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Rombald's Moor

Rombalds/Ilkley Moor is now covered by "Right to Roam" legislation.


As from 28 May 2005 Rombalds/Ilkley Moor is covered by the Open Access Legislation, http://cms.countrysideaccess.gov.uk/places_to_go/open_access/ . So you do not *have* to keep to the paths. The northern part of the moor has been Open Access for some years. A new issue of the OS Explorer map 297 Lower Wharfedale & Washburn Valley showing the Open Access areas covered is on sale. Ensure that you get one with the gray patch on the spine and front. Be aware that there are restrictions (people with dogs) on the use of some of this land, and "Exclude people altogether" restrictions on some days, as listed on the web site above. The legislation will become effective throughout England by the end of 2005.

The usual warnings. Anyone who goes off the paths should treat the Moor with respect, boots, food, walking gear, wet weather gear etc. The going underfoot varies from easy grass, to knee deep heather or reeds, knee deep bog, or waist high bracken. These often hide dry or water filled deep holes, not to mention disused quarries.

Rombalds Moor contains some 350 Cup & Ring stones and other neolithic sites. A few dozen of these are well known and were discovered and described in Victorian times: Cow and Calf Rocks, Swastika Stone, Pancake Stone etc. and these are easily found and close to existing paths. But many more have now been listed in Prehistoric Rock Art of the West Riding (PRAWR) K.J.S Boughey and E.A. Vickerman, ISBN 1 870453 32 8 http://www.alkelda.f9.co.uk/wybook1.htm, which includes an order form.

PRAWR lists in all some 653 cup and ring stones and other sites within the West Riding, only a few of which are listed on this web site. Previously unknown examples are found regularly in the area.

An advantage of PRAWR is that it gives the usual lengthy discussion. Plus for each site, not only a description, position and often a photograph and/or sketch. But also 10 figure (1 meter) OS National Grid References for each rock, which means the a person with a hand held Global Positioning System receiver (GPS) can walk to within a few meters of a rock. Hopefully in 2006, EGNOS http://www.esa.int/esaNA/GGG63950NDC_index_0.html, which is much behind schedule, will at last become operational. This is similar to WAAS, but for Europe. Then it well be possible for a hand held GPS user to walk to within 2-3 meters of a rock. Without a GPS, and some description of the rock, finding a single boulder in Bracken/Heather is shall we say difficult.
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