Our first full day, a look at the Ilkley town center, and a stone circle on Ilkley Moor

Neolithic Stone Circle, Ilkley Moor

He said:
We got up early to jump on this time zone, and it's working, at least for me.
Our day out was a cloudy one with a very few sunny spells.  We walked down to the town center, running errands and finding the start of the Dales Way.  After buying our groceries for 2 lunches (one for tomorrow) and a dinner, we set off up a steep hill to Ilkley Moor.  There cannot be any dales without the hills and moors.
Once out on the high moors, it was blowing quite a strong wind in our faces.  After finding one of the dozens of possible trails that was the right one (there were no sign posts), we made it to a neolithic stone circle far up at the very lonely top of the hill. Very much worth the trouble.

She said:
What was supposed to be a leisurely day of strolling around the village of Ben Rhydding and the town of Ilkley became, after the "stroll", a two hour straight-uphill, steep hike to the high moors of Ilkley. Very Heathcliff and Cathy, though R thought it very Hound of the Baskervilles.  (I'd hiked on a moor before, in Ireland, in the rain and the wind; I remember the rain actually blowing sideways.  This was my frame of reference.  Bummer.)  Did some whining, but the big pay-off was the standing stone circle at the top.  Spectacular.  Easy to picture those wacky neolithic goofballs choosing that spot - the highest point and when the weather was foul it must have seemed like the opening to the heavens (or hell.)  I love that kind of stuff and walked around the circle, touching each stone and marvelling at their age and my good fortune to be there.  Eerie and exciting.
Brisk walk down; dinner in; mediocre white wine (Gallo, from Tesco); crazy Brit TV.
A pretty perfect day.