Beamsley Beacon and The Old Pike… a Wet and Windy Walk in Ilkley!

The rain is hammering on my hood, it’s slamming sideways into my face, my socks are soggy, and I’m absolutely soaked to the bone… not quite what I had in mind for my first hike of 2023!

Beamsley Beacon, or The Old Pike as it’s also known, is a Bronze Age burial site and Napoleonic beacon on the summit of Beacon Hill, near Ilkley. The trig point is somewhat overshadowed by the huge cairn next to it, which has origins going back 4,500 years when it was built as an ancient burial site for a local chieftain!

It was a really good hike, but I’d recommend doing it on a clear day when the views will be better and the moor will be less waterlogged!

Looking towards March Ghyll reservoir

2 lonely looking trees made a good shot

Stone shooting butts dot the landscape. The the moor is a popular grouse shooting location

Inside the shooting butt...

Luckily for this grouse I was only shooting photos!

Looks like the farmer got bored and ditched his tractor up here!

There's something about scenic path markers that always make me take a photo of them!

Almost there. I can see the cairn at the top!

Thought I'd circle around underneath the rocky outcrop for some shelter from the weather!

Looking out towards Bolton Abbey

It's a little wet and windy up here!!

Obligatory trig point photo

The trig point overshadowed by the cairn

The plaques on the trig point say a little about it's history and is a memorial to a Royal Canadian Air Force bomber who crashed on the hill in 1945

Looking past the cairn into the distance...

A very scenic trig point!

Some very colourful sheep!

Typical... the clouds start to break up as I'm almost back down off the moor!

The relief as I see March Ghyll reservoir again... I'm almost back at the car to dry off and warm up!

Hmm looks like I need to swim across this. The stepping stones aren't much help!

Looking back towards the summit and Beamsley Beacon from the start

Zoomed in view of the carin at the top

A farm shop and cafe for some coffee to refuel... only it's shut for refurbishment!