Ilkley is a spa town and civil parish in the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, in Northern England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Ilkley civil parish includes the adjacent village of Ben Rhydding and is part of the Ilkley and Addingham ward within the City of Bradford. Approximately north of Bradford and north-west of Leeds, the town lies mainly on the south bank of the River Wharfe in Wharfedale, one of the Yorkshire Dales.
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 is "On Ilkley Moor without a hat".
History
The earliest evidence of habitation in the Ilkley area is from flint arrowheads or microliths, dating to the Mesolithic period, from about 11,000 BC onwards. The area around Ilkley has been continuously settled since at least the Neolithic, around 3000 BC; more than 250 cup and ring marks, and a curved swastika carving possibly dating to the period have been found on rock outcrops, and archaeological remains of dwellings are found on Ilkley Moor. A small stone circle (possibly a burial monument), known as the ‘Twelve Apostles’, was constructed 4,500 years ago, during the Early Bronze Age. Serious interest in the rock art of Ilkley began after the publication of the "Prehistoric Rock Sculptures of Ilkley" in 1879 by Romilly Allen in the Journal of the British Archaeological Association.
The remains of a Roman fort occupy a site near the town centre. Some authorities believe it is Olicana, dating to 79 AD, but the identification is not settled. A number of Roman altars have been discovered from the reigns of Antoninus Pius (138 to 161), and Septimius Severus and his son Caracalla (211 to 217). Ilkley Manor House stands on part of the site in Castle Yard and is home to various Roman artefacts, including an original altar dedicated to Verbeia, the goddess of the River Wharfe.
The name Ilkley derives from the Old English yllicalēah or illicalēah meaning 'Yllica's' or 'Illica's wood or clearing'.
Three Anglo-Saxon crosses from the 8th century that stood in the churchyard of All Saints' Church have been moved inside to prevent erosion. The church site, as a centre for Christian worship, extends to 627 AD, and the present mainly Victorian-era church incorporates 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 at 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 convalescent homes and hospitals, was accelerated in August 1865 by the construction of the Otley and Ilkley Joint Railway, which linked to the Leeds and Bradford Railway and the North Eastern Railway. The Midland Railway built a connection to Skipton via Bolton Abbey in May 1888.
Other Victorian visitors to the town included Madame Tussaud. 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 overlooking the town.
Governance Ilkley Town Council In May 2018, the parish council became a town council, with Cllr Stephen Butler serving as the first Town Mayor. The town consists of four wards and elects 14 councillors: Ilkley North (3 councillors), Ilkley South (3), Ilkley West (4) and Ben Rhydding (4). It meets in the 1908 Ilkley Town Hall on Station Road. The council precept is collected with the annual Council Tax to fund its running and to aid the development of local projects.
UK Parliament constituency Ilkley is in the Keighley and Ilkley UK Parliament constituency, held since 2019 by Robbie Moore, the Conservative MP. He defeated John Grogan, who had himself defeated the previous Conservative MP, Kris Hopkins, in 2017. Hopkins was first elected in 2010, replacing Ann Cryer. Cryer held the seat between 1997 and 2010, and her late husband Bob held the seat between 1974 and 1983.
Previous governance 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).
Local Councillors for the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council Following boundary changes in 2026, the town is part of the Ilkley and Addingham ward in the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford and is represented by three Conservative councillors, Andrew Loy, Richard Downey and Jane Sellers.
ElectionCouncillorCouncillorCouncillor 2004 Colin George Powell (Con) Brian Martin Smith (Con) Anne Gillian Hawkesworth (Con) 2006 Colin Powell (Con) Martin Smith (Con) Anne Hawkesworth (Con) 2007 Colin Powell (Con) Martin Smith (Con) Anne Hawkesworth (Con) 2008 Colin Powell (Con) Martin Smith (Con) Anne Hawkesworth (Con) 2010 Michael Peter Gibbons (Con) Martin Smith (Con) Anne Hawkesworth (Con) 2011 Mike Gibbons (Con) Martin Smith (Con) Anne Hawkesworth (Con) 2012 Mike Gibbons (Con) Martin Smith (Con) Anne Hawkesworth (Con) January 2013 Mike Gibbons (Con) Martin Smith (Con) Anne Hawkesworth (The Independents) 2014 Mike Gibbons (Con) Martin Smith (Con) Anne Hawkesworth (The Independents) 2015 Mike Gibbons (Con) Martin Smith (Con) Anne Hawkesworth (The Independents) 2016 Mike Gibbons (Con) Martin Smith (Con) Anne Hawkesworth (The Independents) 2018 Mike Gibbons (Con) Martin Smith (Con) Anne Hawkesworth (The Independents) 2019 Mike Gibbons (Con) Kyle Jameson Green (Con) Anne Hawkesworth (The Independents) 2021 Mike Gibbons (Con) Kyle Green (Con) Anne Hawkesworth (The Independents) April 2022 Mike Gibbons (Independent) Kyle Green (Con) Anne Hawkesworth (The Independents) 2022 Andrew John Patrick Loy (Con) Kyle Green (Con) Anne Hawkesworth (The Independents) 2023 Andrew Loy (Con) David Nunns (Con) Anne Hawkesworth (The Independents) 2024 Andrew Loy (Con) David Nunns (Con) Ros Brown (Green) 2026 Andrew Loy (Con) Richard Downey (Con) Jane Sellers (Con) indicates seat up for re-election. indicates councillor defection.
Geography
Nearby are the hamlets of Middleton (), Denton () and Bolton Abbey (); the villages of Addingham (), Burley-in-Wharfedale () and Menston (); and the towns of Guiseley () and Skipton ().
The town is within the travel-to-work radius of Leeds and Bradford. Leeds is away and Bradford by road, with a railway connection offering about 35 trains to each destination per day from Ilkley railway 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.
The town partially straddles the River Wharfe in a valley, rising from the river at to above sea level, up Ilkley Moor (a bracken and heather covered moorland, with rocky outcrops, to the south) and to 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. Below the historic Ilkley golf club house, in Middleton, the access to Nesfield is regularly restricted due to the river closing the road.
Demography A person from Ilkley is called an Olicanian which is derived from Olicana, 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%).
Economy Ilkley compared2001 UK CensusIlkleyBradford (borough)EnglandPopulation of working age9,224326,77835,532,091Full-time employment37.4%37.7%40.8%Part-time employment12.6%11.9%11.8%Self-employed11.9%6.8%8.3%Unemployed1.8%4.4%3.3%Retired20.0%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, 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. The town is also home to three breweries, Ilkley Brewery situated on the outskirts, Wharfedale Brewery which is housed within the grounds of a former 18th century farmhouse in the town centre and Bini Brew Co a modern craft brewery near the town centre.