During the Second World War, a Vickers Wellington bomber, piloted by members of the Free Polish forces, crashed on the canal bank just outside Skipton, killing all the crew. There is now a memorial to these airmen at the crash site, which was dedicated in 2007. Skipton Boat Trips, at the time called Pennine Boat Trips, had the honour of sailing visiting Polish dignitaries, alongside family of the airmen, to the site for the unveiling ceremony.

The boat will sail past a winding hole in the part of Skipton known as Snaygill. Directly opposite the winding hole can be found the Craven Nursing Home. This is built on the site of Snaygill House, and was initially built as a public house, the Copper Beeches. Snaygill was formerly a separate town to Skipton. It was listed in the Domesday Book as being owned by William the Conqueror, formerly by the Earl Edwin. The land was shown to be six carucates in size and production- one Carucate is the land 8 oxen can plough in a single season, roughly 120 acres.