Ilkley
Encyclopedia
Ilkley is a spa town
and civil parish in West Yorkshire
, in the north of England. Ilkley civil parish includes the adjacent village of Ben Rhydding
and is a ward within the metropolitan borough of Bradford
. Approximately 12 miles (19.3 km) north of Bradford
, the town lies mainly on the south bank of the River Wharfe
in Wharfedale
, one of the Yorkshire Dales
. The parish has a population of 13,828 (census 2001).
Ilkley's spa town heritage and surrounding countryside make tourism an important local industry. The town centre is characterised by Victorian architecture
, wide streets and floral displays. Ilkley Moor
, to the south of the town, is the subject of a folk song, often described as the unofficial anthem of Yorkshire
, "On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at". The song's words are written in Yorkshire dialect, its title translated as "On Ilkley Moor without a hat."
The earliest evidence of habitation in the Ilkley area is flint arrowheads or microlith
s, dating to the Mesolithic
period, from about 11,000 BC onwards. The area around Ilkley has been continuously settled since at least the early Bronze Age
, around 1800 BC; more than 250 cup and ring mark
s, and swastika
carvings dating to the period have been found on rock outcrops, and archaeological remains of dwellings are found on Ilkley Moor
. A druid
ical stone circle
, the Twelve Apostles Stone Circle, was constructed 2,000 years ago.
The remains of a Roman
fort exist on a site near the centre of town. A number of authorities believe that the fort is Olicana
, dating to 79 AD, but the identification is not settled. A number of Roman altars have been discovered dating to the reigns of Antoninus Pius
(138 to 161), and Septimius Severus
and his son Caracalla
(211 to 217).
Three Anglo-Saxon
crosses formerly in the churchyard of All Saints', but now inside the church to prevent erosion, date to the 8th century. The site of the church as a centre for Christian worship extends to 627 AD, and the present mainly Victorian
era church incorporated medieval
elements.
The Domesday Book
, of 1086, records Ilkley (Ilecliue/Illecliue/Illiclei/Illicleia) as being in the possession of William de Percy
1st Baron Percy
. The land was acquired by the Middelton family of Myddelton Lodge, from about a century after the time of William the Conqueror
. The family lost possession through a series of land sales and mortgage repossessions over a period of about a hundred years from the early 19th century. The agents of William Middelton (1815–1885) were responsible for the design of the new town of Ilkley to replace the village which had stood there before.
In the 17th and 18th centuries the town gained a reputation for the efficacy of its water. In the 19th century it became established as a fashionable spa town
, with the construction of Ben Rhydding Hydro, a Hydropathic Establishment at Wheatley, a mile to the east, between 1843 and 1844. Charles Darwin
underwent hydropathic treatment at Wells House when his book On the Origin of Species was published on 24 November 1859, whilst staying with his family North View House (now Hillside Court). Tourists flocked to 'take the waters' and bathe in the cold water spring. Wheatley was renamed Ben Rhydding after the Hydro, which has been demolished.
Development based on the Hydro movement, and on the establishment of a number of convalescent homes and hospitals, was accelerated in August 1865 by the construction of the railway, the Otley and Ilkley Joint Railway, to the Leeds and Bradford Railway
and the North Eastern Railway
. A further connection was made in May 1888, by the Midland Railway
, to Skipton
via Bolton Abbey
.
Other Victorian visitors to the town include Madame Tussaud. Today, the only remaining Hydro building is the white cottage known as White Wells House. The cottage can be seen and visited on the edge of the moor over-looking the town.
In the 20th and 21st centuries Ilkley has become a dormitory town for cities of Leeds
and Bradford
.
to fund its running and to aid the development of local projects. The parish is a ward within the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford
and is represented by three Conservative
councillors.
Ilkley is part of the Keighley UK Parliament constituency
whose seat is held by Kris Hopkins
, Conservative
MP, who replaced Ann Cryer
and was elected in the 2010 general election. Ann Cryer was first elected in the General Election of 1997, and her late husband Bob Cryer
held the seat between 1974 and 1983. Ilkley is in the Yorkshire and the Humber
European constituency.
Before 1974 Ilkley was an urban district
, a type of local government
district. Ilkley Urban District Council shared local government responsibilities with the West Riding County Council
. The Local Government Act 1972
dissolved urban districts and in 1974 Ilkley adopted its current status as a ward of the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford
. Services provided by the urban district council are now run centrally by the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council.
Until 2006 Ilkley civil parish consisted of Ilkley ward, which includes Ben Rhydding, and the north half of Rombalds ward. The latter ward housed the villages of Burley-in-Wharfedale and Menston. The population of the parish in 2001 was therefore considerably higher than it is today, consisting of 24,954 residents. In 2006 Burley-in-Wharfedale and Menston established their own parishes and today Ilkley consists only of Ilkley ward (13,828 residents).
in a valley, rising from the river at 230 feet (70.1 m) to 650 feet (198.1 m) above sea level, up Ilkley Moor
(a bracken and heather covered moorland
, with rocky outcrops, to the south) and to 540 feet (164.6 m) across Middleton Woods in the north.
The river runs through the northern extent of the town from west to east, and is crossed by four bridges, in order: a 16th century three-arched stone bridge, now closed to road traffic; a 19th century single-span wrought-iron bridge; a suspension bridge
for foot traffic only (a set of concrete stepping stones) and a prefabricated steel arched box-girder bridge. The river is prone to flooding the sports fields (and a few houses) that occupy the watermeadows.
