Visit Bradford is inviting you to take a trip to Ilkley, one of Yorkshire’s most beautiful and picturesque locations. This charming town has long been a favoured destination amongst local tourists and seasoned walkers, but is now starting to gain the national recognition it thoroughly deserves.
Located on the banks of the River Wharfe, this genteel Victorian spa town offers a wide array of tourist attractions. Whether it’s rest and relaxation you’re looking for or something altogether more energetic, one thing’s for certain: Ilkley can offer it all. Here are just a few ideas of what your trip could include.
Taking a stroll
Ilkley is within easy reach of the celebrated Yorkshire Dales and blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful walking country. The town has been awarded coveted ‘Walkers are Welcome’ status as a result of the warm reception it is well-known for giving walkers.
Walks can be found for all abilities, ranging from rigorous hikes over Ilkley Moor to strolls around the nearby Middleton Woods and along the banks of the River Wharfe. For the really adventurous, there is the Dales Way trail, an 80-mile trek from Ilkley to the banks of Lake Windermere in the Lake District.
A bite to eat or a relaxing drink
Ilkley has plenty of choice when it comes to offering friendly and relaxed bars, restaurants and accommodation. Try tasting some of the region’s famous real ales and home-cooked food at Bar t’at, the town’s popular ale and wine bar that cleverly takes its name from the Yorkshire folk song, ‘On Ilkley Moor Baht ‘at’. Alternatively, you might like to try the culinary delights of The Box Tree, the Michelin starred restaurant where celebrity chef Marco Pierre White began his career.
If it’s just a refreshing cup of tea you’re looking for after a long day of rambling, the region’s famous Bettys Cafe Tea Rooms will more than likely be the place for you. This distinctive outlet is renowned for serving high quality, locally sourced food and beverages, which it has done since 1919, when the first of the chain was established in the neighbouring town of Harrogate.
A natural playground
The town and its surrounding area have much to offer in terms of natural and cultural history: not least the Hangingstone Rocks, known locally as ‘Cow and Calf Rocks’. According to local legend, the calf was split from its mother when Rombald, the town’s giant, leapt across the valley as he attempted to escape his angry wife. The stones held in her skirt were dropped during the pursuit which led to the formation of another local rock formation: The Skirtful of Stones.
Ilkley is also within a stone’s throw of the Yorkshire Dales and its famed National Park, widely recognised as being among the most breathtaking areas of natural beauty in the UK.
Fine Attractions
The Manor House is one of the oldest buildings in the area and has become one of Ilkley’s finest attractions since being converted into a museum and art gallery. The exquisite building itself stands on the remains of the Roman fort of Olicana and many of the Roman artefacts found within the fort and the surrounding area remain on permanent display inside the Manor House Museum.
While you’re in and around Ilkley, you may want to hop on board the nearby Bolton Abbey Steam Railway, which takes you on a journey through picturesque Yorkshire Dales scenery. Bolton Abbey station itself is the ideal stopping off point for a pleasant one and a half mile walk to the ruins of the 12th Century Priory. Explore the splendid ruins and discover a landscape full of history and legend, wander along the riverside, woodland and moorland paths, and enjoy local produce in the excellent nearby restaurants, tea rooms and cafes.
Unmissable events
Ilkley, famously, is home to the Ilkley Literature Festival, the North of England’s liveliest, most prestigious Literature Festival.
The festival features over 200 events over seventeen days throughout October and draws thousands of people from across the UK and Europe eager to listen to and interact with some of the best authors and literary figures around today.
Combining the great outdoors with the comforts of a spa town and the elegance of a Michelin starred restaurant, Ilkley has it all.
For further information on what a trip to Ilkley and the surrounding region could include visit www.visitilkley.com
Useful links:
Ilkley hotels
Ilkley B&Bs
Ilkley cottages
Ilkley attractions
