Ilkley Moor, Yorkshire Walking Guide (12 Apostles / Cow & Calf Circular Route), English Countryside

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Published 2021-04-09
A step-by-step guide to one of the many popular walking routes on Ilkley Moor, covering the 12 Apostles stone circle, the Cow and Calf, the Lanshaw Lad and Lanshaw Dam - a beautiful English countryside walk!

There are a number of walking routes available around Ilkley and Burley Moor, set in West Yorkshire (on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park). This particular route is around 5 miles long and is rated as a moderate level of difficulty.

Use the chapter below to refer to different steps of this walk, and to see useful extra information before you visit Ilkley, Yorkshire:

0:00 Intro
0:36 Step 1. The Cow & Calf
1:01 Step 2. The Woodland
1:23 Step 3. Backstone Beck
2:00 Step 4. Heading South
2:18 Step 5. Lanshaw Lad
2:39 Step 6. Twelve Apostles
2:55 Step 7. Lanshaw Dam
3:27 Step 8: Heading Back Down
4:16 Useful Information

Written description of the steps:

Step One: Cow and Calf
Start your walk at Ilkley Moor car park. On your right will be the famous 'Cow and Calf' rock formation. You can take a look around the quarry next to the cow and calf before following the path up onto the moors.

Step Two: The Woods
Head west, keeping the cow and calf on your right hand side. You will soon pass more disused quarries on the left before dropping down into a small peaceful wooded area. Follow the path through the woods. On the other side of the trees, continue west following the path down the hill until you reach backstone beck.

Step Three: The Beck
You will see a small footbridge over the beck. For this particular route you don’t want to cross the bridge. We started going that way by mistake and had to turn around and come back again. Instead, keeping the beck on your right, look to the left and you will see a sign post for stanza stones. Follow this path up the hill. You’ll pass a couple more posts on the way up so you know you’re going the right way. While this is a fairly steep rocky route up, it’s also a fairly short scrabble to the top.

Step 4: Heading South
Follow the path south, keeping backstone beck on your right. As the footpath gradually veers away from the beck you will eventually reach a fork. Rather than taking the right hand path which leads you back down to the beck, take the left and continue heading up the hill.

Step 5: Lanshaw Lad
The path will veer right. Keep following the path up the hill...nothing too steep, it’s a fairly gradual incline, until you meet a paved pathway. Sections of paving stones have been added to the moor to reduce erosion of the landscape. Continuing up this paved path you will the lanshaw lad on the right, which marks the boundary between Ilkley and Burley.

Step 6: The Twelve Apostles
Further along the pathway you will come across a circle of rocks on your left hand side.

Step 7: Higher & Lower Lanshaw Damn
After the 12 apostles the path will fork. You want to take the path to the left and head east. If you pass higher lanshaw damn on your left then you know you’re going the right way.
The path will slope upwards and eventually you will reach another fork. Follow the path left across Burley Moor down, keeping Lower Lanshaw Dam on your right.

Step 8: Heading back down
Follow the path down millennium way. Once you reach the point where Ebor Way intersects millennium way, take the left turn which will lead you in a north west direction. Shortly after joining this path you will cross a small bubbling stream. Once you are on the other side, ignore the path to the right, and follow the left hand path, up the hill instead. This path will continue leading you right back to your starting point.

Optional Step 9: Cow and Calf Pub :)

A very similar route outlined on a map: www.gps-routes.co.uk/routes/home.nsf/RoutesLinksWa…

We have other Yorkshire Countryside Walking Guides available here:    • Yorkshire Walking Guides & Countrysid... …
All Comments (21)
  • @RuthandThomas
    The colors in this are absolutely gorgeous. The views are stunning and the history of the stones is just fascinating! We would love to do this hike if we ever end up in the area 😊
  • @AlanMETALMAN
    Never been on Ilkley Moor before, so good to watch this. Looked a great walk with plenty of options, especially a pub, which sounds awesome in the winter. Very detailed and well explained video, cheers Alan
  • @TravelInteresante
    Such beautiful landscape, love this documentary type of video. I can spot the red kite and the grouse, yes! Seems like super windy there. 12 Apostles are looking awesome!
  • @Explorcation
    This is a great guide! The Backstone Beck area seemed very peaceful. I love how you shared common mistakes. The Pub sounds like a great place to stop in.
  • @Grandmastergav86
    I want to believe that Ilkley Moor Alien story but we all know it's bollocks :) A stunningly beautiful location nonetheless.
  • @afty8346
    Amazing videos . Just a suggestion: It would be great if you could please mention how child friendly the different walks are. Many thanks. You are doing an amazing job
  • @angelasmith5104
    Great guide which I hope to use this weekend, just one question though at 3:40 you say take the left path, but the gentleman in the video is pointing right? I don’t want to get lost, without my hat 🙏