Nearby are the North Yorkshire
hamlets of Middleton (1 miles (1.6 km)), Denton
(2.7 miles (4.3 km)) and Bolton Abbey
(6 miles (9.7 km)); the villages of Addingham
(3.1 miles (5 km)), Burley-in-Wharfedale (3.8 miles (6.1 km)) and Menston
(5.4 miles (8.7 km)); and the towns of Guiseley
(7.6 miles (12.2 km)) and Skipton
(9.4 miles (15.1 km)).
The town is within the travel-to-work radius of Leeds
and Bradford, Leeds is 18 miles (29 km) away and Bradford 15.6 miles (25.1 km) by road, with a railway connection offering about 35 trains to each destination per day from Ilkley station
. The railway, before the Beeching axe
, also connected to Addingham, Bolton Abbey, and Skipton to the west, and to Otley
, Pool-in-Wharfedale
, meeting the main Leeds to Harrogate
line at Arthington
.
, thought to be the name of the Roman fort
Ilkley is built upon. The ethnic make-up of Ilkley's population is 98.02% White, 0.74% mixed, 0.72% Asian, 0.37% Chinese or other ethnic group and 0.14% Black. The largest age group is 45 to 59-year olds (20.73%).
The town is a tourist destination and is used as a base from which to explore the famous moor and the countryside beyond. Ilkley is a shopping town that sells everything from game, fine wine, expensive fashions and fine art. The Victorian parades of The Grove and Brook Street have a selection of speciality shops. The town's original Victorian arcade has been restored as an indoor shopping walkway complete with a fountain and hanging baskets. Bettys
, the Yorkshire tea room, has a shop in the town.
Ilkley has little by way of industry or commerce but employers include The Woolmark Company, Spooner Industries and NG Bailey.
According to the 2001 UK census, the industry of employment of residents aged 16–74 was 18.8% property and business services, 14.8% retail and wholesale, 13.4% education, 13.1% health and social work, 9.6% manufacturing, 5.7% finance, 4.8% construction, 4.8% public administration, 4.4% hotels and restaurants, 4.2% transport and communications, 0.6% energy and water supply, 0.5% agriculture, 0.1% mining, and 5.2% other. Compared with national figures, Ilkley town had a relatively high percentage of residents working in education and health and social work. The town had a relatively low percentage working in transport and communication and manufacturing. The census recorded the economic activity of residents aged 16–74, 2.2% students were with jobs, 3.7% students without jobs, 5.8% looking after home or family, 2.7% permanently sick or disabled, and 1.8% economically inactive for other reasons. Ilkley's 1.8% unemployment rate was low compared with the national rate of 3.3%. The City of Bradford has a relatively low proportion of people who were self employed compared to the whole of England, but Ilkley's rate of 11.9% was well above both the district and national figures.
, which runs between Leeds and Kendal
. The nearest substantial motorways are the M62
at Bradford, and the M1
at Leeds, and the A1(M) at Wetherby. The civil parish is served by two railway stations: Ilkley
terminus and Ben Rhydding
. These are linked by the Wharfedale Line
upon which trains run between Ilkley and Leeds/Bradford Forster Square
stations.
From Ilkley bus station
services run to Bradford, Keighley, Skipton, Malham
and Otley
. The main operators are First Leeds
, Jacksons, Transdev Keighley and District
and Pride of the Dales.
Ilkley's nearest airport is Leeds Bradford International Airport
.
; Ilkley Golf Club, Yorkshire's third oldest golf club founded in 1890, and where Colin Montgomerie
for some years practiced the game; Ilkley Rugby Club; and Ilkley Harriers Athletics Club . There are a number of cricket, football, rugby and hockey teams. The nearby Ben Rhydding Sports Club in Ben Rhydding
is the home of some of these teams, including the Ben Rhydding Hockey Club, founded in 1901. An Ilkley Karate club is run by former UK champion Mark Outterside .
Public facilities include indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and outdoor tennis courts at Ilkley's Lido. Constructed in 1935, it is one of only four public open-air swimming pools in Yorkshire and is a tourist attraction during the summer holiday season.
Ilkley town centre is a tourist attraction with a high proliferation of small independent shops. Of particular note is Lishman's of Ilkley, an award-winning butcher shop whose owner, David Lishman, became one of Rick Stein's
superheroes in 2003. Ilkley is one of five towns to feature a Bettys
tearoom and is home to the Michelin-starred
Box Tree restaurant where Marco Pierre White
trained. In 1991 Ilkley won the Entente Florale
and in 1990 and 2004 the Britain in Bloom
contest in the category of 'Town'. In 2006 Ilkley became a Fairtrade Town
.
The Manor House
, one of the town's oldest buildings, houses a museum and art gallery. The museum contains prehistoric artefacts and documents the Roman fort of Olicana – remains of which are exposed at the back of the building – as well as the rise of Ilkley as a Victorian spa town. Ilkley Toy Museum
has a collection of toys dating from 350 BC and a collection of English wooden dolls.
Ilkley's rural surroundings attract walkers and cyclists to the area. The landmark Cow and Calf rocks, which overlook the town on Ilkley Moor
, consist of a large outcrop, which allegedly imitates a cow, and a boulder, which imitates a calf. The site is also visited for its rock climbing
routes. The Old Bridge just outside the town centre is the official start to the Dales Way
, an 84 miles (135.2 km) walk through the dales to Bowness-on-Windermere
in the Lake District
.
Darwin Gardens, to the south of the town, is a Millennium Green
which commemorates the town's links with English naturalist Charles Darwin
. The Green features a maze, whose design was influenced by the Swastika Stone
carving, and includes monuments with an evolutionary theme.
