We Went to the Cattle Market… and Came Out With Art!
14th August 2026
There are certain things you expect to find at Skipton Auction Mart.
Cows.
Sheep.
Farmers in flat caps discussing the price of livestock.
Possibly a very large tractor.
What you probably don’t expect to find is a rather lovely ceramic sculpture, an original painting, handmade jewellery and a woman who has travelled from Devon to sell pictures of chickens.
But that, as we discovered, is exactly what happens when you accidentally stumble across Art in the Pen.
And frankly, we were delighted.
“Are you sure this is the cattle market?”
Our journey started in the usual way.
We were walking along Gargrave Road when we noticed that the normally familiar Skipton Auction Mart looked… well, different.
There were cars everywhere. People wandering around carrying bags. And, most suspiciously, nobody appeared to be wearing wellies.
We wandered inside.
“Is there an auction on?”
“No.”
“Livestock?”
“No.”
“Then what on earth is going on?”
Art in the Pen.
It turns out that once a year the cattle pens at Skipton Auction Mart are transformed into temporary art galleries, with more than 200 artists and makers turning the pens into their own little exhibitions.
Art in the Pen official website
And suddenly the whole thing made sense.
Well, sort of.
From cattle pens to creative pens
The genius of Art in the Pen is that it doesn’t try to disguise the fact that you’re in a cattle market.
The pens are still there.
The metal barriers are still there.
And somewhere, deep in the building, you suspect there is probably still a faint aroma of livestock lingering from the previous weekend.
But instead of cows, the pens are filled with paintings, ceramics, sculpture, photography, jewellery, textiles, glass, woodwork and all manner of things that make you wonder why you didn’t pay more attention in art lessons at school.
Some artists have created incredibly smart little galleries inside their pens.
Others have apparently decided:
“I’ve got a cattle pen. I’m going to put some art in it.”
And you know what?
It works brilliantly.
The danger of saying “we’re only having a look”
This is where things can get expensive.
You arrive thinking:
“We’ll just have a wander around.”
Thirty minutes later you’re saying:
“Actually, that would look really good above the fireplace.”
An hour later:
“Do you think we could get it in the car?”
And eventually:
“It’s an investment.”
It isn’t an investment.
It’s a picture of a sheep.
But you love it.
And that’s the problem.
There are hundreds of genuinely interesting pieces to look at, and because you’re dealing directly with the artists and makers, you can actually have a chat with the person who created the thing you’re admiring.
Which is much more interesting than standing in a gallery pretending to understand why a white square costs £4,000.
And then there’s the food…
Of course, no Yorkshire event would be complete without refreshments.
Because however cultured you become wandering around admiring contemporary art, eventually you need a brew and something involving pastry.
Thankfully, Art in the Pen has food and drink options on site.
So you can admire a beautiful piece of hand-thrown pottery, contemplate buying it, decide you can’t possibly justify it, and then console yourself with a coffee.
It’s practically therapy.
20 years of Art in the Pen
There’s another good reason to put Art in the Pen on your Skipton itinerary this year.
2026 marks the 20th anniversary of the event.
What started in 2005 with artists displaying their work in cattle pens has grown into one of the North of England’s best-known art and craft events, attracting thousands of visitors and more than 200 exhibitors.
And perhaps that’s the most impressive thing about it.
It’s a completely unexpected combination:
cattle market + contemporary art + Yorkshire = surprisingly brilliant day out.
Who knew?
If you’re staying at Thisledo…
This is one of those little Skipton discoveries that makes staying at Thisledo rather handy.
The Auction Mart is on Gargrave Road, so it’s very easy to get to from the cottage — and you don’t need to organise a major expedition involving maps, packed lunches and a roof box.
Just wander down the road and follow the crowds.
Art in the Pen takes place at Skipton Auction Mart on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 August 2026, with tickets priced at £7.50. Under-16s go free with an accompanying adult.
And if you’re visiting Skipton at another time of year, keep an eye out for Crafts in the Pen in November. The same rather ingenious cattle-market-meets-craft-market idea returns, with around 230 stalls.
Our verdict?
We went to the cattle market.
We didn’t see a single cow.
We did see some fantastic art.
And, most importantly, we came away feeling considerably more cultured than when we arrived.
Although we still couldn’t explain what half of the modern art actually meant.
But that’s alright.
We nodded thoughtfully.
Which, as far as we could tell, was what everyone else was doing.
Art in the Pen: proving that you don’t need a fancy gallery to enjoy great art — sometimes all you need is a cattle market and a very good idea.
And if you happen to buy something while you’re there…
Well, that’s between you and your bank account.