12th August 2022 - Ilkley Moor
Walk Details
Distance walked: 10.4 miles
Total ascent: 1410 ft
OS map used: 297 - Lower Wharfedale & Washburn Valley
Time taken: 6.5 hrs
Route description: Ilkley-Wells Road-Millennium Way-Windgate Nick-Nab End-Lightbank Lane-Doubler Stones-Addingham High Moor-West Buck Stones-East Buck Stones-Ilkley Moor-Lanshaw Lad-Ilkley Crags-White Wells-Ilkley
It's hot again. After the heatwave in July to now it's often been warm and dry, and although it's not forecast for the heat to be as extreme it will last longer. The lack of rain is starting to have an effect on the landscape with the usual green of the pastures and moors looking faded, and the normally boggy ground of the moors having dried out. Is it too hot to go walking? I hope not, the desire to get out on a fine and sunny day is pretty strong, especially as I'm off work today. Wherever I decided to go the route I would go for wouldn't be strenuous, the exertion from steep or long ascents would only cause me to overheat. Which is why I opted for Ilkley Moor, and a route that I'm very familiar with, plus there was the added bonus of the heather being in bloom. I enjoyed wall-to-wall blue skies and although it was pretty hot during the afternoon, the breeze up on the moors meant that it didn't become uncomfortable.
After parking in the Darwin Memorial Gardens car park on Wells Road I walked west up Wells Roads before turning left onto the lane of Keighley Road up onto Ilkley Moor. I soon left this though for the trail of the Millennium Way. I followed this west across the hillside, past the Swastika Stone and the Noon Stone to Windgate NIck. The trail was left behind here for a footpath down Nab End to Lightbank Lane. I followed the road south and at a sharp right-hand bend left it for a bridleway east across the moor along a driveway to a bungalow. I then took a public footpath north and uphill to the Doubler Stones. After taking lunch here I continued north on the footpath to reach the wall on Addingham High Moor. Once through I turned right and followed a path up to the trig point on Addingham High Moor, then on along the forest boundary to the West and East Buck Stones, and past Whetstone Gate to eventually arrive at the trig point on the top of Ilkley Moor (the Stanza Stone of "Puddle" is between Whetstone Gate and the trig point). I kept heading east for a short while longer to the boundary stone of Lanshaw Lad before taking the Dales Way Link trail to the top of Ilkley Crags, down past White Wells and to Wells Road, where I had a short walk back to the Darwin Memorial Gardens car park.
Total ascent: 1410 ft
OS map used: 297 - Lower Wharfedale & Washburn Valley
Time taken: 6.5 hrs
Route description: Ilkley-Wells Road-Millennium Way-Windgate Nick-Nab End-Lightbank Lane-Doubler Stones-Addingham High Moor-West Buck Stones-East Buck Stones-Ilkley Moor-Lanshaw Lad-Ilkley Crags-White Wells-Ilkley
It's hot again. After the heatwave in July to now it's often been warm and dry, and although it's not forecast for the heat to be as extreme it will last longer. The lack of rain is starting to have an effect on the landscape with the usual green of the pastures and moors looking faded, and the normally boggy ground of the moors having dried out. Is it too hot to go walking? I hope not, the desire to get out on a fine and sunny day is pretty strong, especially as I'm off work today. Wherever I decided to go the route I would go for wouldn't be strenuous, the exertion from steep or long ascents would only cause me to overheat. Which is why I opted for Ilkley Moor, and a route that I'm very familiar with, plus there was the added bonus of the heather being in bloom. I enjoyed wall-to-wall blue skies and although it was pretty hot during the afternoon, the breeze up on the moors meant that it didn't become uncomfortable.