Ilkley is home to the largest and oldest literary festival in the north of England, the Ilkley Literature Festival
. The 1984 British comedy film A Private Function
, written by Alan Bennett
, was filmed in Ilkley and Ben Rhydding. The town was also one of the locations used for the 2003 British comedy film Calendar Girls
. The Ilkley Gazette is the town's weekly newspaper.
Since 1969 Ilkley has been twinned
with Coutances
in France.
, to Ilkley College of Education. In 1978, Ilkley College of Education merged with Bingley College of Education to become Ilkley College. In 1982, Ilkley College merged with Bradford College to become Bradford and Ilkley Community College. In 1999, the Ilkley campus of Bradford and Ilkley Community College closed despite opposition. The campus had occupied a 15.64 acres (6.3 ha) site at Wells House, which was sold for housing after its closure.
Ashlands Primary School,
Ben Rhydding Primary School,
The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Ben Rhydding;
two preparatory schools
,
Moorfield School for Girls,
Westville House School, Middleton;
and one secondary
,
Ilkley Grammar School
.
According to Census 2001, 75.64% of Ilkley residents are Christian. The second largest group are people with no religion who account for 15.53% of residents. 7.48% did not state their religion and 1.34% fall into a variety of other religious groups.
. An expanding congregation in the 19th century triggered plans in 1873 for a second church which became St Margaret's Church, designed by Richard Norman Shaw
and completed in 1879. Worship at the church is conducted in the Anglo-Catholic
tradition and in 2005 was led by David Hope, Baron Hope of Thornes
. When the Archbishop of York
resigned he became vicar at Ilkley until his retirement in 2006.
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, Ben Rhydding (Anglican
), The Church of the Sacred Heart (Roman Catholic
) and The Ilkley Society of Friends (Quaker
). Churches Together in Ilkley
exists to encourage co-operation amongst member churches.
Spa town
A spa town is a town situated around a mineral spa . Patrons resorted to spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. The word comes from the Belgian town Spa. In continental Europe a spa was known as a ville d'eau...
and civil parish in West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, in the north of England. Ilkley civil parish includes the adjacent village of Ben Rhydding
Ben Rhydding
Ben Rhydding is a Wharfedale village in the Metropolitan Borough of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It is part of the Ilkley urban area and civil parish....
and is a ward within the metropolitan borough of Bradford
City of Bradford
The City of Bradford is a local government district of West Yorkshire, England with the status of a city and metropolitan borough. It is named after its largest settlement, Bradford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Keighley, Shipley, Bingley, Ilkley, Haworth, Silsden and...
. Approximately 12 miles (19.3 km) north of Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, the town lies mainly on the south bank of the River Wharfe
River Wharfe
The River Wharfe is a river in Yorkshire, England. For much of its length it is the county boundary between West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire. The name Wharfe is Celtic and means "twisting, winding".The valley of the River Wharfe is known as Wharfedale...
in Wharfedale
Wharfedale
Wharfedale is one of the Yorkshire Dales in England. It is the valley of the River Wharfe. Towns and villages in Wharfedale include Buckden, Kettlewell, Conistone, Grassington, Hebden, Ilkley, Burley-in-Wharfedale, Otley, Pool-in-Wharfedale, Arthington, Collingham, and Wetherby...
, one of the Yorkshire Dales
Yorkshire Dales
The Yorkshire Dales is the name given to an upland area in Northern England.The area lies within the historic county boundaries of Yorkshire, though it spans the ceremonial counties of North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Cumbria...
. The parish has a population of 13,828 (census 2001).
Ilkley's spa town heritage and surrounding countryside make tourism an important local industry. The town centre is characterised by Victorian architecture
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
, wide streets and floral displays. Ilkley Moor
Ilkley Moor
Ilkley Moor is part of Rombalds Moor, the moorland between Ilkley and Keighley in West Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom. The peat bogs rise to 402 m above sea level...
, to the south of the town, is the subject of a folk song, often described as the unofficial anthem of Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, "On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at". The song's words are written in Yorkshire dialect, its title translated as "On Ilkley Moor without a hat."
History
Microlith
A microlith is a small stone tool usually made of flint or chert and typically a centimetre or so in length and half a centimetre wide. It is produced from either a small blade or a larger blade-like piece of flint by abrupt or truncated retouching, which leaves a very typical piece of waste,...
s, dating to the Mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
period, from about 11,000 BC onwards. The area around Ilkley has been continuously settled since at least the early Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
, around 1800 BC; more than 250 cup and ring mark
Cup and ring mark
Cup and ring marks or cup marks are a form of prehistoric art found mainly in Atlantic Europe and Mediterranean Europe although similar forms are also found throughout the world including Mexico, Brazil, Greece, and India, where...
s, and swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
carvings dating to the period have been found on rock outcrops, and archaeological remains of dwellings are found on Ilkley Moor
Ilkley Moor
Ilkley Moor is part of Rombalds Moor, the moorland between Ilkley and Keighley in West Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom. The peat bogs rise to 402 m above sea level...
. A druid
Druid
A druid was a member of the priestly class in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul, and possibly other parts of Celtic western Europe, during the Iron Age....
ical stone circle
Stone circle
A stone circle is a monument of standing stones arranged in a circle. Such monuments have been constructed across the world throughout history for many different reasons....
, the Twelve Apostles Stone Circle, was constructed 2,000 years ago.
The remains of a Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
fort exist on a site near the centre of town. A number of authorities believe that the fort is Olicana
Olicana
Olicana is generally recognised as the Roman fort on the south bank of the River Wharfe, situated at the centre of where Ilkley, a Victorian spa town in West Yorkshire, England now stands.-Identification:...
