Baildon
West Yorkshire
Until the start of the 20th century, only a few tiny hamlets at Lane Ends, Baildon Green, Low Baildon and a few isolated houses occupied the hillside between the village and the river, just above which a turnpike road from Shipley towards Otley was built in the 1820s.
Even the opening in 1876 of a Baildon railway station mid-way up that hillside on a new branch connecting lines at Guiseley and Shipley did not make an immediate difference. But by the end of the Victorian era, a huge expansion of population connected with the local textile industry led to the building of housing which continued to develop all the way from Baildon Wood Bottom up the hillside to the village centre and from there on to the top of Baildon Bank.
More recent house-building means there are very few remaining gaps on the hillside, and one of Baildon's most historic buildings, Baildon Hall, is now surrounded by homes in its role since 1946 as a private members' club. The hall was built in 1553 and encased in stone in the late 17th century. For many years it was the home of the Baildon family and was built on the site of a medieval manor, of which there are still traces.
Beyond the village, at the top of the hill, Baildon Common still remains a gateway to the huge expanse of moorland beyond, its ancient remains added to by many other activities over the years, including traces of old coal pits and quarrying and also, since the 1890s, a golf course.
Such has been the expansion of Baildon that it now deems itself a town, this being officially recognised when the Baildon Parish Council renamed itself Baildon Town Council in 2013.
Town features
Baildon has local traders and a supermarket. 
Baildon holds occasional outdoor markets - Farmers Market usually held 4th Saturday in month (not January, earlier date in December).
The town has Post Offices.
The town has pharmacies.
The town has pubs and social clubs.
Restaurant and bistro dining can be found in Baildon.
A choice of cafes can be found in Baildon.
Takeaway food outlets in the town include fish and chips, chinese, curries, pizzas.
There are public toilets in the town with limited hours of use - at Northgate (Daylight hours).
The town has a library - at Hallcliffe.
The town has a sports hall - Baildon Recreation Centre at Green Lane.
Baildon has schools.
Places of worship: Anglican, Catholic, Methodist, other.
Travel
Bus travel
The town has bus services to neighbouring towns and villages and city centre. 
Baildon station
Station managed by: NORTHERN. Operator/s: NORTHERN. 
NATIONAL RAIL - Departure and station infoExternal link to National Rail live departure board for services at this station (opens in new tab).
Road travel
Baildon can be reached via the A6038 B6151 Places to visit
Bolton Priory
Bolton Abbey, North YorkshireThe beautiful setting at Bolton Abbey in the
More information at
Bolton Abbey Priory Church Find on map:
Bolton Abbey 
Skipton Castle
Skipton Castle is one of England's best restored medieval castles, standing between the town of Skipton and the top of a rocky cliff over the Eller Beck. The castle was first built as a Norman fort at the end of the 11th century, but was replaced in stone and in the early 14th century turned into a formidable stronghold after being granted to the Clifford family by King Edward II. Inside, the castle reveals how it was modified over the centuries, including a charming early Tudor courtyard with a yew tree growing at its centre. The castle was the scene of a Royalist last stand in the north during the English Civil War when it withstood a three-year siege until 1645. After the castle yielded, it was ruined by the Parliamentarians in the winter of 1648-9, but between 1657 and 1658 Lady Anne Clifford saw it carefully restored. The castle is open daily.
Find out more at
Skipton Castle Find on map:
Skipton Castle 
Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway
Operates from Embsay, about 1.5 miles from Skipton, to Bolton Abbey station about a mile away from the attractive priory ruins and beauty spot beside the River Wharfe at Bolton Abbey. The railway runs trains on most days during the summer and at weekends at other times of year, except January. It also has a range of special weekend events, dining trains and footplate and signal box experience courses. Tank engines are the mainstay of steam operations on the line, but the railway also has a collection of historic diesel locomotives. Also running on the line some days is a restored hybrid electric railcar, which was way ahead of its time when built in York in 1903.
More information at the
Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway Find on map:
Embsay Station 
Ilkley Toy Museum
Whitton Croft Road, IlkleyThe museum features one of the finest private collections of toys with exhibits dating from 350BC to the present day. It includes early English wooden dolls and dolls houses, teddy bears, fairground models, tin-plate toys and die-cast vehicles, toy soldiers and cowboys and indians, and toys based on more modern TV characters. The museum opens on weekend afternoons and by appointment to weekday school visits.
