22nd January 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 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
After some sunshine for my walk last weekend it's back to grey skies for this one. With a forecast of a mild and windy day, and the cloud probably covering the tops of the high fells, I opted for something relatively low level and not too far from home. It didn't take me long to decide to head for Ilkley and to do a walk across Ilkley Moor. It's familiar territory and my route was one that I'd done before. It was overcast and pretty dull when I set off from Ilkley and for the most part that was the way it stayed, though the skies did brighten a little during the afternoon with the odd break in the cloud, but then there was a bit of drizzle in the air every now and then.
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 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
After some sunshine for my walk last weekend it's back to grey skies for this one. With a forecast of a mild and windy day, and the cloud probably covering the tops of the high fells, I opted for something relatively low level and not too far from home. It didn't take me long to decide to head for Ilkley and to do a walk across Ilkley Moor. It's familiar territory and my route was one that I'd done before. It was overcast and pretty dull when I set off from Ilkley and for the most part that was the way it stayed, though the skies did brighten a little during the afternoon with the odd break in the cloud, but then there was a bit of drizzle in the air every now and then.
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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Leaving Ilkley behind on the Millennium Way
Beamsley Beacon to the north on the other side of Wharfedale
Looking back across Ilkley Moor with Ilkley below on the left
Wharfedale and Beamsley Beacon from Woodhouse Crag
Following the Millennium Way west to Addingham High Moor
Looking back across Ilkley Moor from Addingham Crag
Addingham High Moor. I'll be up there later.
Rivock Edge to the south
I finally arrive at Nab End on the western end of Addingham High Moor. From here I get a view across Airedale to Steeton, Sutton-in-Craven, Cross Hills, Earl Crag, the moors around Lothersdale and Silsden.
Having descended from Nab End I walk south along Lightbank Lane
I stop for lunch at the Doubler Stones. They provide a bit of shelter from the wind, as well as a view across Airedale to the moors of Bronte Country in the distance.
The Doubler Stones..
Heading for the trig point on Addingham High Moor
Looking across Wharfedale to Beamsley Beacon, Round Hill and Middleton Moor
At the trig point on Addingham High Moor. Skipton Moor and Barden Moor in the distance to the northwest.
Ickornshaw Moor, Earl Crag, Pendle Hill and the moors of Lothersdale to the west
I leave the trig point behind and head across the moor to West Buck Stones
On West Buck Stones. Ickornshaw Moor, Earl Crag, Pendle Hill and the moors of Lothersdale to the west.
Looking across Wharfedale to Beamsley Beacon, Round Hill and Denton Moor
Ilkley Moor from East Buck Stones
There's a bit of drizzle in the air as I look north to Barden Moor and Barden Fell
Leaving East Buck Stones I follow the path to Whetstone Gate
Looking over the wall to my right and I get a view down Airedale to Shipley and Bingley
Past Whetstone Gate and on the flagged path to the trig point
At the Thimble Stones, and they provide a nice foreground for the view up Wharfedale to Barden Moor, Barden Fell, and Beamsley Beacon. Could the sun be trying to break through the clouds?
Looking across Airedale to the moorland around Keighley..
..and looking back to the west across Ilkley Moor
"Puddle". One of the Stanza Stones.
At the trig point on Ilkley Moor
The trig point is left for the path east across Ilkley Moor
At the boundary stone of Lanshaw Lad. Looking northwest up Wharfedale to Barden Moor and Beamsley Beacon.
The cloud is breaking up to the east with patches of sunshine on the moors around Washburndale
From Lanshaw Lad I followed the path down to the top of Ilkley Crags. There's a great view of Wharfedale and Ilkley from up here..
Sunshine on Askwith Moor and Weston Moor to the east
One last shot from Ilkley Crags
Heading down to Ilkley past White Wells