I had been hoping to explore some different moorland this August but with a trip to Scotland coming up at the end of the month (more on that soon) I only managed to fit in a quick trip to Ilkley for a stroll on the moor.  Still, I’d not been for quite a while, so I was looking forward to it…

I arrived at Ben Rhydding and walked up the hill to the Cow and Calf Rocks on quite a misty morning.  This had been the forecast and I’d hoped to make it to the moor before the mist lifted as I had some nice heather and rock in diffused light shots in mind, but as I neared the Cow and Calf the sun was already burning through the mist and it was clear that by the time I got onto the moor itself the sun would be shining, so I treated myself to coffee at the little cafe at the Cow and Calf car park and watched the sky clear over the rocks.

After refreshments and a clamber on the rocks I set out across the moor.  I’ve walked on Ilkley Moor a few times and always found the network of paths on the ground relate little to what’s on my map, but I found the main Dales Way Link path south towards Lanshaw easily enough…

It wasn’t far to the Lanshaw Lad boundary stone, which was what I had in mind for a few images with it surrounded by heather, before retracing my steps and following the path to White Wells.

At White Wells the Spa Cottage was closed but it’s still a nice spot to admire the view over Ilkley nestling in Wharfedale below.

I continued along the Millennium Way following the edge of the moor to Woodhouse Crag to have a look at the Swastika Stone which I’d never actually visited before.  It’s quite an interesting rock marking – it’s origins are somewhat mysterious – which doesn’t look a fat lot like a swastika.  It’s protected by railings and a locked gate so in the sun shadows of the railings are cast across it – that diffused light under the early mist would have come in handy here!

Despite the railings around the rock marking, Woodhouse Crag is a nice spot commanding fine views over Wharfedale – an ideal stop for a bit of lunch on a warm day!

From here I had no particular plan, so had another look at the map and decided to head back down into Ilkley via Heber’s Ghyll, a nice shady woodland with a steep path descending by a stream.  The trees in their drab summer greens weren’t of interest (it may be worth a look in autumn) but the dappled light on forest ferns was quite nice and a few mossy rocks in the stream made a nice image to round off the shoot and a nice walk on Ilkley Moor. And if you’re wondering, no I wasn’t wearing a hat…