Windows

As I descended from Ilkley Moor back down into the town, I noticed the backs of these lovely old stone houses had a fascinating mixture of windows.   Given half a chance, I'd love to relocate to Ilkley - but property there commands a hefty price tag, especially these big Victorian and Edwardian properties on the edge of the Moor, which were built when the town was a popular spa.  At the end of this row is the house, now called Hillside, where Charles Darwin stayed in 1859, at the time of the publication of his book 'Origin of the Species'.

He wrote to his son William: "The House is at the foot of a rocky, turfy rather steep half-mountain. It would be nice with fine weather; but now looks dismal. There are nice excursions & fine walks for those that can walk. The Water Cure has done me much good; but I fell down on Sunday morning & sprained my ancle, & have not been able to walk since & this has greatly interfered with the treatment…".

Climbing The Cow

Well, here's part of The Cow.... looks like rock, I hear you say, not a cow, and you are right of course.  The Cow and Calf rocks are a famous landmark on the edge of Ilkley Moor, overlooking the town.  They have been a draw for tourists ever since Victorian days, when Ilkley developed as a spa town and resort for day-trippers.  Nowadays you almost always see rock-climbers here.  The millstone grit provides an relatively easy surface for beginners to grip.  As it's easy to get to the top of the cliff (by a normal path... you didn't really think I'd climbed it, did you?) the instructors can send down ropes for the trainees to practise ascending and abseiling back down.  For the more familiar view of The Cow and its Calf, please click the Ilkley Moor link above.

The Cow and Calf

You might wonder why all these cars are parked here on the edge of Ilkley Moor.   That's a pretty good pub and restaurant further up the road - but that's not what's attracting all these visitors.  It's the Cow and Calf that they've all come to see.  Ah well, enjoy the view from the bench and we'll walk a bit further tomorrow....

And if you want to listen to the famous song (as mentioned in Vicki's comments yesterday) whilst you rest here, then click this link.

Backstone Beck

(Best viewed large)
One of the little becks that flows down off Ilkley Moor.  A 'beck' is another word for a stream, and is commonly used in the north of England.  You can see from the picture how the valley sides climb steeply from the town and then level off into a plateau.  Further up, there are mysterious stones carved with cup-and-ring markings, dating from the Bronze Age, and a 2000-year-old stone circle called the Twelve Apostles.  Sadly, I didn't have time to go as far as that on my walk.

Golden tones

I set off in search of some autumn colour at the weekend and was slightly disappointed on two counts. Firstly, the trees here are generally not yet showing a great deal of colour - certainly not in comparison with some other countries, as seen on various blogs.  Secondly, what looked like a promising day - bright sunshine when I left Saltaire - clouded over and became quite dull.  Undaunted, I had an enjoyable walk up on the moors above Ilkley, past the famous Cow and Calf rocks... of which, more later.

My photo shows Ilkley Tarn, a pretty little lake just above the town.  It's man-made, I think, probably intended as a destination for Victorian ladies visiting the spa to take a gentle walk round.  I can just imagine them in their crinolines.  I don't know how I've managed to miss it in all the trips I've made to Ilkley, but this is the first time I've seen it.  It makes a very pleasant stroll and I shall definitely go there again.  And next time I'll take some bread for the ducks, as they all swam over to inspect me and seemed very insulted that I was empty-handed!

Bracken

No trip to Ilkley Moor is complete without a photo of one of the most prolific moorland plants - Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum). It is at its most attractive at this time of year, when the new fronds are just unfurling like a baby's fist. (Apparently in some parts of the world the young shoots - appropriately named 'fiddleheads' - are eaten as a vegetable, even though the plant is carcinogenic!) I can remember studying the life cycle of ferns at school - and very wonderful and complex it is too.
As to my photo, I was quite pleased with this one. I use a bridge camera rather than a DSLR, and it's hard to get a nice blurry background. You need low light and to trick it into thinking you're taking a portrait! So here is my portrait of a bracken frond!

On Ilkla Moor Baht'at

And here is what some of you have been waiting for.....
From the terrace of the small building that holds the White Wells Spa, you can sit beside the flag showing the white rose emblem of Yorkshire, and survey the view over Ilkley (with a cup of Yorkshire Tea, of course!).

Be careful if, like these people, you're not wearing a hat.... You could come to a dreadful end. "On Ilkla Moor Baht'at" is a famous comic song, sung in Yorkshire dialect, warning a lover, courting Mary Jane on Ilkley Moor, that he will die of exposure if he doesn't wear a hat. It then goes on to teach a very sound lesson about recycling! Click this link to see a fine You-Tube rendition or this link to read the words in Yorkshire - and in English!

