Ilkley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ilkley |
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 Ilkley Town Hall |
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 Ilkley
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| Population | 14,809 (2011 census) |
| OS grid reference | SE116477 |
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| Metropolitan borough | |
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| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ILKLEY |
| Postcode district | LS29 |
| Dialling code | 01943 |
| Police | West Yorkshire |
| Fire | West Yorkshire |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| EU Parliament | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| UK Parliament |
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| Councillors |
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Ilkley is a lovely spa town and parish located in West Yorkshire, Northern England. It's part of the City of Bradford. Ilkley parish also includes the nearby village of Ben Rhydding.
This town is about 12 miles (19 km) north of Bradford and 17 miles (27 km) north-west of Leeds. Ilkley sits mainly on the south side of the River Wharfe in Wharfedale. This area is one of the beautiful Yorkshire Dales.
Ilkley is famous for its history as a spa town. People came here to "take the waters" for health. The beautiful countryside around it makes tourism a big part of the local economy. The town centre has many Victorian buildings, wide streets, and pretty flower displays. Ilkley Moor, just south of the town, is well-known for a folk song called "On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at". This song is often called the unofficial anthem of Yorkshire. Its title means "On Ilkley Moor without a hat" in the local Yorkshire dialect.
Contents
Exploring Ilkley's Past
Early Life in Ilkley
The oldest signs of people living in the Ilkley area are flint arrowheads. These tools date back to the Mesolithic period, around 11,000 BC. People have lived here continuously since at least the Neolithic age, about 3000 BC.
More than 250 cup and ring marks have been found on rocks around Ilkley. These are ancient carvings. Archaeologists have also found remains of old homes on Ilkley Moor. A small stone circle, possibly a burial site, was built 4,500 years ago. It's known as the 'Twelve Apostles'.
Roman Times in Ilkley
The remains of a Roman fort are near the town centre. Some experts believe it was called Olicana and was built in 79 AD. Many Roman altars have been found here. These altars were dedicated to Roman emperors like Antoninus Pius and Septimius Severus.
The Ilkley Manor House stands on part of the old Roman fort site. It holds many Roman items. One special item is an altar dedicated to Verbeia, the goddess of the River Wharfe.
Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Ilkley
Three Anglo-Saxon crosses from the 8th century used to stand outside All Saints' Church. They have been moved inside to protect them from damage. This church site has been a place for Christian worship since 627 AD. The current church building is mostly Victorian, but it still has parts from the medieval period.
The Domesday Book of 1086 mentions Ilkley. It shows that William de Percy owned the land. Later, the Middelton family took over the land. They owned it for many centuries. In the 19th century, they started selling off parts of their land. The agents for William Middelton helped design the new town of Ilkley.
Ilkley as a Spa Town
In the 17th and 18th centuries, Ilkley became known for its special water. People believed the water had healing powers. In the 19th century, it became a popular spa town. The Ben Rhydding Hydro was built in 1843-1844. It was a place where people could get water treatments.
Famous people like Charles Darwin visited Ilkley for these treatments. He stayed at Wells House when his famous book On the Origin of Species was published in 1859. Tourists came to drink the water and bathe in the cold springs. The village of Wheatley was even renamed Ben Rhydding after the Hydro.
The growth of the spa town was helped by the railway. A railway line was built in 1865, connecting Ilkley to Leeds and Bradford. Another line to Skipton opened in 1888.
Today, the only remaining hydro building is the small white cottage called White Wells House. You can see it on the edge of the moor, looking over the town.
How Ilkley is Governed
Ilkley Town Council
In May 2018, Ilkley's parish council became a town council. This means it has more responsibilities for local matters. Cllr Stephen Butler was the first Town Mayor. The town is divided into four areas, called wards: Ilkley North, Ilkley South, Ilkley West, and Ben Rhydding. These wards elect 14 councillors. The council meets in the Ilkley Town Hall. They collect a small amount of money from local taxes to help run the town and support local projects.
UK Parliament Representation
Ilkley is part of the Keighley UK Parliament constituency. This is the area that elects one person to represent them in the national Parliament. Since 2019, Robbie Moore from the Conservative Party has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for this area.
