Ilkley Moor from the Cow and Calf
You run straight up onto the moor of the famous song, past the Cow and Calf crags and out to the Twelve Apostles stone circle, with cup-and-ring carvings scattered underfoot.
Effort: Moderate distance, manageable climb
Underfoot: Some uneven or off-path ground
E2·T2 — how we grade routesYou run straight up onto the moor of the famous song, past the Cow and Calf crags and out to the Twelve Apostles stone circle, with cup-and-ring carvings scattered underfoot.
A 9.5km loop onto Ilkley Moor from the Cow and Calf rocks, crossing the gritstone heart of Rombalds Moor. Short, open moorland running past ancient carved stones and the Twelve Apostles circle.
The route
Start at the Cow and Calf car park above Ilkley and climb onto the moor, making a 9.5km loop across the open top before dropping back to the rocks. It is short, but it is genuine moorland: once you leave the crags the ground turns to heather, peat and gritstone, with the Twelve Apostles stone circle out on the watershed. The climb is front-loaded, so most of the loop runs across the broad, breezy top.
The moor
Ilkley Moor is the best-known part of Rombalds Moor, the great gritstone upland between Wharfedale and Airedale. The Cow and Calf are its landmark crags, a favourite of climbers and scramblers, and above them the moor is thick with prehistory: more than 400 cup-and-ring marked stones, the Swastika Stone, and the low ring of the Twelve Apostles. It is open, exposed country with long views over Ilkley and the Wharfe valley, bleak in bad weather and glorious in good.
Why it works
This is a route that delivers a lot of moor for a small distance. The paths near the Cow and Calf are good and busy, but the interior is boggy and featureless, so navigation matters once you are out on the top, especially in cloud. It suits a short, sharp outing, a first taste of moorland running, or an evening loop from Ilkley. Expect wet feet on the peat and pick your line across the boggy sections. The Cow and Calf Hotel and White Wells give you refreshment near the start, and Ilkley itself is a couple of minutes away, one of the most handsome small towns in Yorkshire and a fine place to end up. Short as it is, it teaches the moor honestly, which makes it a smart first step before the bigger Pennine days.
The moor interior is boggy and featureless away from the crags, so navigation matters in cloud, and the peat holds standing water. The Cow and Calf crags have steep drops, so keep clear of the edges.
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.
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