Baildon: Moorland, History and Market

Baildon combines a moorland area with historic buildings, local events and train connections to Bradford and Ilkley. During your stay, you can focus on paths and scenery, local history or the farmers’ market. On Baildon Moor, walking and air sports meet archaeological traces; the station, market and town centre offer further points of reference.

Moorland, paths and archaeological traces

As a Walkers are Welcome destination, Baildon has walking routes through the town and surrounding countryside. Baildon Moor is suitable for walking and is also popular with hang-gliders and model aircraft enthusiasts. Walking, hang-gliding and model aircraft flying therefore take place side by side on the moor. A notable feature there is the stone circle known as Soldier’s Trench, which according to tradition dates from the Bronze Age. There are also numerous cup-and-ring marks on Baildon Moor; their origin is unknown. The two features are therefore classified differently: the stone circle is traditionally attributed to the Bronze Age, while the origin of the marks remains unknown.

There are also destinations with different attractions in the area around Baildon. Denso Marston Nature Reserve is in Shipley. It can be accessed via the riverside path along the River Aire or via the path opposite the lay-by near St James’ Church on Otley Road. Shipley Glen Cable Tramway is also nearby. It was built in 1895 and operates narrow-gauge, cable-hauled cars. There is a museum at the lower station with images on the history of Shipley Glen and the tramway, as well as related artefacts. The nature reserve and tramway thus offer different attractions alongside Baildon’s moorland paths.

Buildings and history

Baildon Moravian Church is a simple church in the Gothic Revival style. Samuel Jackson built it around 1868. Bank Walk House features a different style of construction: the timber-framed house dates from the late 15th or early 16th century and is enclosed in stone. Baildon thus has both a 19th-century Gothic Revival church and a much older, stone-enclosed timber-framed house. Bank Walk House dates to the transition from the late 15th to the early 16th century.

In the centre of Baildon, the “Potted Meat Stick” monument stands beside a roundabout. On the edge of Baildon Moor, on Shipley Glen, is Bracken Hall Countryside Centre. It is surrounded by the landscape of the Bradford Pennine Gateway National Nature Reserve. The Centre is open on Saturday and Sunday afternoons from 12 to 4 pm. The buildings in the town and the Centre on the edge of the moorland area offer different historical and landscape highlights.

Farmers’ market, event and travel

Baildon Farmers’ Market has an average of 25 traders. Products include sourdough bread, cheese from the Dales, fresh and smoked fish, local fruit and vegetables, herbs, plants and oils, cakes, jams and preserves, as well as game. Seasonal produce such as strawberries, rhubarb and asparagus adds to the selection. The market also features live music and a free bingo trail for children. Seasonal fruit and vegetables are offered alongside products such as jams and preserves, which are not tied to a single harvest season.

Baildon Carnival takes place every year on the second Saturday in July. Check the final programme for the relevant year before travelling. Baildon station offers direct train connections to Bradford and Ilkley; at Shipley, you can change for Leeds. If you’re looking for a hotel in Baildon, these different travel interests can help you choose when to visit: moorland paths and local history, the market and carnival, and train connections each offer a different focus for your stay.

Discover more destinations: Ripponden, Skelmanthorpe, Meltham, Upton, Rishworth, Almondbury, Steeton, Denby Dale

For the wider travel overview: West Yorkshire.