Thursday April 16th

Bingley and Ilkley Moors (Baht 'at)

We were staying in a comfortable AirBnb in Bingley, discharging Grandparent Duties... but David decided to stretch his legs and scope out a walk to take Cian on by-and-by. We had spotted a footpath sign close to where we were staying close to the Five Rise Locks and closer inspection of the OS map showed that this led up, through woods, towards the open countryside and moorland via Lady Lane. A sign at the top of the path identified the woods as The Greenwood.

After a somewhat combination of signed footpaths and housing estate roads, I reached Higher Hights Farm with a varied collection of piggies.



Higher Heights Piggies

I now found that I was on the Yorkshire Heritage and Dales High Ways, leading below a couple of reservoirs.

Two named footpaths for the price of one!

After a while, the Yorkshire Heritage Way appeared to morph into the Millenium Way. After crossing the Bingley Road after Weecher Reservoir I entered Bingley Moor.

Welcome to Bingley Moor

By this time, the prospect of Ilkley Moor had got an earworm going- on Ilkley Moor Baht 'At. At the Horncliffe Well (which I admit I didn't see- just an outcrop of rocks) I churlishly rejected the opportunity to join the Welcome Way but carried on to the Twelve Apostles, passing a handsome milestone.

Ilkley seems to have been added as an afterthought

There was a handy stone outside the Twelve Apostles, which I sat on to eat my lunch. I thought that Bad Things might happen if I sat on one of the Apostles.

The Twelve Apostles

At the Twelve Apostles, Bingley Moor changes into Ilkley Moor. I followed the flagged path down to the White Wells Bath House.

White Wells Bath House

Shortly below the bath house was a marker stone, which I guess indicates the Ilkley Local Borough Water Works.

The route back to Bingley is less inspiring, following a rough track, Keighley Road, up to a wireless station at Whetstone Gate. The track passes the Cowper Cross near the top of the ridge.

Cowper Cross

The walk down from Whetstone Gate is tedious but after Silsden Road/Street Lane is crossed, I went through a farm at West Morton where I was mobbed by a flock of sheep who possibly thought that I was going to feed them.


The final section of the walk was beside the canal until the Five Rise Locks, from where I returned to the AirBnb.

A walk of 14 miles with 600m ascent.


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