The Craven Bank was a financial institution founded in 1791 in Settle, North Yorkshire to provide banking services in the area.

Banking in England prior to the nineteenth century was a largely unregulated industry and outside of London virtually anyone could offer financial services and the burgeoning Industrial Revolution increased demand for local banking.

[1][2] In 1791 William Alcock, a Skipton solicitor; William Birkbeck and his cousin, John, who were merchants in Settle along with John Peart a solicitor from Grassington and William Lawson of Giggleswick entered into a partnership as the Craven Bank.

[8] Capital in the new limited company was authorised for £1,200,000 issued in 40,000 shares at £30 each,[8] at the same time the decision was taken to move the head office of the bank to Skipton.

[9] By the turn of the twentieth century many small banks amalgamated to form bigger concerns.