed a car parking space (also discounted) which is easy to get to and being in the centre of Skipton gives access to the town itself which is always busy and a bit of a drivers nightmare. The shop and tea room were perfect in every detail. The best accolade was from our grandson who wanted to go round the castle inside a second time and although it doesn't take long in itself, we filled 3 happy hours there. I can see that if the weather is poor, you may feel let down, so go when it is sunny and pre book for a stress free relaxing day out.
Written 9 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
richard
Berkshire, UK16 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
£11.20 for access to only to a very small section of the castle,which consists of bare rooms,
No effort made to make it look authentic ie paintings, furniture etc. Nothing to engage your imagination whatsoever. I fail to see how they advertise this as a day out. Even trying our best no more than 30mins to get round.
First time I have been anywhere and felt ripped off.
The church next door had more to see and character.
I joked with my partner that I bet they have more to see in the gift shop and they did.
No effort made to make it look authentic ie paintings, furniture etc. Nothing to engage your imagination whatsoever. I fail to see how they advertise this as a day out. Even trying our best no more than 30mins to get round.
First time I have been anywhere and felt ripped off.
The church next door had more to see and character.
I joked with my partner that I bet they have more to see in the gift shop and they did.
Written 5 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Can you take dogs in
Written 10 July 2021
From the castle web site:
"Dogs are allowed on a short lead within the Castle. The only exceptions are the Tearoom & Shop. Please make sure you clean up if there are any accidents and please make sure they do not pee inside the Castle or on the grass. Dogs are also allowed within Skipton Castle Woods but please keep them on a lead"
Written 12 July 2021
Is the castle open tomorrow ?
Written 10 December 2020
Please can you tell me if I can walk to the castle from the town.
Written 16 August 2019
It is literally right next to the town. I visited the town first and then went to the Castle
Written 17 August 2019
Is the chapel open to visitors to look round?
Written 23 February 2019
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