Explore the ‘Chelsea of the North’ and enjoy the Yorkshire Dales

Ilkley in Yorkshire is somewhere I am lucky enough to have visited many times in the last 10+ years. I always have an excuse to visit because a good friend of mine moved here about a decade ago. Ilkley has picture-perfect streets, good schools and rolling countryside. It is a bit of an idyllic town, and this is probably why the Sunday Times has named it the best place to live in the North of England in 2025.

The delight of this is that I’ve been able to explore Ilkley and its surrounding area at a leisurely pace. It was in my visit in March 2025 when I finally got to experience a couple of iconic Ilkley institutions and thought, I really must write about this wonderful town. So here I am, on an LNER train back to London, scribbling away.

Contents

Ilkley: a bit of history

Historians and archaeologists estimate that Ilkley has been inhabited since 11,000 BC. Of course not much survives from this period, but it does go to explain the beauty of the town. There are still ruins of Roman walls that punctuate the stunning sand and Clipsham stone buildings in the town.

Ilkley gained the status it enjoys today due to its water quality in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. By the Nineteenth Century people would come to Ilkley in a similar fashion that they would Cheltenham, Harrogate or Bath. It became a destination for those looking to ‘take the waters’ which meant a good railway connection to Leeds and Bradford followed.

Today Ilkley is an incredibly affluent part of Yorkshire. This means it has a brilliant selection of local and chain stores, some wonderful charity shops (as my new cape which was originally from Jigsaw can attest) and just a pleasant place to spend a day or a weekend.

Getting to Ilkley

Over the years I have tried and tested most ways of getting from London to Ilkley:

• the Megabus to Leeds and then the local bus to Ilkley. This is cheap as chips, but slow – it’s ok if you have a day to travel, but the bus from Leeds to Ilkley is over an hour itself,
• the National Express* to Leeds and the Ilkley train (when I was starting to feel fancier),
• the train from London Kings X to Ilkley* with a change in Leeds. This is my recommended route, especially if you book your ticket in advance as you can get a good fare and it is pretty quick for the distance, plus the WiFi is stable on the journey.
• and of course the car. This is my least favourite as the motorway is always awful and once you get out of Leeds the roads are windy and pot-holey. If you have a 4 x 4 it isn’t too bad but the Ford Fiesta doesn’t love the cattle grids and single track roads.

Reading List

The most famous books that are set near Ilkley are those by the Brontë sisters (who were based about 15 miles away in Haworth). My favourite of these has always been Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.* I recently discovered Stuart Maconie’s take on Yorkshire in the Full English. This has now become a firm favourite.

What to do in Ilkley

Hike around Ilkley Moor

The Moor at Ilkley is bleak, full of ankle height shrubbery and beautiful. Due to how long Ilkley has been inhabited, there are some wonderful old crosses, stone circles and carvings to see on the Moor. It’s a very different terrain to my much loved Cleveland Way and challenging in very different ways.

One of the best ways to plot your route on Ilkley Moor is via an app like AllTrails. It took us on a great 10km circular route which had some hill climbing (it’s a Moor so you’d expect it too) but also some great flat land to help pick up the pace.

Ilkley Moor is a dog walkers paradise, and when the sheep are not out you can let the dog off the lead to run free, which is a bonus for many too.

Stop for tea at Bettys

Bettys is a Yorkshire institution, with just five branches in the county (Harrogate, Ilkley, York, Northallerton and Harlow Carr). It is one of those places that you hear spoken about usually in the context of a weekend in York or Harrogate – oh you MUST stop into Bettys. Because of how well regarded Bettys is, I have never eaten in before as it’s either been too busy, too expensive or both.

After hearing ALOT about the wonder of a Fat Rascal from Natalie, I opted for the 800-calorie scone (yup, I mean I think this includes the butter but still) and I regretted nothing. The Fat Rascal is buttery, crumbly, served warm and is frankly just delicious.

You can also buy things to take home with you at Bettys. The mini delicacies, bars of chocolate and tins of biscuits mean you can extend the Bettys experience a little longer.

Oh, and in the photo above is possibly the most expensive (well in the UK) but most delicious iced coffee I have ever tasted.

Explore Ilkley’s independent shops

In addition to a selection of high-end chain shops, Ilkley boasts many home-grown or Yorkshire-based businesses. These clearly are more than just shops – they are part of the community.

The Grove Bookshop is what you would expect from an independent bookshop – stuffed with unique finds and a facilitator of a local literary festival.

It was however the Yorkshire Soap Co that took my breath away. The soaps which line the shelves are more like works of art than something I would use in a bath. It smells delightful and will probably adorn my Instagram at some point.

In addition to the independent shops, there are a really good selection of charity shops with barely worn but expensive clothes filling the shelves. They are not quite on West London levels, but you can snag a bargain.

Walk along the River

The River at Ilkley is not a big one, but the attraction comes in the gardens on the waters edge and playground which is a great place for kids to run around.

Step into Ilkley’s past at the Manor House

Ilkley Manor House is one of those gems of a local museum that I love. Whilst the manor house sadly has no taxidermy, it does give you a taste of what Medieval life in Ilkley would have been like as the building dates back to 1390…

It’s small, so you can spend less than an hour there, but it is set up for big and small kids to enjoy. On the top floor there are two art exhibits, and on the bottom lots of Roman stones and artifacts from times gone by.

The signs at the Manor House tell you about the history of the Roman Fort in Ilkley (there were three), they show you how the curators are recreating a medieval garden and talk you through the preservation of the house.

Ilkley Manor House is free to visit, but a donation of £3 is encouraged.

Going beyond Ilkley

There is more than enough to do for a weekend in Ilkley, but if you are there for a bit longer, you might want to consider visiting the following places

Haworth

As home to the Bronte Sisters, Haworth is a literary institution. Its a beautiful hilltop village between Ilkley and Bradford and really takes seriously the role which it has played in British literature.

The Brontë Parsonage museum is the must-visit for anyone who has read Wuthering Heights* or Jane Eyre* as the way in which the house has been turned into a museum lets you feel as if you are at the desk which one of the sisters used, and with the Moor in the background you can imagine yelling “Heathcliff, Heathcliff”.

The Museum costs £12.50 and your ticket is valid for a whole year (you can only buy it directly here). There are loads of tours out there, some of which are over £200, that take you around the town. If you have this amount of money going spare, or want everything arranged for you, it could be worth it, but it’s a big markup if you can do it yourself.

Fountains Abbey

Fountains Abbey in Ripon is looked after by the National Trust and is known as one of the best Abbeys in the North of England. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the basis it is a creative feat of human genius. The Abbey is one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries in England. There is also a Deer Park on the grounds, so win-win.

Fountains Abbey costs £21.00 to visit or is free for National Trust Members. You do not need to book in advance.

Bolton Abbey is closer to Ilkley, but that’s still on my ‘to visit’ list.

Cullingworth

Ok, so this could be the only blog ever that recommends Cullingworth. It’s a tiny Yorkshire village not far from Keithley, where everyone literally knows everyone. It has a mill, a meat processing plant, some wonderful Gelato and a great antique shop or two (I got a wonderful print at Cullingworth Mills). It’s traditional Yorkshire through and through.

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