Bradford Beauties – Following giants on Ilkla Moor Baht 'at
1 people attending
19 places left
This event will open for bookings on Friday 27th June. We are trialling delayed booking for all day walks in the Northeast and Yorkshire Region to reduce waiting lists and late cancellations. We know that a significant number of members who book places on our walks eventually decide not to attend the event. This causes long waiting lists and makes it harder for those who wish to attend an event to obtain a place. If you are interested in attending this event, please click the ‘bookmark’ button to add this page to your list of bookmarked events. This will make it easier for you to find the page when the event opens for bookings.
Explore the beauty of the Bradford district and celebrate Bradford 2025 – UK City of Culture with a circular walk taking in the stunning views and wildlife on Ilkley moor, as well as experiencing some of the archeologically significant secrets of the moorlands.
We'll begin from Ilkley, taking a circuitous route along the tarn to the Cow and Calf rocks. According to legend, the giant Rombald split the Calf from the Cow while fleeing an enemy. His angry wife, dropped the stones from her skirt to form the Skirtful of Stones you'll see.
From here we'll take less well trodden paths to the Poetry Seat before joining the Dales Way link to the Twelve Apostles - the remains of a Bronze age stone circle. Next we'll visit other sites including the Thimble stones, Cowper's Cross, and the Badger Stones before wending our way to White Wells on the outcrop above Ilkley before descending back to town.
There’ll be an optional trip to a café at the end of the walk.
Dogs: Well-behaved, socialised and under-control dogs are welcome on this event.
Dogs should be kept on a lead whenever this is signposted and whenever we are in the vicinity of livestock, and at the event leader's request. If it's hot you'll need to make sure you're carrying additional water. There may be natural water on the moorlands but in summer this isn't a given. If you're unsure, contact the leader for guidance.
If the event is fully booked: Please join the wait list as people frequently drop out during the week before an event and you are likely to get a place on the walk.
If this is your first OutdoorLads walk event: If this is your first event, we’ll make sure you feel welcomed. Please check out the My First Event page, and don’t hesitate to drop me a message if you have questions or want to know more about this walk.
You MUST complete a Participation Statement, in addition to booking your event space before attending an OutdoorLads event. You only need to complete this once and before your first event.
Image / photo credits: All leader's own images, or those of other OutdoorLads leaders - with permission for OutdoorLads to use.
What to bring
Water: Bring at least 2 litres if possible, more on hot days. Hot drinks recommended if it's cold, wet or windy as it gets cold quickly on the exposed moorland.
Medicines: If you have hay fever, diabetes, minor ailments etc.
Rucksack: A 20l day backpack or similar. They are comfortable to wear and allow you to use your arms freely.
Footwear: We may encounter boggy/muddy conditions at points, so please wear boots designed for hiking.
Socks: Proper walking socks will keep your feet dry and help prevent blisters.
Layered clothing: Lets you quickly adapt to changes in the weather and body temperature. Go for a base layer (vest or t-shirt) and a mid-layer (a micro fleece or shirt) and in cooler weather add an outer layer (a windproof jacket or thick fleece).
Trousers: Ideally not jeans which become heavy and cold in the rain, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and easier to dry. On warm days shorts are ok but be prepared for wind when we reach the summit of our walk.
Gloves: Gloves may be useful if the weather is wet and windy. Waterproof gloves are best.
Waterproof jacket: Breathable fabrics are more comfortable and drier.
Hat or cap: Hats will keep you warm and protect you from the wind, and give you shade if the sun is shining down on us.
Sunglasses: For any sunny day.
Sun cream: You need to protect your skin from the sun, even on cloudy days.
Snacks: Bring biscuits, energy bars, gels, bananas, chocolate or dried fruit for example and put them somewhere easy to get hold of
Lunch: Bring a packed lunch.
Food & drink
Please bring a packed lunch and drinks. Plenty of water/juice, and bring extra if the weather is going to warm.
There's an M&S at Ilkely Station on arrival should you need anything.
Once we hit the moors, there’ll be limited access to food and drink route until we reach White Wells towards the end of the walk.