I chose this Sunday scene, when the library is closed, to show off the original and very grand, wrought and cast iron gates. This beautiful, asymmetric building which feels more like a grand house than a public building, has such a glorious entrance archway. The carved figures represent (at the top) Knowledge and (to left and right) Literature and Art. These sculptures were created by Mr. R. G. Phillip, who was a former student at the local Science and Arts Schools. The architects for the Skipton Library building, designed in a mixed Renaissance style between 1906 and 1910, were John William Broughton and James Hartley. Their design was part of the Carnegie legacy, with the site provided by the trustees of the Skipton Mechanics Institute. The Statue of Sir Mathew Wilson, located in front of Skipton Library, commemorates him as a Liberal politician and the longest-serving magistrate in Skipton's history. The statue, by artist A Bruce Joy, was unveiled in 1888 and stands on a stone plinth. Albert Bruce-Joy (21 August 1842 – 22 July 1924) studied at the Royal Academy and was one of the most famous sculptors of his day. His statues of the great and good can be found all over britain.