Editing Ilkley (section)

==Culture and attractions==
[[File:cowcalf.jpg|thumb|right|Cow and Calf rocks]]
[[File:Ilkley River Suspension Bridge.jpg|thumb|right|Old suspension bridge spanning the Wharfe in Ilkley.]]
[[File:Pink Blossoms in Ilkley.jpg|thumb|right|Vibrant cherry blossoms adorn the river bank close to the town centre.]]
Ilkley town centre is a tourist attraction with a high number of small independent shops. Of particular note is Lishman's of Ilkley, an award-winning butcher shop whose owner, David Lishman, became one of [[Rick Stein|Rick Stein's]] superheroes in 2003.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2003/sep/14/foodanddrink.shopping5 |title=Rick Stein's superheroes |first=Rick |last=Stein |work=The Observer |date=14 September 2003 |access-date=9 June 2009 |location=London}}</ref> Ilkley is one of five towns to feature a [[Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate|Bettys]] tearoom and is home to the [[Michelin Guide|Michelin-starred]] [[Box Tree]] restaurant<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.michelin.co.uk/travel/red2008/popup_encj.htm |title=Michelin Guide Star History 2008-1974: England C-J |publisher=Michelin |access-date=9 June 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090425023351/http://www.michelin.co.uk/travel/red2008/popup_encj.htm |archive-date=25 April 2009 }}</ref> where [[Marco Pierre White]] trained. In 1991 Ilkley won the [[Entente Florale]] and in 1990 and 2004 the [[Britain in Bloom]] contest in the category of 'Town'. In 2006 Ilkley became a [[Fairtrade Town]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/get_involved/campaigns/fairtrade_towns/towns_list.aspx |title=Fairtrade Towns |publisher=Fairtrade Foundation |access-date=28 November 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100201233239/http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/get_involved/campaigns/fairtrade_towns/towns_list.aspx |archive-date=1 February 2010  }}</ref>

The [[Manor House Museum|Manor House]], one of the town's oldest buildings, houses a museum and art gallery. The museum contains prehistoric artefacts and documents the Roman fort of Olicana – remains of which are exposed at the back of the building – as well as the rise of Ilkley as a Victorian spa town.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visitbradford.com/thedms-search.asp?dms=13&feature=1&venue=2180354&easi=true |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717220302/http://www.visitbradford.com/thedms-search.asp?dms=13&feature=1&venue=2180354&easi=true |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 July 2011 |publisher=visitbradford.com |title=Manor House Art Gallery & Museum |access-date=31 March 2009 }}</ref> [[Ilkley Toy Museum]] has a collection of toys dating from 350&nbsp;BC and a collection of English wooden dolls.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ilkleytoymuseum.co.uk/aboutus.html |title=About Us |publisher=Ilkley Toy Museum |access-date=10 January 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930010828/http://www.ilkleytoymuseum.co.uk/aboutus.html |archive-date=30 September 2007  }}</ref>

[[File:Ilkley - The Grove - September 2007.jpg|thumb|right|The Grove, Ilkley's principal shopping street, designed with wide pavements for promenading]]
The historic Ilkley Golf club house was built over a hundred years ago in Middleton, it overlooks the golf course which stretches on into [[North Yorkshire]] following along the side of the [[River Wharfe]].

Ilkley's rural surroundings attract walkers and cyclists to the area. The landmark Cow and Calf rocks, which overlook the town on [[Ilkley Moor]], consist of a large outcrop, which allegedly imitates a cow, and a boulder, which imitates a calf. The site is also visited for its [[rock climbing]] routes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.yorkshiregrit.com/ilkley.html |title=Ilkley |publisher=YorkshireGrit |access-date=11 January 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061121070133/http://www.yorkshiregrit.com/ilkley.html |archive-date=21 November 2006  }}</ref> The Old Bridge just outside the town centre is the official start to the [[Dales Way]], an {{convert|84|mi|km|adj=on}} walk through the dales to [[Bowness-on-Windermere]] in the [[Lake District]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dalesway.org.uk/ |title=The Dales Way |publisher=Dales Way Association |access-date=10 January 2007 }}</ref>

