When I think about Skipton, I think about hot summer days. Battling your way to walk in the shade during the busy market. The meandering canal providing a tranquil backdrop to a dog walk. In our family, it’s an essential visit every single summer – but it’s one made all the more special by one particular annual visit to The Ice Cream Tug Boat.
Perched canalside on the Leeds and Liverpool canal, The Ice Cream Tug Boat has become well-loved in Skipton – serving up tasty refreshments for all to enjoy on a hot day in the market town.
Centrally located near Belmont Bridge, passersby can treat themselves to cones, tubs, lollies, and an array of drinks at the tiny tug boat, including the classic 99 ice cream.
Due to its petite size, the boat has only a solid selection of classic flavours on the menu – including vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and mint chocolate chip, which, if you ask us is the elite tier of ice cream flavours anyway.
The ice cream is made locally in nearby Blackburn, and although it comes from Lancashire, we have to say, it’s bloody good.
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Now in its tenth year, the tug boat continues to grow in popularity – with the help of the owner’s adorable Jack Russell cross, who is often on hand to greet customers.
The Ice Cream Tug Boat will be berthed up all summer long in Skipton from noon to late afternoon daily and will retire for the year in late September.
Alongside Bizzie Lizzie’s fish and chip shop – which is just a stone’s throw away from the boat – The Ice Cream Tug Boat is a Skipton institution and a must-visit on your next stop-off in the town.
The quaint town is popular among tourists thanks to its ideal location nearby to the Yorkshire Dales and is famed for its frequent weekly market which sprawls along the vast high street.
[Featured image: Tim Green/Flickr/CC BY 2.0]
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