Yorkshire Day on August 1 (the
only time you’re encouraged
to mention that old tune),
while the half marathon and
the beer festival — supported
by the town’s three breweries
— together raise £100,000 for
local charities.High street
Everything you want is an
easy walk from the front door:
two supermarkets — Tesco
and Booths (hurrah!) —
chemists, Lishman’s butcher
and, in Mortens, the kind of
hardware store that will help
you to find the right screw and
sell you just as many as you
need. Browse for handprintedoccasional otter. It’s a sign of
Ilkley’s environmental
credentials: there’s an electric
cargo bike hire scheme, and
the council has pledged to hit
net zero by 2030.
Check out what’s on next
on the Ilkely Chat website or
listen out for the town crier,
Isabel Ashman, announcing
yet another event in a packed
social calendar that includes
the May carnival parade and
the June tennis tournament,
plus Pride in July and the
high-class literary festival in
October, launched by WH
Auden (among others).
Everyone comes together to
sing On Ilkley Moor Baht ’At ontextiles at Little Beacon, for
footwear at the family-run
Ilkley Shoe Company (they do
repairs too) and get your
knives sharpened at
Community Cutlery. The
food scene has improved:
afternoon tea at Bettys or
dinner at the Box Tree (set
menu £90) are now joined by
excellent, less formal options
from the Lister Arms (the local
‘Spoons) and two-for-one
cocktails at the Banyan, to
Host, Friends of Ham, and the
dining room at Moss & Moor, a
family-run garden centre.Connections
There are direct trains to
Leeds (from 29 minutes) and
Bradford (from 30 minutes).
It’s a 40 minute drive to Leeds
and the A1(M) at Wetherby, as
long as you avoid the regular
snarl-ups on the A65. But it’s
all about getting around on
two wheels here, especially
if you’re looking to explore
the Yorkshire Dales. The
cycle club has more than 240
routes on its website — just
don’t get in the way of local
champion triathletes the
Brownlee brothers.Broadband
Gigabit speeds available from
Virgin Media to most homes
and plenty of superfast
broadband to give a wider
choice of service providers.Schools
Three of the five primaries are
outstanding, according to
Ofsted — All Saints, Ashlands
and Sacred Heart. Ilkley
Grammar, the local
secondary, is rated
outstanding and features in
The Sunday Times Parent
Power guide. Independents
nearby include Bradford
Grammar (day fees £4,511),
also in the guide.Best place to live if...
You want a magical
combination of convenience,
countryside and community
— without a car.Best address
If you want the evening sun,
head across the river to
Middleton, where detached
houses in Langbar Road, Curly
Hill or Nesfield Road fetch at
least £1 million. In town,
Grove Road is the prized
perch. Old stone detached
homes go for £1.5 million. Or
look at the terraced houses in
Ben Rhydding, which cost
about £350,000.well-acted stories” with no
adverts, enjoying pizza and
good wine.
Think the town could do
with a market? Get together
and start one. Real Food Ilkley
was launched with 20 stalls in
the car park of the Black Hat
pub in 2016, and now more
than 60 traders gather on the
first Sunday of every month
selling everything from fruit
and veg to goat’s milk soap.
The most recent success is
the campaign to secure
bathing water status for the
River Wharfe — a milestone for
the wild swimmers who like to
take a dip under the flashing
gaze of kingfishers and the
This is an edited version. For the complete guide visit thetimes.co.uk/best-places-to-liveApril 10, 2022 5