After parking in the Darwin Memorial Gardens car park on Wells Road I walked west up Wells Roads before turning left onto the lane of Keighley Road up onto Ilkley Moor. I soon left this though for the trail of the Millennium Way. I followed this west across the hillside, past the Swastika Stone and the Noon Stone to Windgate NIck. The trail was left behind here for a footpath down Nab End to Lightbank Lane. I followed the road south and at a sharp right-hand bend left it for a bridleway east across the moor along a driveway to a bungalow. I then took a public footpath north and uphill to the Doubler Stones. After taking lunch here I continued north on the footpath to reach the wall on Addingham High Moor. Once through I turned right and followed a path up to the trig point on Addingham High Moor, then on along the forest boundary to the West and East Buck Stones, and past Whetstone Gate to eventually arrive at the trig point on the top of Ilkley Moor (the Stanza Stone of "Puddle" is between Whetstone Gate and the trig point). I kept heading east for a short while longer to the boundary stone of Lanshaw Lad before taking the Dales Way Link trail to the top of Ilkley Crags, down past White Wells and to Wells Road, where I had a short walk back to the Darwin Memorial Gardens car park.
Route map
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I leave Ilkley behind by taking the Millennium Way west along the side of Ilkley Moor
This reservoir is like a mirror as I look across Wharfedale to Beamsley Beacon and Round Hill
Addingham, Wharfedale, Beamsley Beacon and Round Hill from Woodhouse Crag
and looking down on Ilkley
Heading west along the edge of the moor towards Addingham Crag
Addingham High Moor above
Looking back along the edge of the moor
The heather is in bloom on Addingham High Moor
Addingham, Wharfedale, Barden Fell, Beamsley Beacon and Round Hill from Addingham Crag
and looking west to Windgate Nick at the western end of Addingham High Moor
Looking across Airedale to Steeton Moor, Steeton, Keighley Moor, Earl Crag and Silsden from Nab End
Having descended from Nab End I walk south along Lightbank Lane
The road heads down to Brunthwaite in Airedale. I don't though and take the bridleway to Black Pots.
On the bridleway, and the Doubler Stones are on the hillside just ahead
and here they are. A hard cap of gritstone has protected softer sandstone underneath from erosion. I decided to have my lunch here, under the one on the left as it provided some welcome shade.
Heading up onto Addingham High Moor
and then up to the trig point on Addingham High Moor
Looking back across Addingham High Moor
The purple of the heather adds to the moorland colours as I look across Wharfedale to Beamsley Beacon, Round Hill and Askwith Moor
Barden Moor, Addingham and Barden Fell from Addingham High Moor
At the trig point on Addingham High Moor
Looking west across Airedale and I can make out Pendle Hill in the distance
and to the north there's Barden Moor, Addingham, and Barden Fell, with Buckden Pike and Great Whernside in the distance
Heading for West Buck Stones
The heathery expanse of Crawshaw Moss
On West Buck Stones..
..and on East Buck Stones
Ickornshaw Moor, Earl Crag, Pendle Hill and the moors around Lothersdale from East Buck Stones
Looking across Wharfedale to Barden Fell, Beamsley Beacon and Round Hill
and to Barden Moor, Buckden Pike, Great Whernside, and Barden Fell
Following the wall from Buck Stones to Whetstone Gate
A view into Airedale looking over the wall to my right
At Cowper's Cross. Just a short distance to the north near the track of Keighley Road.
Carpets of purple covering the moor
Heading across Ilkley Moor to the Thimble Stones
Looking through the Thimble Stones across Ilkley Moor..
"Puddle". One of the Stanza Stones. No danger of stepping in one of those today.
At the trig point on Ilkley Moor
Looking south across Airedale
The heathery expanse of Burley Moor to the east
The trig point is left for the path east across Ilkley Moor
The view north across Wharfedale to Beamsley Beacon, Round Hill and Askwith Moor
At the boundary stone of Lanshaw Lad
The Twelve Apostles stone circle
Heading for Ilkley Crags
There's a fantastic view of Wharfedale and Ilkley from the top of Ilkley Crags
Looking towards the Cow and Calf
More photos of Wharfedale and Ilkley as I make my way along the top of Ilkley Crags...
A last shot of Ilkley from above White Wells