(Photo best viewed large)

White Wells Spa

White Wells is situated half way up Ilkley Moor, above the little town of Ilkley. The story goes that in the 1700s a local shepherd badly hurt his leg, which refused to heal. He found that it began to do so after he bathed it daily in Ilkley's spring waters. Word spread, and soon other visitors came to bathe in the (cold) healing waters. Between 1840 and 1870, hydrotherapy clinics were built in the area and, taking advantage of the new railway, wealthy Victorians flocked to the town to 'take the waters', cementing Ilkley's reputation as a place of genteel elegance. Charles Darwin was famously a visitor, at the time that his book "Origin of the Species" was being published.

White Wells was originally a two roomed cottage but was developed as a small spa. You can still see the spa bath - which nowadays seems to be used as a wishing well! It is owned by the Council, let to tenants and run as a tea room but these days it seems a bit neglected. It is a shame, as it's a lovely walk up to the viewpoint and a very pleasant place to sit with a drink. You would think that with an injection of cash to spruce it up and some entrepreneurial flair, it could be quite an attraction.

Wisteria & honeysuckle

Floral delights in Ilkley are not confined to the public displays in the town centre. On the road up to the moor, there are some beautiful old houses (my dream homes). I spotted this lovely arch of wisteria and honeysuckle over a door.

These are spacious, double-fronted houses dating back to the early 1800s.

This one is currently for sale - a six bedroomed, stone-built terraced house... a snip at £675,000 (€814,000)! If you can't afford that but want the experience, The Rombalds Hotel is in the same terrace, so you could perhaps have a weekend break there instead.

Floral display

Ilkley is renowned for having wonderful floral displays. It has several times won the annual Britain in Bloom competition, in the category 'Town'. The last time was in 2004, I think. Even the local 'Pizza Express' has lovely hanging baskets and these make a welcoming sight when you arrive in the town by train, as the restaurant is adjacent to the rail station. You can sit outside on this covered terrace to eat your pizza (though I'm not sure I like the plastic roof!)

[As others are reporting too, I have comments but the number is not showing. You can still read them if you click on the comments tag, I think. And thanks to all who are commenting :-) I love reading them.]

Victorian Arcade

Wandering round the shopping centre in Ilkley is a delight. There are some lovely small shops and exclusive boutiques. You can also visit one of the original Victorian arcades - a forerunner, I suppose, of our modern day shopping malls. It has been attractively restored, with hanging baskets and a fountain.

Listen to the band

On a sunny summer's day, what could be nicer than to sit by the bandstand in Ilkey's little park and listen to the music? You can choose a bench in the sun or one in the shade... but be prepared to make room for someone else too! (I know what's even nicer - listening to the music whilst eating a 'Yorkshire Dales' ice-cream. I know because I tried it!)

(I hope the band will play something suitable to wish all my American friends a very happy 4th July.)

Bettys Café Tea Rooms

Ilkley is one of four towns in Yorkshire that has a 'Bettys Café Tea Rooms'. (The others are in York, Harrogate and Northallerton.) Bettys is a family business dating back to 1919, when a young Swiss confectioner called Frederick Belmont came to England, intending to open a café on the south coast. The story goes that he took the wrong train and ended up in Yorkshire but, liking it, he decided to stay. There is a mystery over who Betty was, with several possible explanations.

Bettys prides itself on its traditional menu and attention to detail. The waitresses all wear uniform with white lace-trimmed aprons. It is THE best place for Afternoon Tea, with a selection of small sandwiches and cakes served on pretty china, and a wide range of unusual and specialist teas to choose from. It's also a good place for a leisurely Sunday brunch with the newspapers. (It is rather an expensive treat but one that I sometimes consider myself worthy of!) You can also buy their delicious breads and cakes to take home with you. The Tea Rooms in Ilkley has a very attractive dining room, with the largest marquetry picture ever made - a medieval hunting scene called La Chasse, made in Alsace entirely of unstained wood veneers.

In my photo, reflected in the shop window, you can see the Ilkley bandstand in the park opposite. For other participants in 'Weekend Reflections', hosted by James at Newtown Area Photo, click this link.

Ilkley

There are some lovely - and interesting - places within easy reach of Saltaire, so this year I am going to 'travel around' a little more, to share some of these locations in words and pictures. I begin with Ilkley, considered by many to be the 'jewel in the crown' of this area.

Ilkley is a small spa town, in the valley of the River Wharfe, about nine or so miles over the moors from Saltaire. There was a settlement (Olicana fort) here in Roman times. It became a fashionable spa town in the 19th century and has attracted a high proportion of older and affluent inhabitants. The 2001 census recorded 20% of the population as being retired.

In consequence there are some beautiful houses in the area. The shopping centre has some lovely Victorian buildings and a high number of small 'independent' shops. There is also a Michelin-starred restaurant, The Box Tree, where Marco Pierre White trained.