Holy Trinity Church

Holy Trinity Church stands in Skipton’s High Street, a medieval building that has served the town for centuries. The present structure dates from about 1300, with later additions in the 15th and 19th centuries. Lady Anne Clifford helped repair the church after Civil War damage in the 17th century. The Lancaster architects Austin and Paley restored it in 1909, removing galleries and adding a north transept. Lightning struck the tower twice, in 1853 and 1925, leading to repairs and a new organ. The church’s architecture reflects different periods, with Perpendicular and Decorated window tracery. The font has a Jacobean cover, and the rood screen dates from 1533. Monuments to the Clifford family line the chancel, and one window holds stained glass by Kempe. The organ has been rebuilt several times, most recently in the 1970s, and the church has a ring of eight bells cast in 1921. Inside, visitors find a nave with a clerestory, a south porch, and a west tower. The chancel contains a triple sedilia, while the Lady Chapel and Prayer Corner occupy the southeast and northeast corners. The churchyard holds tombs of Henry and George Clifford, former earls of Cumberland. The surroundings include the town’s High Street, linking the church to Skipton’s historic centre.