, dating to 79 AD, but the identification is not settled. A number of Roman altars have been discovered dating to the reigns of Antoninus Pius
Antoninus Pius
Antoninus Pius , also known as Antoninus, was Roman Emperor from 138 to 161. He was a member of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty and the Aurelii. He did not possess the sobriquet "Pius" until after his accession to the throne...
(138 to 161), and Septimius Severus
Septimius Severus
Septimius Severus , also known as Severus, was Roman Emperor from 193 to 211. Severus was born in Leptis Magna in the province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through the customary succession of offices under the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. Severus seized power after the death of...
and his son Caracalla
Caracalla
Caracalla , was Roman emperor from 198 to 217. The eldest son of Septimius Severus, he ruled jointly with his younger brother Geta until he murdered the latter in 211...
(211 to 217).
Three Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
crosses formerly in the churchyard of All Saints', but now inside the church to prevent erosion, date to the 8th century. The site of the church as a centre for Christian worship extends to 627 AD, and the present mainly Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
era church incorporated medieval
Medieval architecture
Medieval architecture is a term used to represent various forms of architecture common in Medieval Europe.-Characteristics:-Religious architecture:...
elements.
The Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, of 1086, records Ilkley (Ilecliue/Illecliue/Illiclei/Illicleia) as being in the possession of William de Percy
William de Percy, 1st Baron Percy
William de Percy, 1st Baron Percy known as Aux Gernons , was a Norman baron who arrived in England immediately after the Norman Conquest of England, and was the founder of the powerful English House of Percy....
1st Baron Percy
Baron Percy
The title Baron Percy has been created several times in the Peerage of England. The first, in 1066 a Feudal Barony rather than a peerage, became extinct in 1299. The second, in 1299, became extinct in 1517. The third, in 1557, became extinct in 1670. The present creation was in 1722, by writ of...
. The land was acquired by the Middelton family of Myddelton Lodge, from about a century after the time of William the Conqueror
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
. The family lost possession through a series of land sales and mortgage repossessions over a period of about a hundred years from the early 19th century. The agents of William Middelton (1815–1885) were responsible for the design of the new town of Ilkley to replace the village which had stood there before.
In the 17th and 18th centuries the town gained a reputation for the efficacy of its water. In the 19th century it became established as a fashionable spa town
Spa town
A spa town is a town situated around a mineral spa . Patrons resorted to spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. The word comes from the Belgian town Spa. In continental Europe a spa was known as a ville d'eau...
, with the construction of Ben Rhydding Hydro, a Hydropathic Establishment at Wheatley, a mile to the east, between 1843 and 1844. Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
underwent hydropathic treatment at Wells House when his book On the Origin of Species was published on 24 November 1859, whilst staying with his family North View House (now Hillside Court). Tourists flocked to 'take the waters' and bathe in the cold water spring. Wheatley was renamed Ben Rhydding after the Hydro, which has been demolished.
Leeds and Bradford Railway
The Leeds and Bradford Railway was formed in 1843 to bring the railway to Bradford: the line opened on 1 July 1846. The company was always closely allied with the Midland Railway, and within ten years the L&BR had been absorbed into the Midland, and disappeared.-History:The line and the two...
and the North Eastern Railway
North Eastern Railway (UK)
The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
. A further connection was made in May 1888, by the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
, to Skipton
Skipton railway station
Skipton railway station serves the town of Skipton in North Yorkshire, England on the Airedale Line. It is operated by Northern Rail and is situated north-west of Leeds....
via Bolton Abbey
Bolton Abbey railway station
Bolton Abbey railway station is on the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway. It serves Bolton Abbey, although it is closer to Bolton Bridge, in North Yorkshire, England and several countryside walking routes...
.
Other Victorian visitors to the town include Madame Tussaud. Today, the only remaining Hydro building is the white cottage known as White Wells House. The cottage can be seen and visited on the edge of the moor over-looking the town.
In the 20th and 21st centuries Ilkley has become a dormitory town for cities of Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
and Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
.
Governance
The lowest unit of local government is Ilkley Parish Council. The parish consists of four wards and 14 councillors: Ilkley North (3 councillors), Ilkley South (3), Ilkley West (4) and Ben Rhydding (4). The council raises a precept which is collected with the annual Council TaxCouncil tax
Council Tax is the system of local taxation used in England, Scotland and Wales to part fund the services provided by local government in each country. It was introduced in 1993 by the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as a successor to the unpopular Community Charge...
to fund its running and to aid the development of local projects. The parish is a ward within the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford
City of Bradford
The City of Bradford is a local government district of West Yorkshire, England with the status of a city and metropolitan borough. It is named after its largest settlement, Bradford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Keighley, Shipley, Bingley, Ilkley, Haworth, Silsden and...
and is represented by three Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
councillors.
Ilkley is part of the Keighley UK Parliament constituency
Keighley (UK Parliament constituency)
Keighley is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
whose seat is held by Kris Hopkins
Kris Hopkins
Kristan Frederick Hopkins is a British Conservative Party politician, who was elected at the 2010 general election as the Member of Parliament for Keighley in West Yorkshire.-Political career:...
, Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MP, who replaced Ann Cryer
Ann Cryer
Constance Ann Cryer JP is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Keighley from the 1997 general election up until she stood down at the 2010 general election...
and was elected in the 2010 general election. Ann Cryer was first elected in the General Election of 1997, and her late husband Bob Cryer
Bob Cryer
George Robert Cryer, known as Bob Cryer was a politician in the United Kingdom.He was educated at Salt High School, Shipley, and the University of Hull...
held the seat between 1974 and 1983. Ilkley is in the Yorkshire and the Humber
Yorkshire and the Humber (European Parliament constituency)
Yorkshire and the Humber is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :...
