Walks in Ilkley
Charlotte RowlandIlkley is primed for walks with inbuilt pizzazz. A paradise of sorts when it comes to routes and rummaging through ancient architectural treasures and well-kept, cultivated outland, the local terrain is made for walkers, be it a tame, relaxed stroll in-and-out of the cultural hot-spots or a well-performed hike in some of the most resplendent and serene environments on offer.
What’s notable about the budding walking territories is that each offers much to observe. Be it valuable archaeological finds, live performances, curated exhibitions, community-derived productions, on-stage entertainment, ongoing fairs or the natural landscape, the topography of the walkers eye here is second-to-none. Putting the focus on viewing, and on seeing what’s taking place in the surroundings, be it immediate or historical, really emphasises what’s special about the space and its property, enforcing a love of panorama, and appreciation for new-found outlooks and vista.
Nowhere is this more plainly done than via Saltaire Boat Trip. Tranquil and refined, a drift down this cornered-off channel offers finesse and refinement without the la-di-da. The set-up is casual enough to allow for no booking, with the on-board atmosphere aiming toward collectedness and composure. Combined with a walk along the canal edge, the event really transforms the surroundings anew, evolving the scene into one of aplomb, poise and well-earnt self-possession.
Construction likewise takes a well-earnt focus among the top walks of the area. Kings Hall and Winter Gardens, Yeadon Town Hall and Ilkley Manor House all offer notable takes on the standing monuments of Ilkley’s past, as well as unique grounds on which to ramble. A walk on these historic sites is a walk through today’s foliage and greenery with a reminder of the ways the very same ground has been used and trailed through in various occasions and moments in the past. Distinct to the venues, too, is their vivid statement. The buildings are colossal, and no walk would be complete without a visit to their innermost corners, prominently marked with artefacts and collected objects. Salts Mill, on the other hand, uses its history as a platform to bounce off, transforming it into a contemporary space showcasing visual art, including work by the prominent David Hockney. A walk here is a walk aided by the beauty of visual art, as well as the beauty of nature, and the remains of time gone by.
Walking through, on, in or across any of these monumental heirlooms, enclosures or natural terra firma, reinstates the grandness of opening yourself up to the scope of space, and the invaluable sanctimony of being alert to the objects, essence and atmosphere you might, very easily, come across.