Ilkley Moor

Ilkley moor is one of Yorkshire's areas of natural beauty, popular with walkers, climbers and naturalists. The cow and calf rocks are accessible from the car park on Hangingstone Road (sometimes being referred to as the hangingstone rocks) and are made of millstone grit.

Close to the abandoned Ilkley Quarry stands the large outcrop of rock resembling the cow, with a boulder close by being the calf.

According to local legend, the cow was split from the calf when the giant Rombald was fleeing an enemy and stamped on the rocks as he stepped across the valley. The enemy being his angry wife, who dropped the rock formation from her apron (Source: visitbradford.com).

My initial photographic interest was piqued by the rock formation and the surrounding landscape. The shape of the rocks is impressive and the nearby spa town of Ilkley with its surrounding countryside well worth a visit. During the first visit, in November 2021, the grass was brown and the heather was colourless on a slightly overcast, dank day, with flat lighting. This did not detract from the visual interest of the rock formation and the spectacular height of the formation when juxtaposed with the nearby town – even on such an overcast day.

The first visit, on a dank overcast day with flat lighting

The first visit to the Cow and Calf rocks

The shape of the Cow and Calf rocks is impressive

Briefly returning to the location on a cold January afternoon in 2022 (after photographing Arthington Viaduct in the morning) the sun was tinting the top of the rocks and bathing distant Ilkley to offer a little warmth, with most of the cow and calf formation shaded to preserve a covering of frost on the area of grass and wintered heather.

This second brief visit reinforced my desire to photograph the heather in season. And subsequent research combined with such recent experience confirmed that an early start was needed.

The reward of heather on the cow and calf rocks, set in surrounding moorland, close to Ilkley

Almost every landscape photographer will understand the benefits of returning to a scene. The first one, two, or even dozens of visits may offer useful practise. Light, season, weather and sometimes temperature change a scene almost beyond recognition. Such is the wonder of nature and the joy of landscape photography.

The published image, in portrait format, can be seen in the Scenic Landscape section by clicking here