European constituency.
Before 1974 Ilkley was an urban district
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
, a type of local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
district. Ilkley Urban District Council shared local government responsibilities with the West Riding County Council
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
. The Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
dissolved urban districts and in 1974 Ilkley adopted its current status as a ward of the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford
City of Bradford
The City of Bradford is a local government district of West Yorkshire, England with the status of a city and metropolitan borough. It is named after its largest settlement, Bradford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Keighley, Shipley, Bingley, Ilkley, Haworth, Silsden and...
. Services provided by the urban district council are now run centrally by the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council.
Until 2006 Ilkley civil parish consisted of Ilkley ward, which includes Ben Rhydding, and the north half of Rombalds ward. The latter ward housed the villages of Burley-in-Wharfedale and Menston. The population of the parish in 2001 was therefore considerably higher than it is today, consisting of 24,954 residents. In 2006 Burley-in-Wharfedale and Menston established their own parishes and today Ilkley consists only of Ilkley ward (13,828 residents).
Geography
The town partially straddles the River WharfeRiver Wharfe
The River Wharfe is a river in Yorkshire, England. For much of its length it is the county boundary between West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire. The name Wharfe is Celtic and means "twisting, winding".The valley of the River Wharfe is known as Wharfedale...
in a valley, rising from the river at 230 feet (70.1 m) to 650 feet (198.1 m) above sea level, up Ilkley Moor
Ilkley Moor
Ilkley Moor is part of Rombalds Moor, the moorland between Ilkley and Keighley in West Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom. The peat bogs rise to 402 m above sea level...
(a bracken and heather covered moorland
Moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...
, with rocky outcrops, to the south) and to 540 feet (164.6 m) across Middleton Woods in the north.
Suspension bridge
A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. Outside Tibet and Bhutan, where the first examples of this type of bridge were built in the 15th century, this type of bridge dates from the early 19th century...
for foot traffic only (a set of concrete stepping stones) and a prefabricated steel arched box-girder bridge. The river is prone to flooding the sports fields (and a few houses) that occupy the watermeadows.
Nearby are the North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
hamlets of Middleton (1 miles (1.6 km)), Denton
Denton, North Yorkshire
Denton is a hamlet and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated north east of Ilkley, West Yorkshire. Denton Hall is located in the hamlet....
(2.7 miles (4.3 km)) and Bolton Abbey
Bolton Abbey
Bolton Abbey is the estate within which is located the ruined 12th-century Augustinian Bolton Priory in North Yorkshire, England. It gives its name to the parish of Bolton Abbey.-Bolton Priory:...
(6 miles (9.7 km)); the villages of Addingham
Addingham
Addingham is a village and civil parish in the English county of West Yorkshire. It is situated on the A65, west of Ilkley, north west of Bradford and around north west of Leeds. It is located in the valley of the River Wharfe and is only from the Yorkshire Dales National Park...
(3.1 miles (5 km)), Burley-in-Wharfedale (3.8 miles (6.1 km)) and Menston
Menston
Menston is a village and civil parish in the county of West Yorkshire, England. Along with Burley in Wharfedale, Menston is part of Wharfedale Ward in the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford. It has a population of 4,660.-Landmarks:...
(5.4 miles (8.7 km)); and the towns of Guiseley
Guiseley
Guiseley is a small town in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. Situated south of Otley and Menston, it is a suburb of north west Leeds. At the 2001 census, Guiseley together with Rawdon had a population of over 21,000. The A65, which passes through the town, is the...
(7.6 miles (12.2 km)) and Skipton
Skipton
Skipton is a market town and civil parish within the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is located along the course of both the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the River Aire, on the south side of the Yorkshire Dales, northwest of Bradford and west of York...
(9.4 miles (15.1 km)).
The town is within the travel-to-work radius of Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
and Bradford, Leeds is 18 miles (29 km) away and Bradford 15.6 miles (25.1 km) by road, with a railway connection offering about 35 trains to each destination per day from Ilkley station
Ilkley railway station
Ilkley railway station is a railway station in Ilkley, in the City of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. On the Wharfedale Line, it is served by Class 333 electric trains run by Northern Rail, who also manage the station.-Services:...
. The railway, before the Beeching axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
, also connected to Addingham, Bolton Abbey, and Skipton to the west, and to Otley
Otley
-Transport:The main roads through the town are the A660 to the south east, which connects Otley to Bramhope, Adel and Leeds city centre, and the A65 to the west, which goes to Ilkley and Skipton. The A6038 heads to Guiseley, Shipley and Bradford, connecting with the A65...
, Pool-in-Wharfedale
Pool-in-Wharfedale
Pool in Wharfedale is a village and civil parish in the Lower Wharfedale area, 10 miles north of Leeds city centre and 2 miles east of Otley. It is in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire and within the historic boundaries of the West Riding of Yorkshire. It is in the LS21 ...
, meeting the main Leeds to Harrogate
Harrogate
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
line at Arthington
Arthington
Arthington is a small village in Wharfedale, in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. It is a civil parish which, according to the 2001 census, had a population of 561 and is in the LS21 postcode district with Otley as its post town...
.
Demographics
A person from Ilkley is called an Olicanian which is derived from OlicanaOlicana
Olicana is generally recognised as the Roman fort on the south bank of the River Wharfe, situated at the centre of where Ilkley, a Victorian spa town in West Yorkshire, England now stands.-Identification:...
