Addingham High Moor Loop
You get onto the quiet western shoulder of Rombalds Moor, away from the Ilkley crowds, with wide views over Wharfedale one way and Airedale the other for a short, sharp climb.
Effort: Moderate distance, manageable climb
Underfoot: Open fell or rough terrain
E2·T3 — how we grade routesYou get onto the quiet western shoulder of Rombalds Moor, away from the Ilkley crowds, with wide views over Wharfedale one way and Airedale the other for a short, sharp climb.
An 8.8km loop onto Addingham High Moor at the western end of Rombalds Moor, above the Wharfe and Aire valleys. Short, open gritstone moorland running with big views for little distance.
The route
Start from the moor edge above Addingham and make an 8.8km loop onto Addingham High Moor, the western end of the great Rombalds Moor upland. The climb is front-loaded onto the open top, leaving most of the loop to run the moor tracks with the valleys falling away on either side. It is short but genuinely of the moor: gritstone, heather and peat rather than manicured trail, a proper little outing for its distance.
The moor
Rombalds Moor is a group of named moors between Wharfedale and Airedale, and Addingham High Moor is its quieter western shoulder, far less trodden than Ilkley Moor to the east. The ground is classic South Pennine gritstone: heather, boggy peat, weathered stones and the odd carved rock, with wide views over the Wharfe valley to the north and Airedale to the south. Windgate Nick, a notch in the moor edge, gives a fine viewpoint out over the dale. It is open, breezy country, bleak in bad weather and glorious in good.
Why it works
This is a route for a quick moorland fix or a first taste of the gritstone tops. The distance is short, but the moor is boggy and the paths thin out on the open ground, so navigation still matters in cloud and wet feet are likely. It suits an evening loop, a recovery run with a view, or an introduction to moorland running before the bigger South Pennine days. Save it for a clear day to get the views over both valleys. Addingham and Silsden below have pubs and shops for afterwards.
The moor is boggy and the paths thin out on the open top, so navigation matters in cloud despite the short distance, and wet feet are likely. Exposed to weather with little shelter. Grouse shooting affects parts of the moor between August and December.
Safety on this route
- No signal? Text 999 — pre-register first: text register to 999
- Tell someone your route and expected return time before you head out
Leave No Trace
- Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but memories.
- Please respect the countryside and all its inhabitants.
- Dogs on leads near livestock, and around ground-nesting birds from March to July.
- Gates as you find them — open or closed, leave it that way for the farmer and the next runner.
- Take it all home — wrappers, peel, tissue, the lot. It doesn't count as biodegradable if you can still see it.
- Stick to the path where the ground either side is wet, planted, or nesting habitat.
Common questions
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