Ilkley Moor and the Cow and Calf
The famous gritstone rocks, then across the moor of the song to White Wells and back.
- Distance
- 5.8 km
- Ascent
- 220 m
- Time
- 1.5–2.5 h
- Grade
- Moderate
- Route
- Circular
- High point
- 354 m
Drag along the profile to see where you are on the map.
Offline navigation is coming in the TRXO app. Hear when it launches.
Route mapped on from OpenStreetMap paths, with heights from EU-DEM terrain data; not yet checked on the ground by TRXO. Added to TRXO on . For planning only: always navigate with an up-to-date map such as OS Explorer or Harvey. How we make our routes.
About this walk
Ilkley Moor and the Cow and Calf is a moderate 5.8 km circular walk with 220 m of ascent, taking 1.5 to 2.5 hours. It starts at Cow and Calf car park (grid reference SE 127 458). The start can be reached by public transport.
The Cow and Calf are two blocks of millstone grit on the edge of Ilkley Moor, the big one a climbers' playground, the small one said to have been kicked off it by a giant. From the car park below them, the walk climbs onto the moor itself, the one you shouldn't go on baht 'at.
It crosses the heather to White Wells, a Georgian bath house fed by a spring, with Wharfedale laid out below, and returns along the moor edge.
Route
-
1
The rocks
Climb to the Cow and Calf and up onto the moor.
-
2
White Wells
Cross the moor to White Wells and return along the moor edge.
Summit
On the way
-
Twelve Apostles of Ilkley MoorStone circle · 600 m from the route
Questions about this walk
- How long does Ilkley Moor and the Cow and Calf take?
- Most walkers take 1.5–2.5 hours for the 5.8 km route, which has 220 m of ascent. That allows for short stops; give yourself longer in winter, in poor weather or with a group.
- Where does the walk start, and where can I park?
- It starts at Cow and Calf car park (grid reference SE 127 458). Free car park below the rocks.
- Can I get there by public transport?
- Trains to Ilkley from Leeds and Bradford; the car park is a 2 km walk up from the station. Check times on Traveline.
- How hard is it?
- It's graded moderate. Moorland paths, rocky and boggy in places, with some steep steps.
- Can I take my dog?
- Yes, dogs are welcome on this walk. Keep them on a lead near livestock.
Walked this? Tell the next walker
No reviews, condition reports, walkers' photos or trip reports for this walk yet. Yours would be the first.