, thought to be the name of the Roman fort
Castra
The Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position. The word appears in both Oscan and Umbrian as well as in Latin. It may have descended from Indo-European to Italic...
Ilkley is built upon. The ethnic make-up of Ilkley's population is 98.02% White, 0.74% mixed, 0.72% Asian, 0.37% Chinese or other ethnic group and 0.14% Black. The largest age group is 45 to 59-year olds (20.73%).
Economy
| Ilkley compared | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 UK Census United Kingdom Census 2001 A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194.... |
Ilkley | Bradford (borough) | England |
| Population of working age | 9,224 | 326,778 | 35,532,091 |
| Full time employment | 37.4% | 37.7% | 40.8% |
| Part time employment | 12.6% | 11.9% | 11.8% |
| Self employed | 11.9% | 6.8% | 8.3% |
| Unemployed | 1.8% | 4.4% | 3.3% |
| Retired | 20.0% | 12.8% | 13.5% |
The town is a tourist destination and is used as a base from which to explore the famous moor and the countryside beyond. Ilkley is a shopping town that sells everything from game, fine wine, expensive fashions and fine art. The Victorian parades of The Grove and Brook Street have a selection of speciality shops. The town's original Victorian arcade has been restored as an indoor shopping walkway complete with a fountain and hanging baskets. Bettys
Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate
Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate is an Anglo-Swiss family company located in North and West Yorkshire, England. Bettys Café Tea Rooms are traditional tea rooms serving traditional meals with influences both from Switzerland and Yorkshire. Taylors is a family tea and coffee merchant company which...
, the Yorkshire tea room, has a shop in the town.
Ilkley has little by way of industry or commerce but employers include The Woolmark Company, Spooner Industries and NG Bailey.
According to the 2001 UK census, the industry of employment of residents aged 16–74 was 18.8% property and business services, 14.8% retail and wholesale, 13.4% education, 13.1% health and social work, 9.6% manufacturing, 5.7% finance, 4.8% construction, 4.8% public administration, 4.4% hotels and restaurants, 4.2% transport and communications, 0.6% energy and water supply, 0.5% agriculture, 0.1% mining, and 5.2% other. Compared with national figures, Ilkley town had a relatively high percentage of residents working in education and health and social work. The town had a relatively low percentage working in transport and communication and manufacturing. The census recorded the economic activity of residents aged 16–74, 2.2% students were with jobs, 3.7% students without jobs, 5.8% looking after home or family, 2.7% permanently sick or disabled, and 1.8% economically inactive for other reasons. Ilkley's 1.8% unemployment rate was low compared with the national rate of 3.3%. The City of Bradford has a relatively low proportion of people who were self employed compared to the whole of England, but Ilkley's rate of 11.9% was well above both the district and national figures.
Transport
Ilkley lies on the A65 roadA65 road
The A65 is a major road in England. It runs north west from Leeds in Yorkshire via Kirkstall, Horsforth, Yeadon, Guiseley, Ilkley and Skipton, passes west of Settle, then continues through Ingleton and Kirkby Lonsdale before terminating at Kendal in Cumbria....
, which runs between Leeds and Kendal
Kendal
Kendal, anciently known as Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish within the South Lakeland District of Cumbria, England...
. The nearest substantial motorways are the M62
M62 motorway
The M62 motorway is a west–east trans-Pennine motorway in Northern England, connecting the cities of Liverpool and Hull via Manchester and Leeds. The road also forms part of the unsigned Euroroutes E20 and E22...
at Bradford, and the M1
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
at Leeds, and the A1(M) at Wetherby. The civil parish is served by two railway stations: Ilkley
Ilkley railway station
Ilkley railway station is a railway station in Ilkley, in the City of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. On the Wharfedale Line, it is served by Class 333 electric trains run by Northern Rail, who also manage the station.-Services:...
terminus and Ben Rhydding
Ben Rhydding railway station
Ben Rhydding railway station is a railway station in Ben Rhydding, situated a mile to the east of Ilkley, West Yorkshire, England. On the Wharfedale Line between Ilkley and Leeds/Bradford Forster Square, it is served by Class 333 electric trains run by Northern Rail, who also manage the...
. These are linked by the Wharfedale Line
Wharfedale Line
The Wharfedale Line is the name given to one of the rail services in the West Yorkshire Metro area of northern England. The service connects Ilkley with Leeds and Bradford, and is operated by Northern Rail. West Yorkshire Metrocards are available for use on the line, covering Zones 3 - 5...
upon which trains run between Ilkley and Leeds/Bradford Forster Square
Bradford Forster Square railway station
Bradford Forster Square station is a railway station in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The majority of services to/from the station use Class 333 electrified trains operated by Northern Rail, on the Airedale Line to Skipton, the Wharfedale Line to Ilkley and the Leeds-Bradford Line to Leeds.The...
stations.
From Ilkley bus station
Ilkley bus station
Ilkley bus station serves the town of Ilkley, West Yorkshire, England. The station is managed by the Metro .The bus station consists of three stands in total and can be accessed from both Station Road and the adjacent Ilkley railway station.-Services:The main operators are First West Yorkshire,...
services run to Bradford, Keighley, Skipton, Malham
Malham
Malham is a village and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. Situated in the Yorkshire Dales with a population of approximately 150. The surrounding countryside is well known for its limestone pavements and other examples of limestone scenery...
and Otley
Otley
-Transport:The main roads through the town are the A660 to the south east, which connects Otley to Bramhope, Adel and Leeds city centre, and the A65 to the west, which goes to Ilkley and Skipton. The A6038 heads to Guiseley, Shipley and Bradford, connecting with the A65...
. The main operators are First Leeds
First Leeds
First Leeds is one of the bus companies serving the area of West Yorkshire, England. It forms part of FirstGroup, a company operating transport services across the British Isles and in North America...
, Jacksons, Transdev Keighley and District
Keighley & District
Keighley & District is a bus company based in Keighley in West Yorkshire, England. It is part of the Blazefield Group which is itself owned by the international transport company Transdev....
and Pride of the Dales.
Ilkley's nearest airport is Leeds Bradford International Airport
Leeds Bradford International Airport
Leeds Bradford International Airport is located at Yeadon, in the City of Leeds Metropolitan District in West Yorkshire, England, northwest of Leeds city centre itself...
.
Sport
There is a wide variety of sports clubs and facilities in and around Ilkley. Notable clubs include the Ilkley Lawn Tennis and Squash Club, founded in 1880, which hosts an Ilkley Squash Open that has attracted world-class players such as Peter BarkerPeter Barker
Peter Barker is a professional squash player from Upminster, England.Barker reached a world ranking of 13 in November 2007, the same month that he was selected to represent the senior England team at the World Team Championships in December 2008, held in India.Peter Barker has 12 professional tour...
; Ilkley Golf Club, Yorkshire's third oldest golf club founded in 1890, and where Colin Montgomerie
Colin Montgomerie
Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31...
for some years practiced the game; Ilkley Rugby Club; and Ilkley Harriers Athletics Club . There are a number of cricket, football, rugby and hockey teams. The nearby Ben Rhydding Sports Club in Ben Rhydding
Ben Rhydding
Ben Rhydding is a Wharfedale village in the Metropolitan Borough of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It is part of the Ilkley urban area and civil parish....
is the home of some of these teams, including the Ben Rhydding Hockey Club, founded in 1901. An Ilkley Karate club is run by former UK champion Mark Outterside .
Public facilities include indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and outdoor tennis courts at Ilkley's Lido. Constructed in 1935, it is one of only four public open-air swimming pools in Yorkshire and is a tourist attraction during the summer holiday season.
Culture and attractions
Rick Stein
Christopher Richard "Rick" Stein OBE is an English chef, restaurateur and television presenter. He is currently the head chef and co-owner of "Rick Stein at Bannisters" at Mollymook, New South Wales, Australia, owns four restaurants in Padstow, a fish and chip shop in Falmouth, Cornwall and has...
superheroes in 2003. Ilkley is one of five towns to feature a Bettys
Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate
Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate is an Anglo-Swiss family company located in North and West Yorkshire, England. Bettys Café Tea Rooms are traditional tea rooms serving traditional meals with influences both from Switzerland and Yorkshire. Taylors is a family tea and coffee merchant company which...
tearoom and is home to the Michelin-starred
Michelin Guide
The Michelin Guide is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. The term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide, which awards the Michelin stars...
Box Tree restaurant where Marco Pierre White
Marco Pierre White
Marco Pierre White is a British celebrity chef, restaurateur and television personality. He is noted for his contributions to contemporary international cuisine, and his exceptional culinary skills....
trained. In 1991 Ilkley won the Entente Florale
Entente Florale
The Entente Florale is an international horticultural competition established to recognise municipalities and villages in Europe for excellence in horticultural displays. Trophies are presented annually by tourist boards and horticultural societies of European countries...
and in 1990 and 2004 the Britain in Bloom
Britain in Bloom
RHS Britain in Bloom, supported by Anglian Home Improvements, is the largest horticultural campaign in the United Kingdom. It was first held in 1963, initiated by the British Tourist Board based on the example set by Fleurissement de France. It has been organised by the Royal Horticultural Society ...
contest in the category of 'Town'. In 2006 Ilkley became a Fairtrade Town
Fairtrade Town
Fairtrade Town is a status awarded by a recognized Fairtrade certification body describing an area which is committed to the promotion of Fairtrade certified goods...
.
The Manor House
Manor House Museum
Manor House Museum, Ilkley, England, is a local heritage museum, art gallery and education centre, established in 1892 to preserve local archaeological artefacts after the spa town expanded and much Roman material was lost. It was re-opened in the present building in 1961...
, one of the town's oldest buildings, houses a museum and art gallery. The museum contains prehistoric artefacts and documents the Roman fort of Olicana – remains of which are exposed at the back of the building – as well as the rise of Ilkley as a Victorian spa town. Ilkley Toy Museum
Ilkley Toy Museum
Ilkley Toy Museum in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, houses a private collection of toys dating from 350 BCE to modern times, and is open to the public, schools and groups...
has a collection of toys dating from 350 BC and a collection of English wooden dolls.
Ilkley Moor
Ilkley Moor is part of Rombalds Moor, the moorland between Ilkley and Keighley in West Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom. The peat bogs rise to 402 m above sea level...
, consist of a large outcrop, which allegedly imitates a cow, and a boulder, which imitates a calf. The site is also visited for its rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
routes. The Old Bridge just outside the town centre is the official start to the Dales Way
Dales Way
The Dales Way is an 84-mile Long Distance Footpath in Northern England, from Ilkley, West Yorkshire to Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria....
, an 84 miles (135.2 km) walk through the dales to Bowness-on-Windermere
Bowness-on-Windermere
Bowness-on-Windermere is a town in South Lakeland, Cumbria, England. Due its position on the banks of Windermere the town has become a tourist honeypot. Although their mutual growth has caused them to become one large settlement, the town is distinct from the town of Windermere as the two still...
in the Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
.