Further details at the
Ilkley Toy Museum 
East Riddlesden Hall
The attractive 17th century home of a cloth merchant includes an array of needlework from the era. The house is set in colourful and peaceful gardens with an outdoor discovery garden and children's play area. The property, around 1.5 miles to the north-east of Keighley , has a car park, accessed through its narrow entrance. The property is managed by The National Trust.
Find out more at the
National Trust - East Riddlesden Hall Locate on map:
East Riddlesden Hall 
Shipley Glen Tramway
Off Higher Coach Road, Baildon
The Shipley Glen Tramway is a renovated Victorian cable funicular tramway which operates for about 400 metres up a wooded hillside in Shipley Glen between Baildon and Saltaire . The Tramway is now run by volunteers and a charitable trust. The tramway dates from 1895 and at that time it accessed a range of fairground attractions at Shipley Glen. There is a small exhibition of the tramway's history at the bottom station and an old-fashioned sweet shop at the top. The tramway is just a short walk across the road from Roberts Park at Saltaire and is only about 500 metres from the nearest railway station at Saltaire, just opposite the Salt's Mill gallery and visitor attraction. Baildon town centre is about 1.5 miles from both the top and bottom of the tramway and Shipley town centre a similar distance from the bottom station. The tramway opens in the early afternoon on Saturdays and Sundays through the year. Find out more at the Shipley Glen Tramway website.
Shipley Glen Tramway 
Saltaire
Near ShipleyAbout 4 miles north-north-west of Bradford, Saltaire village on the River Aire is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The huge Salt's Mill, a former textile mill, is at the centre of a late 19th century village of stone houses which were built for the mill workers by architects employed by mill owner Sir Titus Salt. More information on our page about Saltaire .
Yorkshire Dales National Park
The Yorkshire Dales National Park starts just north of Addingham . The National Park offers mountain peaks, beautiful river valleys, attractive villages with country inns, ruined abbeys and some of the finest limestone scenery in the UK with limestone pavements, dry valleys, potholes and underground caves. The area offers excellent hiking and walking territory with paths and trails for people of all abilities. It is a centre for potholing and caving, has mountain bike routes and offers plenty of opportunity to study its rich wildlife. For more information see our page dedicated to the 
Nidderdale National Landscape
Extending across an area of 232 square miles (600 sq km), the Nidderdale National Landscape starts 4 miles from Harrogate and 2 miles from Ripon . It covers an area between those towns and the Yorkshire Dales National Park, just a few miles further away. At its centre is the small town of 
Emergency services
West Yorkshire Police West Yorkshire Police West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 
Local government
Civil parish council
Baildon Town CouncilProvides some local services in the area.
Link to council website:
Baildon Town Council Metropolitan district council
The City of Bradford authority covers an area extending many miles beyond the city itself, including areas of moorland of The Pennines and Ilkley Moor, parts of Wharfedale and Airedale and the Worth Valley.
The area includes many separate small towns and villages, among them Addingham , Baildon , Bingley ,
Councillors are elected across 30 wards with three councillors per ward.
One councillor per ward is elected for a four-year term on each of three years out of four.
Political composition after May 2024 election:
90 members
Link to City of Bradford MDC website.
City of Bradford MDC 
See our Yorkshire.guide Gazetteer for more about the 
Bradford metropolitan district and places within it.County strategic authority
West Yorkshire Combined AuthorityCovers some combined services of the five metropolitan district councils of
Bradford , 
Calderdale , 
Leeds , 
Kirklees and 
Wakefield — which were at one time provided by a West Yorkshire metropolitan county council, with the addition of the non-contiguous unitary authority area of the City of 
York council as well as the unelected Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership. Since 2021 it has operated with an elected mayor as chairman and decision-maker for some responsibilities. These include transport, housing and planning and finance powers. The responsibilities also include those of Police and Crime Commissioner, a role substantially delegated to an appointee deputy mayor. Elected mayor:
West Yorkshire Combined Authority Police and Crime Commissioner
The Police and Crime Commissioner for West YorkshireThis role has become one of the many responsibilities of the West Yorkshire elected mayor since May 2021.
West Yorkshire Combined Authority Fire Authority
West Yorkshire Fire AuthorityThe fire authority is made up of elected members of each of the five metropolitan district councils of West Yorkshire - Bradford, Calderdale, Leeds, Kirklees and Wakefield.
West Yorkshire Fire Authority Parliamentary constituency
ShipleyElected MP: