Ilkley
West Yorkshire
High above the town of Ilkley is Ilkley Moor, immortalised in the Yorkshire anthem "On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at", and featuring a rocky outcrop and large boulder known as the Cow and Calf Rocks.
Evidence of settlement at Ilkley dates from at least the early bronze age and there are still stone carvings to be found from that age.
A Roman fort controlling a crossing point on the River Wharfe occupied a site close to the town centre and stone from it is believed to have been used in the building of the town's parish church, later extensively rebuilt in Victorian times.
Another historic river crossing in the town is the old Ilkley Bridge. The stone bridge with its three large arch spans was built in the late 17th century and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Ilkley's growth came as a Victorian spa town when tourists flocked to the area to take its waters, bathe in its spring and try treatments at a number of hydrotherapy establisments. The arrival of the railway in 1865 helped to make Ilkley more accessible and brought an influx of tourists from West Riding mill towns and beyond. The railway once continued via
Ilkley had already become well-known for its waters in the 18th century and through the Georgian era. Today, White Wells House on the side of the moor survives as the earliest spa building in the area. Bathing started nearby from at least the beginning of the 1700s and there is still a Roman-style plunge pool dating from the latter part of the 18th century.
People still go to Ilkley to bathe, but today it is usually at its outdoor lido pool, first developed in the 1930s. The town's wide Victorian spa town shopping streets and gardens beside the River Wharfe can also still be enjoyed.
Town features






















Travel
Ilkley station

Operator/s: Northern -

Bus travel
The town has buses to neighbouring towns and villages.
Road travel
Ilkley can be reached via the A65 .
Places to visit
Bolton Priory
Bolton Abbey, North YorkshireThe beautiful setting at Bolton Abbey in the
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Skipton Castle

Skipton Castle is one of England's best restored medieval castles, standing between the town of
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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.
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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.
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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
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Yorkshire Dales National Park
The Yorkshire Dales National Park starts just north of 
Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Extending across an area of 232 square miles (600 sq km), the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Beauty starts at the edge of 
Emergency services
West Yorkshire Police 
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Local government
Civil parish council
Ilkley Town CouncilProvides some local services in the area.
Link to council website

Metropolitan district council
County strategic authority
West Yorkshire Combined Authority
Covers some combined services of the five metropolitan district councils of






Will work with an elected mayor as chairman and as decision-maker for some responsibilities after May 2021 election.

Police and Crime Commissioner
The Police and Crime Commissioner for West Yorkshire

Role will become one of the responsibilities of a West Yorkshire elected mayor after the May 2021 election.
Fire Authority
West Yorkshire Fire Authority
The 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.

Ceremonial county
West Yorkshire
Historic
-1974 Within the West Riding of Yorkshire.