The busy town of Ilkley is nestled between the cities of Leeds and Bradford in the breathtakingly beautiful Yorkshire countryside. Ilkley is known far and wide for the eponymous tune ‘On Ilka Moor Baht ’At’, but besides this anthem and its stunning moor it has more than eighty listed buildings and is home to one of the smallest cinemas in Europe. It proudly sports grand Victorian houses built in Yorkshire stone, has its own playhouse, and is famous for its imposing Manor House, which today houses the museum and heritage arts centre. Hydrotherapy played a big part in the history of Ilkley. White Wells Spa Cottage opened its first bathing pools in 1703 and established Ilkley as a spa town; Craiglands Hotel is also renowned for the treatment of hydrotherapy. Further visitors arrived following the opening of Ilkley railway station in 1865. The grand Town Hall was built in 1906–08, as was the King’s Hall, which provides a multi-functional community hub today. Ilkley Library and visitor centre provides one of the venues for an annual literary festival. Hillside Court is home to an array of shops, restaurants and apartments and is also linked to Charles Darwin as he stayed there with his family. The award-winning Michelin star Box Tree restaurant, where chef Marco Pierre White cut his culinary teeth, is one of the oldest dwellings in Ilkley. The town also has a rather unlikely claim to fame in the history of rock and roll: guitarist Jimi Hendrix and his band once played to a packed house at the former Troutbeck Hotel on 12 March 1967. Such was the size of the crowd, the police were summoned to call time on the concert due to safety concerns. Hendrix was seen queuing for fish and chips at the world-famous Harry Ramsden's in Guiseley later that day. A new film is in the making, at the time of publication, about Hendrix's trip to the area.Ilkley and Around in 50 Buildings explores the history of this fascinating area of Yorkshire through a selection of its most interesting buildings and structures, showing the changes that have taken place over the years. The book will appeal to all those who live in Ilkley or who have an interest in the area.
