Otley

Otley is a Town in the county of West Yorkshire.

Otley is a town and civil parish in West Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it lies approximately 12 miles to the north west of Leeds and 11 miles south east of Bradford.

Otley is twinned with Rothau, a city near Karlsruhe in Germany and has been since 1964. The River Wharfe runs past Otleys town centre. The name Otley was formed from Old English word ‘ot’ which means river source combined with ley for meadow thus ot meadow by the river. Otley grew up as a settlement along the top road or route out of Otley towards Ilkley and Burley in Wharfedale at the intersection with routes through Lumb Lane and along the River Wharfe. In the late 1800s, the town was a centre for wool production.

Otley is also home to many of Yorkshire’s breweries such as Thomas Fawcett & Sons Ltd., Otley Brewing Company and Black Sheep Brewery. Although not in Otley, The Tetley’s Brewery is very close by, in Hunslet, Leeds.

Otley postcode: LS21 3

Retail in Otley

There are great places to visit near Otley including some great cities, villages, woodlands, parks, historic buildings, museums, gardens, country parks, hiking areas, towns, lakes, historic monuments, hills, ancient sites, nature reserves, shopping centres, airports, bluebell woods, ruins, rivers and streams, castles, waterfalls and boroughs.

Cities to visit near Otley include Bradford, Leeds, and Wakefield.

Wyke, Haworth, Oxenhope, Thornton, Manningham, Saltaire, and Ripponden are some of Otley best villages to visit near Otley.

Woodlands to visit near Otley include Judy Woods, Chevin Forest Park, Calverley Wood, Middleton Park, and Hardcastle Crags.

The area around Otley features a number of interesting parks including Lister Park, Cartwright Hall Gardens, Peel Park, Shibden Park, Roundhay Park, Middleton Park, and Park Square.

The area around Otley boasts some of the best historic buildings including Cartwright Hall, Ilkley Manor House, Hewenden Viaduct, Halifax Town Hall, North Bridge - Halifax, Halifax Minister, and Wainhouse Tower.

The area around Otley features a number of interesting museums including Cartwright Hall, and Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

There are a several good gardens in the area around Otley like Cartwright Hall Gardens.

Penistone Hill Country Park, Ogden Water Country Park, Shibden Country Park, Chevin Forest Park, Golden Acre Park, Bretton Country Park, and Yorkshire Sculpture Park are great places to visit near Otley if you like country parks.

Otley has some unmissable hiking areas nearby like Penistone Hill Country Park, Colden, The Chevin, Hardcastle Crags, and Withens Clough.

The area around Otley boasts some of the best towns including Ilkley, Sowerby Bridge, Halifax, Todmorden, Huddersfield, Bradley, and Otley.

Don't miss Chellow Dean Reservoirs, Boothwood Reservoir, Ogden Water Country Park, Ogden Water, Shibden Park, Light Hazzles Reservoir, and Warland Reservoir's lakes if visiting the area around Otley.

There are a number of historic monuments near Otley including Wainhouse Tower, and Centre Hill Beacon Site.

Centre Hill, Stoodley Pike, and The Chevin are some of Otley best hills to visit near Otley.

The area around Otley features a number of interesting ancient sites including Stones Lane Standing Stones, and Centre Hill Beacon Site.

There are a number of nature reserves near Otley including Rodley Nature Reserve, RSPB St Aidan's, RSPB St Aidan's, RSPB Fairburn Ings, and Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

Otley has some unmissable shopping centres nearby like Trinity Leeds, White Rose Shopping Centre, The Merrion Centre, County Arcade, and Leeds Kirkgate Market.

There are a number of airports near to Otley including Leeds Bradford Airport.

The area close to Otley boasts some of the best bluebell woods including Middleton Park.

Ruins to visit near Otley include Kirkstall Abbey, and Sandal Castle.

The area around Otley boasts some of the best rivers and streams including River Dearne at Bretton, Hebden Water, and Hebden Beck.

Places near Otley feature a number of interesting castles including Sandal Castle.

The area around Otley features a number of interesting waterfalls including Greenwood Lee Clough Waterfall, and Lumb Falls.

Otley is near some unmissable boroughs like Kirklees,

Otley History

There are some historic monuments around Otley:

Places to see near Otley

History of Otley

There are pre-historic settlement finds alongside both sides of the River Wharfe and it is believed the valley has been settled at this site since the Bronze Age. There are Bronze Age carvings on rocks situated on top of The Chevin, one such example is the Knotties stone. West Yorkshire Geology Trust has reference to Otley Chevin and Caley Crags having a rich history of human settlement stretching back into Palaeolithic times. Flint tools, Bronze Age rock carvings and Iron Age earthworks have been found. In medieval times the forest park was used as common pasture land, as a source of wood and sandstones for buildings and walls.