Local Councillors for Bradford
Ilkley is also a ward within the City of Bradford. This means it has councillors who represent Ilkley on the larger City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council. Currently, two Conservative councillors, Andrew Loy and David Nunns, and one Green Party councillor, Ros Brown, represent Ilkley.
Ilkley's Location and Features
Ilkley is surrounded by other towns and villages. These include Addingham, Burley-in-Wharfedale, and Menston.
The town is a good place for people who work in Leeds or Bradford. Leeds is about 18 miles (29 km) away and Bradford is about 15.6 miles (25 km) by road. There are also many trains each day from Ilkley railway station to both cities.
Ilkley sits in a valley with the River Wharfe running through it. The land rises from 230 feet (70 metres) near the river to 650 feet (200 metres) on Ilkley Moor. The river has four bridges crossing it. One is a 16th-century stone bridge, now only for walking. Another is a 19th-century iron bridge. There's also a suspension bridge just for walkers and a modern steel bridge. Sometimes, the river floods the sports fields and a few houses nearby.
Who Lives in Ilkley?
Someone from Ilkley is sometimes called an Olicanian. This name comes from Olicana, which was likely the name of the Roman fort that Ilkley was built upon. Most of the people living in Ilkley are White (98.02%). The largest age group is people aged 45 to 59 years old.
Ilkley's Economy
Ilkley is a popular place for tourists. Many visitors come to explore the famous moor and the beautiful countryside. The town is also a great place for shopping. You can find everything from special foods to expensive clothes and art. The Victorian streets like the Grove and Brook Street have many unique shops.
The town also has some businesses. These include the Woolmark Company, Spooner Industries, and NG Bailey. Ilkley is home to three breweries: Ilkley Brewery, Wharfedale Brewery, and Bini Brew Co.
Many people in Ilkley work in services like property, business, retail, education, and health. Compared to the rest of England, Ilkley has more people working in education and health. The unemployment rate in Ilkley is quite low, at 1.8%.
Getting Around Ilkley
Public Transport
The Ilkley bus station is a central point for buses going to places like Keighley, Leeds, Leeds Bradford Airport, Skipton, and Otley. Major bus companies like First Leeds and Keighley Bus Company operate here.
Ilkley is on the A65 road, which connects Leeds and Kendal. The closest major highways are the M62 near Bradford and the M1 near Leeds.
The town has two railway stations: Ilkley and Ben Rhydding. These stations are on the Wharfedale Line. Northern Trains runs services from Ilkley to Bradford and Leeds.
Leeds Bradford International Airport is also very close to Ilkley, making it easy to travel by air.
Sports in Ilkley
Ilkley has many different sports clubs and facilities.
- The Ilkley Lawn Tennis and Squash Club was founded in 1880. It hosts the Ilkley Squash Open and the Ilkley Trophy, a big tennis tournament.
- Ilkley Golf Club is Yorkshire's third oldest golf club, started in 1890. Famous golfer Colin Montgomerie used to practice here.
- There are also clubs for rugby, hockey, and cricket. Ilkley Town A.F.C. is a community football club with over 650 members. In 2021, they joined the North West Counties League.
Public sports places include indoor and outdoor swimming pools. Ilkley's Lido was built in 1935. It's one of only four outdoor public swimming pools in Yorkshire and is very popular in summer.
Cycling Races in Ilkley
Ilkley has hosted several big international cycling races. The steep climb up to the Cow and Calf rocks on Ilkley Moor is a challenging part of these races.
- From 1994 to 1996, the climb was part of the Leeds Classic, a World Cup event.
- In 2005 and 2007, the Tour of Britain race came through Ilkley.
- In 2014, the famous Tour de France passed through the town.
- The annual Tour de Yorkshire, which started after the Tour de France's success, also includes Ilkley. In 2018, Stage 2 of the Tour de Yorkshire finished at the Cow and Calf rocks.
Culture and Fun Things to Do
Ilkley town centre is a great place to visit with many unique shops. Lishman's of Ilkley is an award-winning butcher shop. Ilkley is also home to one of the famous Bettys tearooms. The Box Tree restaurant in Ilkley has a Michelin star, meaning it's a very high-quality restaurant.
Ilkley has won awards for its beauty, including the Entente Florale in 1991 and Britain in Bloom in 1990 and 2004. In 2006, Ilkley became a Fairtrade Town.
