Читать книгу The Dales Way. From Ilkley to the Lake District through the Yorkshire Dales онлайн

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ILKLEY

A tour of Ilkley makes a fitting overture to the Dales Way. The whole of the way offers beauty (in all its guises) heaped upon beauty, and Ilkley is an ideal introduction, probably unsurpassed as a setting-off point for any of this country’s major walks. It lies near enough to major towns and cities to be easily accessible, and provides a range of accommodation to suit all pockets.

Dominated by the brown dome of Ilkley Moor, with which it is synonymous, Ilkley is a bright, bubbling, attractive town, a destination for walkers from far and wide. It has a considerable history, having been an important centre since the Bronze Age. Known to the Romans as Olicana, it has also been called Olecanon, Illicleia, Hilleclaia, Illelaya, Illeclat, Illeclay, Yelleilaia, Yelkeley and Hekeley. Before the Romans, the land around Ilkley was occupied by the Brigantes, the ancient Celtic tribe whose great kingdom extended roughly to the boundaries of present-day Yorkshire. The Romans built a substantial fort here, and the lines of their roads are still etched across the surrounding moors, indeed many of them will be encountered along the way.