Darwin Gardens, to the south of the town, is a Millennium Green
Millennium Green
245 Millennium Greens were created in cities, towns and villages across England to celebrate the turn of the Millennium. Funded in part by the National Lottery via the Countryside Agency, they are permanent areas of green space for the benefit of local communities...
which commemorates the town's links with English naturalist Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
. The Green features a maze, whose design was influenced by the Swastika Stone
Swastika Stone
The Swastika Stone is a stone adorned with a Swastika located on the Woodhouse Crag, on the Northern edge of Ilkley Moor in West Yorkshire. The design has a double outline with five curved arms enclosing several so-called 'cup' marks, the like of which can be found on other stones nearby.The design...
carving, and includes monuments with an evolutionary theme.
Ilkley is home to the largest and oldest literary festival in the north of England, the Ilkley Literature Festival
Ilkley Literature Festival
The Ilkley Literature Festival is the north of England's oldest and largest literature festival.-Introduction:The Ilkley Literature Festival is an annual event in the spa town of Ilkley and has become one of the UK's top arts festivals...
. The 1984 British comedy film A Private Function
A Private Function
A Private Function is a 1984 British comedy film starring Michael Palin and Maggie Smith. The film was predominantly filmed in Ilkley and Ben Rhydding, West Yorkshire. The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1985 Cannes Film Festival....
, written by Alan Bennett
Alan Bennett
Alan Bennett is a British playwright, screenwriter, actor and author. Born in Leeds, he attended Oxford University where he studied history and performed with The Oxford Revue. He stayed to teach and research mediaeval history at the university for several years...
, was filmed in Ilkley and Ben Rhydding. The town was also one of the locations used for the 2003 British comedy film Calendar Girls
Calendar Girls
Calendar Girls is a 2003 comedy film directed by Nigel Cole. Produced by Buena Vista International and Touchstone Pictures, it features a screenplay by Tim Firth and Juliette Towhidi based on a true story of a group of Yorkshire women who produced a nude calendar to raise money for Leukaemia...
. The Ilkley Gazette is the town's weekly newspaper.
Since 1969 Ilkley has been twinned
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with Coutances
Coutances
Coutances is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.-History:Capital of the Unelli, a Gaulish tribe, the town took the name of Constantia in 298 during the reign of Roman emperor Constantius Chlorus...
in France.
Higher education
In 1975, David Gayle founded the Yorkshire Ballet Seminars which brought distinguished names in dance, like Alicia MarkovaAlicia Markova
Dame Alicia Markova, DBE, DMus, was an English ballerina and a choreographer, director and teacher of classical ballet. Most noted for her career with Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes and touring internationally, she was widely considered to be one of the greatest classical ballet dancers of the...
, to Ilkley College of Education. In 1978, Ilkley College of Education merged with Bingley College of Education to become Ilkley College. In 1982, Ilkley College merged with Bradford College to become Bradford and Ilkley Community College. In 1999, the Ilkley campus of Bradford and Ilkley Community College closed despite opposition. The campus had occupied a 15.64 acres (6.3 ha) site at Wells House, which was sold for housing after its closure.
Schools
A free school was first established in Ilkley by a Mr Marshall who in 1608 bequeathed £100 for its endowment. Current schools include four primary schools, All Saints C of E Primary School,Ashlands Primary School,
Ben Rhydding Primary School,
The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Ben Rhydding;
two preparatory schools
Preparatory school (UK)
In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for entry into fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are known as public schools...
,
Moorfield School for Girls,
Westville House School, Middleton;
and one secondary
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
,
Ilkley Grammar School
Ilkley Grammar School
Ilkley Grammar School is a co-educational comprehensive school in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, England, that specialises in humanities and sciences.-History:-Early years:...
.
Religion
Places of worship
Ilkley's medieval parish church All Saints', largely reconstructed in the Victorian era, houses artefacts of the site's ancient Christian heritage including three Saxon crosses and today operates within the Anglican CommunionAnglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
. An expanding congregation in the 19th century triggered plans in 1873 for a second church which became St Margaret's Church, designed by Richard Norman Shaw
Richard Norman Shaw
Richard Norman Shaw RA , was an influential Scottish architect from the 1870s to the 1900s, known for his country houses and for commercial buildings.-Life:...
and completed in 1879. Worship at the church is conducted in the Anglo-Catholic
Anglo-Catholicism
The terms Anglo-Catholic and Anglo-Catholicism describe people, beliefs and practices within Anglicanism that affirm the Catholic, rather than Protestant, heritage and identity of the Anglican churches....
tradition and in 2005 was led by David Hope, Baron Hope of Thornes
David Hope, Baron Hope of Thornes
David Michael Hope, Baron Hope of Thornes KCVO PC was the Archbishop of York in the Church of England from 1995 to 2005.-Early career:...
. When the Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
resigned he became vicar at Ilkley until his retirement in 2006.
Other places of worship in Ilkley include Ben Rhydding Methodist Church (Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
), Christchurch (Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
/United Reformed
United Reformed Church
The United Reformed Church is a Christian church in the United Kingdom. It has approximately 68,000 members in 1,500 congregations with some 700 ministers.-Origins and history:...
), Ilkley Baptist Church (Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
), Kingdom Hall, Ilkley (Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
), St John's Parish Church, Ben Rhydding (Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
), The Church of the Sacred Heart (Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
) and The Ilkley Society of Friends (Quaker
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
). Churches Together in Ilkley
Churches Together in England
Churches Together in England is an ecumenical organisation and the national instrument for the Christian church in England. It helps the different Churches to work together instead of separately so that they can be more effective and credible...
exists to encourage co-operation amongst member churches.