Museums and Landmarks
The Manor House is one of the oldest buildings in town. It has a museum and art gallery. The museum shows ancient items and tells the story of the Roman fort Olicana. It also explains how Ilkley grew into a Victorian spa town. The Ilkley Toy Museum has a collection of toys from as far back as 350 BC.
Outdoor Adventures
Ilkley's countryside is perfect for walkers and cyclists. The famous Cow and Calf rocks are on Ilkley Moor. They look like a large cow and a smaller calf. This spot is also popular for rock climbing. The Old Bridge, just outside the town centre, is the start of the Dales Way. This is an 84-mile (135 km) walk through the dales to Bowness-on-Windermere in the Lake District.
Darwin Gardens, south of the town, is a special park. It celebrates Ilkley's connection to the famous naturalist Charles Darwin. The park has a maze inspired by the ancient Swastika Stone carving.
Festivals and Media
Ilkley hosts the largest and oldest literary festival in the North of England, the Ilkley Literature Festival. The town has also been a filming location for movies like A Private Function (1984) and Calendar Girls (2003). The BBC show Psychoville is partly set in Ilkley. The Ilkley Gazette is the town's weekly newspaper.
Since 1988, Ilkley has held a complementary medicine festival twice a year. It attracts many visitors.
Ilkley has been twinned with Coutances in France since 1969.
In 2020, a part of the River Wharfe at Ilkley became the first river bathing place in England to be officially recognized. This means its water quality is checked regularly for safety. This happened after a campaign by the Ilkley Clean River Campaign.
Local News and Entertainment
You can get local news and TV shows from BBC Yorkshire and ITV Yorkshire.
Local radio stations include BBC Radio Leeds, Greatest Hits Radio Harrogate & The Yorkshire Dales, Capital Yorkshire, Heart Yorkshire, Drystone Radio, and Rombalds Radio.
The IIkley Gazette is the town's local weekly newspaper.
Education in Ilkley
Schools in Ilkley
Ilkley has a long history of education. A free school was first set up here in 1608. Today, there are four primary schools:
- All Saints' C of E Primary School
- Ashlands Primary School
- Ben Rhydding Primary School
- Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Ben Rhydding
There are also three preparatory schools (private schools for younger children):
- Moorfield School
- Westville House School, Middleton
- Ghyll Royd School and Pre-School
Ilkley has one secondary school, Ilkley Grammar School.
Higher Education History
In the past, Ilkley had a college for teachers called Ilkley College of Education. It later merged with Bradford College. However, the Ilkley campus of Bradford and Ilkley Community College closed in 1999.
Religion in Ilkley
Most residents in Ilkley are Christian (75.64%). The second largest group are people who do not have a religion (15.53%).
Places of Worship
Ilkley's old parish church, All Saints', has ancient Christian items, including three Saxon crosses. It is part of the Anglican Communion. As the town grew, a second church, St Margaret's Church, was built in 1879.
Other places of worship in Ilkley include:
- Ben Rhydding Methodist Church (Methodist)
- Christchurch (Methodist/United Reformed)
- Ilkley Baptist Church (Baptist)
- Kingdom Hall, Ilkley (Jehovah's Witnesses)
- St John's Parish Church
- St Margaret's Church, Ben Rhydding (Anglican)
- The Church of the Sacred Heart (Roman Catholic)
- The Ilkley Society of Friends' (Quaker) Meeting House, which opened in 1869.
Churches Together in Ilkley helps these churches work together.
A former Wesleyan Chapel, built in 1834, later became Ilkley's first museum in 1892. Today, it is a cycle store.
Ilkley's Coat of Arms
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Images for kids
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Bronze Age markings at Hangingstone Quarry, above Ilkley
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2004 Boundaries of Ilkley Ward.
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Ilkley Ward 2019 from CBMDC Ilkley Ward profile
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The Old Bridge, Ilkley
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Early winter snowfall on Station Road in the town centre
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Ilkley bus station
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Old suspension bridge spanning the Wharfe in Ilkley.
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Vibrant cherry blossoms adorn the river bank close to the town centre.
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The Grove, Ilkley's principal shopping street, designed with wide pavements for promenading
See also
In Spanish: Ilkley para niños
