Skipton-in-Craven: Building the Modern Town, 1865–1914

Abstract

In Skipton, the provision of new and replacement housing within the modern town was the outcome of a complex interaction between primary and secondary developers. The former included established landowners, notably the Skipton Castle estate, who laid out streets and designated building plots, acting on expectations of population increase and with regard to the alternative returns from agriculture. The latter were dominated by speculative builders who bought or leased building plots, raised working capital, and constructed houses in accordance with plans approved by the local authority. Although the priorities of landowners and builders did not necessarily converge, in the long run the bipartite system successfully met the needs of a rapidly growing population, while significantly improving the housing stock. However, by 1914 it was evident that it was incapable of addressing the challenge presented by the worst kinds of substandard housing occupied by people who could not afford to pay a commercial rent elsewhere. The system lasted longer in Skipton than in many other towns because of the continuing influence of the Castle estate, but its characteristics were generally in accordance with those identified in previous studies of the building trade.