The waterfalls and bridge of Heber's Ghyll Ilkley

Heber’s Ghyll, Ilkley

Waterfalls, woodland and an ancient carved rock, with a bonus dinosaur hunt thrown in for good measure! What’s not to love?

Located right on the edge of Ilkley Town, this hidden gem is a top way to wander away an hour or two!

Where is Heber’s Ghyll?

In the last place you would expect a waterfall to be. Right on the edge of Ilkley Town Centre on the lower slopes of Ilkley Moor.

This walk is our go-to favourite and has been walked many, many times. You can expect to find a set of waterfalls (spectacular after heavy rain) loads of bridges and a dinosaur hunt.

At the top you will come out of the woodland onto the the moor-side and up to the Swastika Stone. For those who aren’t familiar with the carved stones of Ilkley Moor, the Swastika Stone dates back to Neolithic times, thousands of years ago and is one of the finest examples of the prehistoric carvings on the moor.

It does not have any association with the modern use of the Swastika.

Across the moorland range you will find plenty of these weirdly carved rocks, but this one is truly the most spectacular. It is unmissable and protected by iron railings on the edge of Woodhouse Crag.

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I set up the Reluctant Explorers and maintain the website and attached social media accounts in my spare time, around mum-life and two jobs. It was designed to provide access for parents to free resources to help get more families outside and exploring in nature. These walks have all been created by myself and the kids and we have walked each one ourselves (and re-walk them regularly to keep the information as up to date as we can).

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Playing in the water of Heber's Ghyll

Walk details for Heber’s Ghyll

Distance: 1.5 - 2 miles

Terrain: Rough uneven terrain. Ascent is approximately 270m. The path is steep at the top of the ghyll and the steps are narrow so be careful underfoot. Ilkley Moor is notorious for being riddled with paths, so be aware when you are navigating your way around this one!

Parking: On street at the foot of Heber’s Ghyll. Please adhere to any parking restrictions, and be courteous to residents. Do not block any access gates, or tracks.

Public Transport: Ilkley train station is a 1.5 mile walk. There are regular bus services to the centre of Ilkley, the nearest bus stop being outside Victoria Ave.

Dog Friendly: Yes

Location: Ilkley

Map: OS Explorer 297 Lower Wharfedale and Washburn Valley.

What 3 Words: decking.cube.schooling - start point and parking

Toilets/ Baby Change: No

Nearest Cafe/ Amenities: Ilkley (1.5 mile walk)

Looking up the watefalls of Heber's Ghyll

The route up the ghyll has loads of cascading waterfalls and bridges to cross.

Directions to Heber’s Ghyll

This walk will take you onto open moorland, so take a map with you.

  1. From the road, head across the wooden footbridge crossing the base of the beck. Turn left and head up the wide and obvious track that zig-zags up the cascades, making sure to check for trolls at each bridge and keep your eyes peeled for those dinos hidden in the woodland on the way up the Ghyll. They are tiny and hidden in the trees, on the bridges and along the path. (2026 edit, upon our most recent re-walk there were only a few dinos to spot, the number is a little unreliable)

  2. When you reach the top of the path you will easily spot the way out of the woodland, crossing a final bridge at the top of the beck to your left. If at this point you don’t want to head up onto the moor to find the Swastika Stone, you can turn right here and follow the perimeter wall of the woodland, then skip to point 5.

  3. If you wish to go and see the neolithic Swastika Stone, then head out of the gate in the wall and turn left. Almost immediately to your right there is a path that clambers upwards along the left hand side of the beck. Keep the beck to your right and follow this until you reach a far more obvious track that forms a T Junction.

  4. Here, turn right and continue through the gate in the wall. Keep walking along the same path until you see the metal railings of the stone to your right. The views from here on a clear day are INSANE and stretch as far as the Yorkshire Dales National Park and beyond!

  5. Retrace your steps to the top of the woodland where you exited Heber’s Ghyll. Go back across the bridge at the top of the beck and head straight on, roughly following the line of the upper perimeter wall to your left. Continue as far as the top corner of the woodland, so essentially walking along the entire length of the upper perimeter wall.

  6. Here, turn right and continue downhill until you almost reach the road. Turn right and follow the line of the road through the woodland until you reach your start point. There are plenty of opportunities to clamber on rocks and explore here, and we thoroughly suggest you do!

NAVIGATION NOTE: Those of you who have used our website for a while will notice that I have changed this from the original route. Upon recently walking, the original recommended route up to the stone was very ambiguous, so I’ve amended it to a far more easily navigated one! Do note however that there are loads of paths through the woodland, I have simply opted for the easiest to follow.

Last walked February 2026.

The Swastika Stone Ilkley

The Swastika Stone. This visible one is actually a reproduction of the original made in the 1800’s. The original stone is directly behind it, but is very eroded and not as easy to see.

For helpful information and safety advice head to our dedicated page.

⭐ We hope you enjoy our walks, but please exercise common sense as routes can change with the weather conditions and seasons! The routes have been walked by our own two feet, but you know your own limits. Always take a back-up map, don’t rely on GPS alone, wear appropriate clothing for the weather and take adequate snacks and refreshments with you (although as a parent, I know you already know that bit!)

⭐ Leave no trace! Take nothing away and leave nothing behind, take all rubbish home with you.

What’s cool for kids on this walk?

🐱‍🐉 Dino’s to hunt… here are some hints from our experience of the dino hunt! These are secured in place by volunteers so whilst there are supposed to be 10, due to conditions and wear and tear, there may not always be 10! Look high and low. They are screwed and nailed onto trees and signposts, and some are harder to spot than others. They are all small plastic toy dinosaurs, so can be elusive!

💦 There are points where you can get down to the water to throw stones or dip your boots

✨ The Swastika Stone is a scheduled monument, protected on account of it’s significance in the scale of cup and ring marked rocks. Ilkley Moor has hundreds of these rocks dotted all over (see the Badger Stone, which is another fine example.) It is believed that the carvings date back to c.2800-500BC and this particular stone is one of the more rare examples of Neolithic stone carvings (hence why it’s protected). The visible stone is actually a replica of the original, created in the 19th Century. The original stone is very weathered so not as easy to spot. It is directly behind the replica. Sources: thenorthernantiquarian,org and historicengland.org.

🌳 This walk is great in all seasons. But to try and beat the walking whinge, then why not try one of our walking games? Or you can download a free scavenger sheet!

Want to grab the route?

Here’s a handy map.

Always remember to take your own though! We always use Ordnance Survey so check it out!

Image is Copyright of Ordnance Survey

White Wells Spa in Ilkley

Want to find more Ilkley Walks?

All of our family friendly walks are arranged in loads of different categories including, waterfall walks, short walks and walks with play parks. So you can find exactly the kind of walk you are looking for!

But if you want to find all the kid friendly Ilkley walks in one place?

Then why not head to our Ilkley Walks section!

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