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| Ilkley Moor | |
|---|---|
 Cow and Calf rocks | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 402 m (1,319 ft) |
| Prominence | c. 244 metres (801 ft) |
| Parent peak | Thorpe Fell Top |
| Listing | Marilyn |
| Geography | |
 | |
| Location | West Yorkshire, England |
| OS grid | SE114452 |
| Topo map | OSLandranger 104 |
Ilkley Moor is part ofRombalds Moor, themoorland betweenIlkley andKeighley inWest Yorkshire,England. The moor, which rises to 402 m (1,319 ft) above sea level, is well known as the inspiration for theYorkshire "county anthem"On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at (dialect for 'on Ilkley Moor without a hat').
During theCarboniferous period (325 million years ago), Ilkley Moor was part of a sea-level swampy area fed by meandering river channels coming from the north. The layers in the eroded bank faces of stream gullies in the area represent sea levels with various tides depositing different sorts of sediment. Over a long period, the sediments were cemented and compacted into hard rock layers. Geological forces lifted and tilted the strata a little towards the south-east, producing many small fractures, or faults.Since the end of the Carboniferous period more than a thousand metres of coal-bearing rocks have been completely removed from the area by erosion. During the last million years, Ice Age glaciers modified the shape of the Wharfe valley, deepening it, smoothing it, and leaving behind glacial debris.[1]Themillstone grit not only gives character to the town of Ilkley but gives the area its acid soils, heather moors, soft water, and rocky scars.
To the north, where the moor drops steeply towards the village ofBen Rhydding, a satellite of the town ofIlkley, are twomillstone gritrock climbing areas: Rocky Valley and Ilkley Quarry.
Ilkley Quarry is the site of the famous "Cow and Calf", a large rock formation consisting of an outcrop and boulder, also known as Hangingstone Rocks. The rocks are made ofmillstone grit, a variety ofsandstone, and are so named because one is large, with the smaller one sitting close to it, like acow andcalf. Legend has it that there was once also a "bull", but that was quarried for stone during thespa town boom thatIlkley was part of in the 19th century. However, none of the local historians have provided any evidence of the Bull's existence.
According to legend, the Calf was split from the Cow when thegiant Rombald was fleeing an enemy and stamped on the rock as he leapt across the valley. The enemy, it is said, was his angry wife. She dropped the stones held in her skirt to form the local rock formation The Skirtful of Stones.
In July 2006 a major fire on the moor left between a quarter and half of it destroyed.[2]
TheBBC Television seriesGunpowder (2017) used Ilkley Moor as a location.[3]
On the Woodhouse Crag on the northern edge of Ilkley Moor is aswastika-shaped pattern engraved in a stone, known as theSwastika Stone,[4] also referred to as afylfot. The image at the bottom-right of the picture is a 20th-century replica; the original carving can be seen at the bottom left.
This stone is just one of many carved rocks on the moor; well-known others include the 'Badger Stone', 'Nebstone', and 'St Margaret's Stones'. These are earthfast boulders, large flat slabs, or prominent rocks that have cups, rings, and grooves cut into them and that are thought to date from either the late Neolithic or the Bronze Age. While some carvings consist of simple cups, others, such as the Badger Stone, Hanging Stones, and the Panorama Rocks, have a complex series of patterns (or motifs) combining many different elements. Rombald's Moor has the second-highest concentration of ancient carved stones in Europe, with carvings as far away asSkipton Moor. There is also a small stone circle known asThe Twelve Apostles.[5]
On 1 December 1987, Phillip Spencer, a retired policeman,saw and photographed what he believed was an alien being on the moor. He said he saw the strange creature rush up the hill and give a signal to him with one of its arms as if telling him not to approach. He later saw a dome-topped craft at the top of the hill after following the being which shot into the air at a blinding speed.[6] TheDaily Telegraph included this event in a 2011 list of "Top 10 UFO incidents in the UK".[7]
The moor forms part of theSouth Pennine MoorsSite of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).[8] It also forms part of the South Pennine MoorsSpecial Protection Area (SPA) andSpecial Area of Conservation (SAC).
The Friends of Ilkley Moor group was founded in 2008 and works with partners to preserve the moor.[9]
In 2008, Bradford Metropolitan District Council leased thegrouse shooting rights for Ilkley Moor.[10] This move led to controversy because of concerns about its impact on wildlife, walking, leisure and local tourism. In January 2018, the majority Labour group on the Council resolved not to renew the rights, and the grouse shooting ceased in April 2018.[11][12]
53°54′54″N1°48′54″W / 53.915°N 1.815°W /53.915; -1.815
Marilyns of Northern England | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. Northumberland |  | |
| 2. Northern Lakeland | ||
| 3. Western Lakeland | ||
| 4. Central and Southern Lakeland | ||
| 5. Eastern Lakeland | ||
| 6. North Pennines and Durham | ||
| 7. Northern Yorkshire Dales | ||
| 8. Southern Yorkshire Dales | ||
| 9. North York Moors to the Humber | ||
| 10. Forest of Bowland | ||
