SKIPTON PART 1

We start off at Skipton railway station, built by the Midland Railway. 

MR 0-6-0 No. 2117 is seen passing through on a northbound freight.

Now, we have a general view. The Grassington and Ilkley line platforms are seen on the right. Circa 1960.

42110 departs, northbound.

84015, seen in Skipton station.

A DMU, bound for Morecambe, calls in 1981.

Today, Skipton station is electrified and served by class 333 EMUs.

Opposite the railway station is Herriots Hotel, with real ale in the bar.

Not far away, two pubs, the Craven and the Railway. Thwaites and Tetley beers then, 1992.

The Leeds & Liverpool Canal runs right through the heart of Skipton.

Here's the junction with a short arm that once served a quarry, but is now used as moorings.

Alongside the arm, an excellent new canalside pub, the Boat House. There's a Facebook page.

Trips along the canal are available and there's plenty of ducks.

You might find the odd swan as well.

Into the town itself. First, the war memorial.

The fire brigade in the High Street.

An old postcard view of the town centre. Holy Trinity church is prominent.

Here is the Anchorite's Cell inside Holy Trinity church. Learn more about Anchorites here.

Skipton has a castle. This is it as seen from the town.

The old chapel inside Skipton Castle.

Here's the view from Skipton Castle.

Just outside the gates, the Castle Inn. 

We'll take another look at Skipton in the next post.

THE PARTS STOLEN BY LANCASHIRE!

We now arrive in Colne, where we find the old Colne Corporation tram depot.

 After the amagamation to form Burnley & Pendle, a depot was maintained on the outskirts of Colne. Alexander 'Y' type No. 11 is seen outside.

As we approach Colne town centre we find BCN Tiger Cub No. 67.

In the town's suburbs we come across an excellent free house,  the Admiral Lord Rodney.

Up there is the town centre.

Next stop, the railway station, the terminus of the truncated Burnley to Skipton line. This is 1984......

......and 10 years later.

Colne has a small bus station and here we find a Burnley & Pendle Wright bodied saloon.

Northern Blue and Border Buses also served Colne.

The Parish Church of St Bartholomew (Creative Commons License).

When I first visited the Red Lion in town it was a Taylor's pub....

......but now it has passed to Sam Smiths.

Colne's trams once reached as far as Laneshaw Bridge.

Across country, for a couple of miles, to reach the Leeds & Liverpool Canal again at Foulridge.

Our next port of call (though it's not on the canal) is Barnoldswick. It's known locally as "Barlick" and was stolen from the West Riding of Yorkshire in 1974 as part of the Shenanigans that brought about the likes of Humberside and Avon, not forgetting the combination of Hereford & Worcester. 

Barnoldswick was served by a branch of the Midland Railway.

Ben Brooksbank photographed the station in 1961, four years before closure.

By 1970 only buses were serving "Barlick" and the late Les Flint photographed this BCN Leyland Tiger there.

Barnoldswick was once home to an independent, Ezra Laycock, that ran buses into Skipton. Here are a couple of photos at the depot, again taken by Les Flint.

About a mile from Barnoldswick, here are Greenberfield Locks on the L&L.

Back to the Midland Railway and Earby station, once the junction for the Barnoldswick branch.

Here's an early view of the railway in Earby, showing the gate house and the level crossing.

Now we have Colne Road, in Earby village.

Even in the early days, the Midland Railway had bus competition. This is Station Road in Earby.

The next station on the line towards Skipton was at Thornton-in-Craven, which has always been in Yorkshire.

Elslack also had a station on the same line.

The railway has long gone, but the Tempest Arms in Elslack is still thriving and is well worth a visit.

That seems a good place to rest one's weary head. The next post will find us visiting Skipton. In the meantime, follow the route here.