Craven Court Shopping Centre – North Yorkshire
Private Client
Skipton Town Centre, North Yorkshire
Craven Court Shopping Centre is situated just off the main High Street in the centre of Skipton, a bustling market town on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales.
The shopping centre was originally developed and expanded from a 16th century theatre. The development of this enclosed shopping centre was completed in 1988 and is based on a Victorian theme with wrought iron work and glass roof. The original stone walls are partly listed and provide a traditional backdrop to the shopping experience.
Craven Court is home to 28 stores from national names such as Laura Ashley, Wallis, and H. Samuel’s to small independent retailers.
Bowman Riley was commissioned to provide feasibility schemes for the reconfiguration and extensions to the shopping centre. The brief was to create a method of enticing shoppers from Otley Street into Craven Court through integrating the external street scene into the existing units.
Sunlight analysis was undertaken to position the external seating area in the most suitable locations. The design created an avenue that linked the new facilities to the existing High Street whilst maintaining the composition and aesthetics of the conservation area status.