Long-term moorings in Skipton

Moorings in Skipton are on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, which runs through the middle of this North Yorkshire market town, and on the Springs Branch, a short arm that runs round the back of Skipton Castle. Long-term berths are few: a small Canal & River Trust towpath site in the town, a boatyard at Bradley, and a second Trust site out at Bank Newton.

Moorings in Skipton

• Springs Branch (Canal & River Trust): about 170 metres of towpath for up to 9 boats. Leisure use only, with no parking of its own, and no turning point: boats reverse in or out for about 250 metres.
• Snaygill Boats, Bradley: a family run boatyard on Skipton Road, trading since 1977, with moorings alongside its hire boats and boat sales. Ask the yard what it offers for a long stay.
• Bank Newton (Canal & River Trust): 6 leisure moorings on the towpath side by the locks, about 5 miles from Skipton and 1.5 miles from Gargrave. No parking, and no boats over 2.5 metres wide.
• Pennine Cruisers, Coach Street: day boat hire, boat trips and boatyard services in the town centre. Its website does not offer long-term moorings.
• Skipton visitor moorings: short stay only, close to Gallows Bridge, with a water point and rubbish and chemical toilet disposal nearby.

On the water

Skipton sits on a pound with no locks for almost 17 miles, from Gargrave to Bingley. There are swing bridges to work instead, several of them on the way in from Gargrave. Beyond it are the locks at Gargrave and Bank Newton on the way to Lancashire, and the Bingley Five Rise on the way to Leeds.

The Canal & River Trust runs the whole 127 mile canal between Leeds and Liverpool, and every boat on it needs a Trust licence. The locks are wide but short: a boat longer than about 62ft cannot travel the whole canal, so check the Trust's dimensions before bringing a long boat here.

Floods and closures

The canal has run short of water two summers running. In 2025 the lock flights between Wigan and Leeds were closed from 22 May, and reopened in stages from 19 September. In 2026 the locks from Bank Newton to Leeds were closed for low water on 17 August and reopened in stages from 22 August, with the notice lifted on 23 September.

When the locks are shut, a boat kept in Skipton cannot leave the pound in either direction. The Trust says the summit reservoirs have less water to give in the summer months, and has work provisionally scheduled at Foulridge Upper reservoir in 2027 and Foulridge Lower in 2028. Check its stoppage notices before planning a summer trip.