Saltaire to Ilkley over the Moor

Join Roger for a walk from Saltaire , up to Shipley Glen, then heading towards Ilkley Moor. Walk over the moor which has great views before dropping down into the Spa town of Ilkley.

This walk can easily be reached by car, but for those living near to the excellent West Yorkshire rail network it may be more convenient and certainly more pleasant, to travel by train to the start of the walk at Saltaire. The walk starts by crossing the Leeds - Liverpool Canal and the River Aire, before heading up Shipley Glen.

After the glen the route takes the Millennium Way and Dales Way Link path, first of all on a bridleway, then on a good footpath over Ilkley Moor. The highest point of the walk is near the Twelve Apostles stone circle. After that the path descends gradually to Ilkley, where the train takes you back to Saltaire or anywhere else you may have a fancy to go.

Saltaire Village was built by Sir Titus Salt for his workers and is a World Heritage Site. The houses are light and airy and Sir Titus stipulated that there were to be no pubs within the 'square mile'. Instead he built chapels and libraries. Salts Mill once faced demolition, but is now a cross between a posh shop and an art gallery, which is a must-do for David Hockney fans.

Shipley Glen has been a playground for the people of the Bradford area from the nineteenth century and still is. You may see families, picnickers, horse-riders, stunt cyclists, rock-climbers and dog-walkers all sharing the same space. There is an interesting visitors' centre at Bracken Hall (signed), near the start of the glen.

The moor section is at its best on a clear day; look for the 'golf ball' aerials of Menwith Hill, which will probably not survive as long as the Twelve Apostles stone circle has. The circle of twelve stones was probably larger at one time, with up to twenty stones. The whole area must have been hugely important to our Neolithic ancestors and there are several examples of stones with ancient carvings nearby, the Badger Stone perhaps being the best-known. Also near our route is another carved stone, the Swastika Stone, which is possibly Iron Age.

The route drops down to Ilkley via the ancient well at White Wells, which was a spa in the nineteenth century and which now has a café and visitor centre. Ilkley is a town full of delights, ranging from a branch of Betty's Tea Rooms (of Harrogate fame), David Lishman's butcher's shop (one of Rick Stein's 'Food Heroes') and a fascinating museum.