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.
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
© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. License number PU 100034184.
Leaving Ilkley on the path to The Tarn
Reflections in The Tarn
The Stanza Stone of "Beck" in Backstone Beck
Ilkley and Wharfedale from the crags at Cow and Calf
The boulder of The Calf sits beneath the crags
Following the Dales Way east towards Burley Moor
Looking back to the crags of the Cow and Calf, with Beamsley Beacon and Round Hill in the distance on the right
and down Wharfedale to Burley-in-Wharfedale and The Chevin
Heading east below Burley Moor towards Barks Crag
Coldstone Beck as I follow the path up onto the top of Burley Moor
Looking down Wharfedale to The Chevin from Burley Moor
Baildon Moor in the distance
Past High Lanshaw Dam..
Ilkley Moor from Lanshaw Delves
At the boundary stone of Lanshaw Lad with Beamsley Beacon and Round Hill in the distance on the other side of Wharfedale
The Twelve Apostles stone circle
At the trig point on Ilkley Moor
Leaving the trig point by the flagged path that heads west across the moor to Whetstone Gate..
The Stanza Stone of "Puddle"
OS benchmark on one of the Thimble Stones
The Thimble Stones. It was a good spot to stop and take a break.
Looking west across Ilkley Moor as I follow the path west past Whetstone Gate..
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...
Ilkley Moor from East Buck Stones
Looking towards Addingham High Moor
Beamsley Beacon and Round Hill on the other side of Wharfedale
Below West Buck Stones
The boggy expanses of Crawshaw Moss and Heber Moss below the Buck Stones...
Looking back to Ilkley Moor from Addingham High Moor
At the trig point on Addingham High Moor
Beamsley Beacon and Round Hill in the distance
Looking back up to Addingham High Moor as I head down to Windgate Nick
I can just about make out Steeton Moor, Ickornshaw Moor and Earl Crag through the haze
The village of Addingham below
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....
Beamsley Beacon from Nab End
Haze and mist over Airedale as the sun sets
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...
