I'm very lucky that my home overlooks Ilkley Moor. The moor is probably most famous for the song that has become the unofficial anthem of Yorkshire. It tells of a lover courting the object of his affections, Mary Jane, on Ilkley Moor without a hat (baht 'at). The singer chides the lover for his lack of headwear - for in the cold winds of Ilkley Moor this will mean his death from exposure. This will in turn result in his burial, the eating of his corpse by worms, the eating of the worms by ducks and finally the eating of the ducks by the singers! Ilkley Moor is on the edge of industrial West Yorkshire with the cities of Leeds and Bradford both less than 20 miles away and visible in the distance. A few miles to the north and west is the Yorkshire Dales National Park. One of the parks most attractive and popular destinations is Bolton Abbey, a ruined 12th century priory, on the banks of the beautiful River Wharfe, just 6 miles distant. From here there is a riverside walk through the woods to the Strid, a notorious stretch of water where the river narrows and the water is forced into a deep thundering channel. Ilkley itself is an elegant former spa town squeezed between the north facing slopes of the moor and the River Wharfe. The oldest of the spas is White Wells, an 18th century bath house, and one of very few buildings on the moor. Nowadays, each new year begins with a New Year's Day dip at White Wells when hardy locals take a plunge into the cold water. Today walkers and nature lovers have unlimited access to Ilkley Moors and are free to enjoy the spectacular views across Wharfedale. Exploring on the moor you are likely to come across many ancient sites including the 12 Apostles - a small stone Druids circle and the Swastika stone - a carved stone on a crag overlooking Wharfedale. For the more active there is a permanent orienteering course and opportunities for rock climbing on the Cow and Calf Rocks and in Rocky Valley. For locals, Ilkley Moor remains a topical and sometimes controversial subject. The moor is owned by the local council and for many years grouse shooting was banned there. This policy was reversed in 2008 to the disappointment of many locals. In the dry summer of 2006 over a quarter of the moor was destroyed by fire, with a veil of smoke covering the area for many weeks. Ilkley Moor has also been the site of several UFO sightings, as well as an alleged alien abduction. However, if you go wandering on the moor and do see something strange, it is perhaps more likely to be a fever you have caught after venturing out without your hat.
