Pennine Walker, a photographic walking diary

  • HOME
  • About this site
  • Walking Diaries
    • Walking Diary 2022
    • Walking Diary 2021
    • Walking Diary 2020
    • Walking Diary 2019
    • Walking Diary 2018
    • Walking Diary 2017
    • Walking Diary 2016
    • Walking Diary 2015
    • Walking Diary 2014
    • Walking Diary 2013
    • Walking Diary 2012
    • Walking Diary 2011
    • Walking Diary 2010
    • Walking Diary 2009
    • Walking Diary 2008
  • Lake District Walks
  • Peak District Walks
  • Yorkshire Dales Walks
  • Forest of Bowland, Pendle & West Pennine Moors Walks
  • South Pennines Walks
  • Walks in other areas
  • Links Page

29th December 2019 - Ilkley Moor

Walk Details

Distance walked: 12.0 miles

Total ascent: 1467 ft

OS map used: 297 - Lower Wharfedale & Washburn Valley

Time taken: 6 hrs

Route description: Ilkley-The Tarn-Backstone Beck-Cow and Calf-Dales Way-Coldstone Beck-Burley Moor-High Lanshaw Dam-Lanshaw Delves-Lanshaw Lad-Twelve Apostles stone circle-Ilkley Moor-Whetstone Gate-East Buck Stones-West Buck Stones-Addingham High Moor-Windgate Nick-Nab End-Windgate Nick-Millennium Way-Ilkley


I've had to wait a few days into my Christmas/New Year break for the weather to be good enough to be able to head out for a walk. I decided to do a route across Ilkley Moor from Ilkley; going all the way from the eastern end above Burley, Burley Moor; to the western end, Addingham High Moor, above Airedale. It certainly made the most of the daylight hours and I arrived back in Ilkley in twilght with the sun having set. It was a mild winter's day, unseasonably mild in some parts of the country, though nothing out of the ordinary here, with a good deal of fairly high cloud, which made things rather dull and grey. More in the way of blue skies came across in the afternoon though, and with the haze and mistiness in the air this gave a great light on the moors when the sun came out, especially when I was on Nab End.

​After parking in the Darwin Gardens car park on Wells Road in Ilkley I set off by taking the track east from Wells Road to The Tarn, and then a footpath east across Backstone Beck to the Cow and Calf. I then followed the Dales Way southeast along the edge of the moor until I reached the valley of Coldstone Beck where I left the trail and took a path up by the beck to a track on Burley Moor, which I followed to High Lanshaw Dam. I then made my way to Lanshaw Delves and then west to pick up the path to the Twelve Apostles stone circle. From there it was on to the boundary stone of Lanshaw Lad, and then the path west across Ilkley Moor, passing the trig point, to Whetstone Gate. I continued across the moor from Whetstone Gate to East Buck Stones and West Buck Stones, and then northwest to the trig point on Addingham High Moor. From the trig point I crossed a stile over a wall, and followed a path by the wall down to Windgate Nick, from where I did a there and back to Nab End. Once back at Windgate Nick I followed the Millennium Way east along the edge of the moor to Keighley Road in Ilkley. I then walked down Keighley Road and Wells Road back to the car park.

Route map
Picture
© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. License number PU 100034184.

Picture
Leaving Ilkley on the path to The Tarn
Picture
Reflections in The Tarn
Picture
The Stanza Stone of "Beck" in Backstone Beck
Picture
Ilkley and Wharfedale from the crags at Cow and Calf
Picture
The boulder of The Calf sits beneath the crags
Picture
Following the Dales Way east towards Burley Moor
Picture
Looking back to the crags of the Cow and Calf, with Beamsley Beacon and Round Hill in the distance on the right
Picture
and down Wharfedale to Burley-in-Wharfedale and The Chevin
Picture
Heading east below Burley Moor towards Barks Crag
Picture
Coldstone Beck as I follow the path up onto the top of Burley Moor
Picture
Looking down Wharfedale to The Chevin from Burley Moor
Picture
Baildon Moor in the distance
Picture
Past High Lanshaw Dam..
Picture
Picture
Ilkley Moor from Lanshaw Delves
Picture
At the boundary stone of Lanshaw Lad with Beamsley Beacon and Round Hill in the distance on the other side of Wharfedale
Picture
The Twelve Apostles stone circle
Picture
At the trig point on Ilkley Moor
Picture
Leaving the trig point by the flagged path that heads west across the moor to Whetstone Gate..
Picture
Picture
The Stanza Stone of "Puddle"
Picture
OS benchmark on one of the Thimble Stones
Picture
The Thimble Stones. It was a good spot to stop and take a break.
Picture
Looking west across Ilkley Moor as I follow the path west past Whetstone Gate..
Picture
Picture
Up until now there's been precious little in the way of sunshine, but there's some now as more in the way of blue skies comes across. The moorland colours look great and there are reflections of the sky in the standing water...
Picture
Picture
Picture
Ilkley Moor from East Buck Stones
Picture
Looking towards Addingham High Moor
Picture
Beamsley Beacon and Round Hill on the other side of Wharfedale
Picture
Below West Buck Stones
Picture
The boggy expanses of Crawshaw Moss and Heber Moss below the Buck Stones...
Picture
Picture
Picture
Looking back to Ilkley Moor from Addingham High Moor
Picture
At the trig point on Addingham High Moor
Picture
Beamsley Beacon and Round Hill in the distance
Picture
Looking back up to Addingham High Moor as I head down to Windgate Nick
Picture
I can just about make out Steeton Moor, Ickornshaw Moor and Earl Crag through the haze
Picture
The village of Addingham below
Picture
I've decided that I have enough time to take in the view across Airedale from Nab End. It proves to be worth it as the sun drops into a gap in the clouds....
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Beamsley Beacon from Nab End
Picture
Haze and mist over Airedale as the sun sets
Picture
As I follow the path east along the northern edge of the moor back to Ilkley there some great colours in the sky caused by the setting sun...
Picture
Picture

Return to HOME
Return to South Pennines Walks
Return to Walking Diary 2019
© Alan Kilduff 2016-2022                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
  • HOME
  • About this site
  • Walking Diaries
    • Walking Diary 2022
    • Walking Diary 2021
    • Walking Diary 2020
    • Walking Diary 2019
    • Walking Diary 2018
    • Walking Diary 2017
    • Walking Diary 2016
    • Walking Diary 2015
    • Walking Diary 2014
    • Walking Diary 2013
    • Walking Diary 2012
    • Walking Diary 2011
    • Walking Diary 2010
    • Walking Diary 2009
    • Walking Diary 2008
  • Lake District Walks
  • Peak District Walks
  • Yorkshire Dales Walks
  • Forest of Bowland, Pendle & West Pennine Moors Walks
  • South Pennines Walks
  • Walks in other areas
  • Links Page