Darwin Gardens, to the south of the town, is a [[Millennium Green]] which commemorates the town's links with English naturalist [[Charles Darwin]]. The Green features a maze, whose design was influenced by the [[Swastika Stone]] carving, and includes monuments with an [[evolutionary]] theme.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.darwingardens.co.uk/history.htm |title=The Evolution of Darwin Gardens Millennium Green |first=Peter |last=Harnett |publisher=Darwin Gardens Trust |date=March 2008 |access-date=9 June 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120181107/http://www.darwingardens.co.uk/history.htm |archive-date=20 November 2008  }}</ref>

Ilkley is home to the largest and oldest literary festival in the [[Northern England|North of England]], the [[Ilkley Literature Festival]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/8023170.Star_writers_head_for_Ilkley_as_annual_festival_flourishes/|title=Star Writers Head for Ilkley as Annual Festival Flourishes|date=26 September 2002|work=Telegraph & Argus|publisher=Newsquest Media Group|access-date=4 February 2018}}</ref> The 1984 British comedy film ''[[A Private Function]]'', written by [[Alan Bennett]], was filmed in Ilkley and Ben Rhydding.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Earnshaw |first1=Tony |first2=Jim |last2=Moran |year=2008 |title=Made in Yorkshire |publisher=Guerilla Books |isbn=978-0-9554943-1-4 |chapter=A Private Function |pages=144–149 |url=http://guerilla-books.com/pdfs/MadeInYorkshire-APrivateFunction.pdf |access-date=28 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080820013016/http://www.guerilla-books.com/pdfs/MadeInYorkshire-APrivateFunction.pdf |archive-date=20 August 2008 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> The town was also one of the locations used for the 2003 British comedy film ''[[Calendar Girls]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/news_cityoffilm/news_cityoffilm_bradford/4461653.Mirren_and_Walters_keep_date_with_Calendar_Girls/|title=How Rylstone WI hit the big screen|date=26 June 2009|work=Telegraph & Argus|publisher=Newsquest Media Group|access-date=14 July 2009}}</ref> The [[BBC]] programme [[Psychoville]] is set, in part, in Ilkley. The ''[http://www.ilkleygazette.co.uk/ Ilkley Gazette]'' is the town's weekly newspaper.

A complementary medicine festival has been held in Ilkley since 1988 and is currently held twice a year, attracting 2,000 visitors.<ref>{{cite web|work=Ilkley.org|title=Ilkley Complementary Medicine Festival|url=http://ilkley.org/local-businesses/complementary-medicine/ilkley-complementary-medicine-festival.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141205115754/http://ilkley.org/local-businesses/complementary-medicine/ilkley-complementary-medicine-festival.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 December 2014|access-date=25 August 2013}}</ref>

Since 1969 Ilkley has been [[Town twinning|twinned]] with [[Coutances]] in France.<ref name="Archant twinning 3">{{cite web|url=http://www.completefrance.com/language-culture/twin-towns|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130705094933/http://www.completefrance.com/language-culture/twin-towns|title=British towns twinned with French towns ''[via WaybackMachine.com]''|access-date=20 July 2013|archive-date=5 July 2013|work=Archant Community Media Ltd}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ilkleygazette.co.uk/news/news_local/4401914.Ilkley_and_Coutances_celebrate_twin_ship/|title=Ilkley and Coutances celebrate twin-ship|date=29 May 2009|work=Ilkley Gazette|publisher=Newsquest Media Group|access-date=27 June 2009}}</ref>

In December 2020 it was announced that a stretch of the River Wharfe at Ilkley would become the first river bathing place to be added to the list of designated bathing places in England under the [[Bathing Water Regulations 2013]], which hitherto included coastal sites and lakes. This followed a campaign by the '''Ilkley Clean River Campaign'''.<ref name="laville">{{cite news |last1=Laville |first1=Sandra |title=Yorkshire swimming spot to get bathing water status in UK first |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/22/yorkshire-river-wharfe-ilkley-bathing-water-status-uk-first |access-date=22 December 2020 |work=The Guardian |date=22 December 2020 |language=en}}</ref>