Access to nature and essential services and friendliness of the people led ‘gateway to the Dales’ to top Rightmove index Access to nature and essential services and friendliness of the people led ‘gateway to the Dales’ to top Rightmove index It is nicknamed “the gateway to the Dales”, is home to one of England’s best-preserved medieval castles and, for trivia fans, was the birthplace of half of Marks & Spencer. Now, the Yorkshire market town of Skipton has been named “the happiest place to live”