The Manor House Museum and Art Gallery, Ilkley, West Yorkshire. FREE ENTRY

Details

Accessibility:

There are two steps down into the Manor House, but assistance is available. Access is restricted to the ground floor, where permanent exhibits are located.

Visitors can borrow a PenFriend for audio descriptions of the venues if they are visually impaired.

https://www.ilkleymanorhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Accessibility-updated-April-2021.pdf

"There are unisex toilet facilities in the Manor House accessed by a single step down. There are baby changing facilities accessible in the lobby of the toilets. At present we regret that there is no fully accessible toilet at the Manor House although one is proposed as part of our longer-term plans for the house. The nearest fully accessible toilet is in the South Hawksworth Street Car Park in Ilkley at LS29 9DX open from 8.30am – 5pm every day with a RADAR or NKS key. You will also find toilet facilities in nearby cafés such as Outside the Box and the Black Hat.

There is ramped access to the outside courtyard and a flat surface surrounds the exterior of the Manor House. The road area around the Manor House and cottages is cobbled. The Manor House is located on a natural slope above Riverside Gardens so if you are approaching the building from Riverside Gardens, please be aware that people accompanying those in wheelchairs will need to be strong and able pushers."

Brief Description:

Manor House is a museum and art gallery dedicated to preserving local historical artefacts which would otherwise become lost to time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilkley_Manor_House

"Ilkley Manor House, Ilkley, West Yorkshire, England, is a local heritage museum, art gallery, and live venue, and was established in the present building in 1961 to preserve local archaeological artefacts after the spa town expanded and much Roman material was lost. It was managed by Bradford Council Museums and Galleries department but had to be closed in 2013 owing to lack of funds. In order to keep the building open to the public, the Ilkley Manor House Trust was formed, and in April 2018, Bradford Council transferred the Manor House and three adjacent cottages to the Trust as a community asset transfer. 

The Manor House, specifically the ground floor room of the solar wing (now known as the 'Heritage Room'), is used for educational purposes and various local schools visit to learn about the history of the area.[20] Children usually learn about Roman British history as this fits in with the national curriculum.[21] At the House, children can learn about: the remains of the Roman fort; the life of a Roman soldier in Britain, including the replica of a Roman helmet; Roman British military campaigns; the operation of the fort and vicus. In addition, visitors to Ilkley Manor House can read the two new interpretation boards: 'Discover the History of the Roman Fort' is opposite the Roman wall to the west of the House and discusses the occupation of the site by the Romans; the second, 'Journey Back in Time', is near the Northern Gate Marker to the north-east of the House and discusses what life may have been like.[22]"

Further Information

Address:

Ilkley Manor House

Castle Yard

Ilkley

West Yorkshire

LS29 9DT

Email:

admin@ilkleymanorhouse.org

Phone:

Office: 07480 064142 "If you want to leave a message, please ring our phone number and we will return your call within 7 days. You may find it easier to reach the team by email"

Website:

https://www.ilkleymanorhouse.org/

Opening Hours:

https://www.ilkleymanorhouse.org/

2025: "OPEN SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, 11AM-4PM. FREE ENTRY"

The museum is located on the north side of the A65 road (Church Street), onto Bridge Lane and then west into Castle Hill.

OS SE 116478

"The nearest carpark to the Manor House is South Hawksworth Street Carpark, Ilkley, LS29 9DX. This contains 178 parking spaces with 16 disabled bays. There is also pay and display on-street parking around Ilkley town centre too. There is currently very limited car parking at the Manor House itself so, if you need to park at the house, it would be helpful if you could phone ahead to see if we are able to reserve a parking space for you. The Manor House has 2 cycle lock stations which can accommodate 4 bikes. These are situated in the courtyard of the house. There are additional cycle stands about 100m from the Manor House at the junction of New Brook Street and Church Street. "

Transport:

The nearest bus stop is on Brook Street, 0.2 miles away from the museum and offering 6 bus services.

The nearest train station is Ilkley Station, 0.2 miles away from the museum.

"Ilkley is well served by road and public transport networks. The main railway and bus station is about one kilometre from the Manor House and there are safe crossing places along the way. For information about bus times and stops, please see  https://bustimes.org/localities/ilkley"

Amenities:

There is a museum shop available, offering souvenirs and gifts - including cards, books and replicas of the museum artefacts.