Trawden

Memorial to William Busfeild Ferrand

St. Ives · 12 miles

Bingley St. Ives, or St. Ives Estate is a 550-acre (2.2 km2) country park and former estate between Bingley and Harden in West Yorkshire, England now owned by Bradford Council. The park has Grade II listing in the English Heritage National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Interest. The park has been given Accredited Country Park status by Natural England.

Bradford Pennine Gateway NNR

Ilkley · 14 miles

Covering more than 1,200 hectares across the northern fringe of Bradford, the Bradford Pennine Gateway National Nature Reserve was formally opened on 25 March 2025. Situated around Ilkley and extending into Haworth, Harden, Bingley, Baildon, Shipley and surrounding villages, it represents the first national nature reserve in West Yorkshire and forms part of King Charles III’s “King’s Series” of new reserves. The designation, announced in May 2025, links eight distinct sites and provides enhanced protection for a range of habitats, including wetlands, heathland and peat bogs. The reserve’s varied environments support a number of notable wildlife species such as adders, short-eared owls, golden plovers and curlews. Approximately 40 % of the area, amounting to 738 hectares, received new protection as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. One of the constituent sites, Bingley North Bog, originated over 10 000 years ago when glacial retreat left sediment that formed the present wetland. Work that began in August 2025 focused on clearing paths, restoring the bog and removing invasive plants; the bog now hosts curlews, herons, bats, kingfishers and dragonflies. Management of all sites rests with Bradford City Council, and the reserve is intended to serve as a venue for field studies by local colleges and universities. In 2026 the reserve featured in Condé Nast Traveller’s list of seven wonders of the world.

Roberts Park

Saltaire · 15 miles

Spanning 14 acres beside the River Aire, Roberts Park forms a key green component of the Saltaire World Heritage landscape in West Yorkshire. Bordered to the north by Higher Coach Road, Baildon, the river defines its southern edge, while a pedestrian footbridge spans the water to reconnect the park with the historic village of Saltaire. The site is recorded in the OpenStreetMap database as a park near Saltaire, and its layout includes a broad east-west promenade flanked by shelters at each end. The garden was laid out in the early 1870s by landscape architect William Gay for industrialist Sir Titus Salt and opened on 25 July 1871. Originally called Saltaire Park, it later acquired the name Roberts Park after Sir James Roberts purchased the land in 1891 and, in 1920, gifted it to Bradford Council as a memorial to his son. The park holds a Grade II listing on English Heritage’s Register of Parks and Gardens and carries the Green Flag Award. A major refurbishment funded largely by the Heritage Lottery Fund was carried out between February 2009 and April 2010, restoring the pavilion, shelters, statue and footpaths, and adding a children’s play area and a 280 m² BMX skate park. Visitors can follow the serpentine paths to the semi-circular Lockwood and Mawson pavilion, now the Half Moon Café, which provides Wi-Fi and toilet facilities. A bronze statue of Sir Titus Salt stands beneath a viewing platform, and a rebuilt bandstand hosts concerts. Adjacent amenities include a cricket ground, open playing field, and the north shelter with a poster exhibition of the park’s history. Access is provided from the east via the park lodge and from the south-east across a cast-iron bridge, with the footbridge over the Aire linking back to Saltaire.

Shipley Glen Tramway

Baildon · 16 miles

A preserved cable funicular climbs through the wooded setting of Shipley Glen, situated close to Baildon and the village of Saltaire in West Yorkshire. The lower terminus lies roughly 660 feet (200 m) on foot from Saltaire railway station and is similarly distant from the historic Salts Mill, now home to shops, restaurants and the David Hockney gallery. The tramway is run by volunteers acting for the Shipley Glen Tramway Preservation Co Ltd, a charitable trust that holds a lease from Bradford Council. It first opened on 18 May 1895, an initiative of Sam Wilson, a local publican, showman and entrepreneur, to provide easier access to the former attractions that once occupied the glen, including a wooden toboggan ride and a sizeable fairground. Originally powered by a gas engine, the line has been electrically driven since 1920. Management passed to the charitable trust in 2002. After a temporary closure in 2010 for safety upgrades – involving new chassis, wheels, decks and improved braking on both cars and the haulage drum – the service resumed in 2011 and continues to operate under the volunteer-run trust.

Lister Mills

Bradford · 16 miles

The former silk works, now known as Lister Mills, dominates the skyline of the Manningham district in Bradford, West Yorkshire. Built in 1873 to replace an earlier mill lost to fire, the Italianate Victorian structure is recorded as a Grade II* listed building by Historic England. Its most recognisable element is a 249-foot chimney that can be spotted from much of the city, while the extensive brick façades and the site’s overall mass cover roughly 27 acres. The mill’s location is close to the centre of Bradford, making it reachable on foot or by public transport, and the surrounding area includes a piazza and an underground car park that were created on the former reservoir site. At its peak the mill employed around 11 000 people and produced luxury textiles such as velvet and silk, supplying material for King George V’s coronation and later for the White House in 1976. During the Second World War the works turned to military fabrics, creating parachute silk, flame-proof wool and khaki battledress. After a decline in the 1980s and closure in 1999, the complex entered a regeneration programme led by Urban Splash. The first phase delivered 131 new homes and three ground-floor commercial units, completed in 2006, while a second phase added a glass-and-steel roof over the velvet mill, preserving original architectural features and providing additional apartments and retail space. As a residential and mixed-use development, the site does not charge admission; visitors can view the historic exterior and chimney from the public piazza or nearby streets.

Peel Tower

Holcombe · 16 miles

Rising 128 feet above Holcombe Moor, the stone monument known locally as Holcombe Tower marks the spot where Robert Peel, the former Prime Minister and founder of the modern police force, was commemorated after his death in 1850. Situated near Ramsbottom in Greater Manchester, the tower sits at an elevation of roughly 1 100 feet (335 metres) and forms a prominent landmark on the moorland that separates the town from the surrounding countryside. Construction began shortly after Peel’s passing, driven by a public appeal and overseen by a committee chaired by industrialist William Grant. The gritstone used for the structure was quarried on-site, leaving a visible pit beside the base. The tower’s crenellated base bears the name “Peel” above its entrance, and the four-stage shaft features mullioned windows and battlements that support a viewing platform. In 1929 the original wooden staircase was replaced with iron, and a marble panel bearing an excerpt from Peel’s 1846 speech to the House of Commons was added. During the Second World War the tower served as a lookout post; later corrosion led to its closure until a new concrete staircase was installed and the monument was rededicated in November 1985. Today the structure is owned by Bury Metropolitan Borough Council, holds Grade II listed status (designated 1984), and is occasionally accessible to visitors on Sundays when the flag at its summit is flying, the flag being maintained by volunteers.