Badger Stone

A fine day was forecast so I decided to head out to the high moors for the first time in a while.

I took the train out Ilkley and worked my way up to the moor through Panaroma Woods, then west along past the Swastika Stone before heading up onto the Rombalds Ridge and back east via Buck Stones and Whetstone Gate.

Buck Stones is one of my favourite spots because you can look down into both Airedale and Wharfedale and get long views into North Yorkshire and Lancashire (and probably Derbyshire and Cumbria if you can get your landmarks sorted). It looks like the replacement of the old turbines on Ovendon Moor is nearly complete, the 22 old turbines have gone and eight of the nine new ones are up (extras).

Other than the ubiquitous Red Grouse (extras) there was not much evident bird life, although there were a few Bullfinches at the top of Heber's Ghyll.

Keeping to the ridge as far as Thimble Stones I tired of the flagged track and headed back down the moor, arriving at the Badger Stone more by serendipity than design. This is one of the more notable of the scores of prehistoric rock art sites on the moor, and the low winter sun was bringing out the markings nicely. I prefer this one with the view over Upper Wharfedale, but see extras for another angle.