About Ilkley

Ilkley is a town in the metropolitan borough of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. It lies mainly on the south bank and valley of the River Wharfe in Wharfedale, one of the Yorkshire Dales. It has a resident population of 13,828, as measured by Census 2001. It is a prosperous town and has a thriving centre. Much of the architecture is of Victorian design from a time when Ilkley was promoted as a spa town. Consequently it is aesthetically pleasing and the centre's two main streets, Brook Street and The Grove, are unusually wide and, especially in the latter case, appear purpose-designed to enable visitors to promenade. Although not part of the town's Victorian spa heritage, its Lido, constructed in 1935, is one of the few remaining public open-air swimming pools in Yorkshire and is a popular tourist attraction during the summer holiday season. Ilkley is home to the largest and oldest literary festival in the north of England, the Ilkley Literature Festival. The annual Moor Music Festival also takes place just outside the town at Addingham Moorside, promoting green politics and social issues. Since 1969 Ilkley has been a twin town with Coutances in France. In 2004, Ilkley won the Britain in Bloom contest, in the category of 'Town'.