The Twelve Apostles Stone Circle, West Yorkshire
Prehistoric monument consisting of twelve large standing stones arranged in a circle
Jake Davies
The Twelve Apostles is a small neolithic stone circle near Ilkley in Yorkshire, and while it is by no means impressive compared to many in Britain, it is found in one of the most impressive locations.
It is situated at 1,250 feet (381 metres) above sea level on top of Rombalds Moor, commonly included in the adjacent and more famous Ilkley Moor, and from this vantage point has extensive views in all direction across the Yorkshire moors and surrounding countryside.
The Stones
The circle itself is about 15 meters in diameter, and the twelve stones, each about 4 to 5 feet high (approximately 1.5 to 2.5 meters), are not evenly spaced.
It is believed there were originally between 16 and 20 stones, and the remaining ones have been re-positioned several times. In the centre of the circle is a small piles of stones that may well be the remains of a cairn, and a circular embankment surrounding the circle has been word down by the sheer number of visitors to the site.
A few hundred metres away is another circle, the Grubstones Circle, and across the moor are numerous other neolithic sites including cairns and many examples of cup and ring marks carved into the rocks.
The stones are made of local millstone grit.
The circle has a diameter of approximately 22 meters and is surrounded by a shallow ditch. The site is thought to have been used for religious and ceremonial purposes by the local people of the time.
Access - Getting to Leeds
The Twelve Apostles stone circle (53,9106 N, 1.809494 W) can only be reached on foot. There are numerous possible routes but the shortest and most popular is from the Ilkley Moor Car Park located next to the Cow and Calf Rock Cafe, Hangingstone Road, Ilkley LS29 8RF.
To the circle it is a fairly easy walk of 5 miles, round trip, though a map is highly recommended as the area is criss-crossed with paths.
Access to the Twelve Apostles Stone Circle near Ilkley is free and open to the public. The site can be reached by foot from the town of Ilkley, which is approximately 3 kilometers away. Visitors should take care when walking on the moors, as the terrain can be uneven and boggy in places.
There is no car park or visitor center at the site, but there is a small layby on the nearby road where visitors can park. It is important to note that the Twelve Apostles Stone Circle near Ilkley is a protected ancient monument, and visitors are asked to respect the site by not touching or moving the stones, and by taking their litter with them when they leave.
If you are coming from Ilkley train station then it is another 1.2 miles and another 400 feet elevation change.
Ilkley Station is 30 minutes by train from Leeds City Station.
Leeds City Station is the main station in Leeds and one of the busiest stations in England outside London with intercity and local Metro trains. Leeds Station is located just south of City Square.
There are First TransPennine Express trains to Newcastle, Manchester Piccadilly Station in Manchester, as well as Manchester Airport and Liverpool Lime Street. Other connections include trains to Hull and Middlesbrough.
Northern has trains to York Station in York, Blackpool North, Bradford, Manchester Victoria, Huddersfield, Selby, Sheffield, Carlisle and Ilkley.
East Coast has trains to King's Cross Station in London, Waverley Station in Edinburgh, Glasgow Central in Glasgow, Peterborough, Hull and Darlington.
There are CrossCountry connections to Nottingham, Birmingham New Street Station in Birmingham, and from there to Cardiff in Wales, and Exeter in Devon.
The National Express bus station in Leeds is behind Kirkgate Market.
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