Cow and Calf Ilkley 2016.
We went to see the Cow and Calf at Ilkley 29th December 2016
Jesus Christ and Thou Shalt Be, [ no date]
Ancient stone carving to help you get up on top, but be aware it is not safe to do so..
The Carvings in the Rocks are amazing and some go back hundreds of Years, there is an interesting Story relating to one particular name in the Rocks, it is engraved into the top of what we call the Cow, the name is Diane. Underneath is a Picture of Diane sat on the Cow with the Cow and Calf Hotel in the right hand side background and underneath that her name carved in Stone with a Short Story of how I met her simply by chance.
Her name is just above the Ice
close up view
I met Diane on a Dating Website in 2015/16, we have not actually been on a date but we have met on a couple of occassions, on one of those encounters we got talking about the Cow and Calf at ilkley and how I would like to visit the place, she said she had been on a lot of occasions in the past, I was going to ask Diane to visit once again with me, unfortunately something horrible happened in my Life that made me lose touch with her until a year after when I got back in contact after visiting the area with my two lovely Sisters, I had a fall whilst there but nothing two serious as the Ground was soft and muddy where I landed, I was lucky in the sense that my Sisters did not see me fall otherwise they would have been laughing all the way Home.
I asked Diane if I could do a short Story [interview]about her visits to this amazing place, She agreed.
Diane had told me in 2016 that her name was engraved in the Rocks at the Cow and Calk but I did not recall where it was and I could not see it whilst I was there, it was only when I looked through my Pictures did I spot it on top of the Cow. I asked Diane some questions relating to why her name was there in the first place.
"Hi Diane, when was the engraving done?"
"The one in the Picture was done in 1994 or 1995, it was a Friend of mine who did it."
"How old were you when you first went to the Cow and Calf Rocks?"
"I was very young about twelve or thirteen or maybe younger, I would walk up there often and as soon as I learned to drive I would drive up there, my Sons Father carved their names on the Rocks close to mine but before mine was carved, my name was carved twice at different times once by my Sons Father."
"Did you live close to the Rocks?"
"We lived about five Miles away on Hawksorth Lane."
"What tools were used to carve into the Rock?"
"A Hammer and a Chisel and a lot of patience."
"Did you use the Steps to climb up onto the Cow, I noticed some steps carved into the side of the Rock?."
"We climbed up best we could and sometimes used those steps."
"Those steps are amazing Diane they look ancient and whoever chiseled them out deserves a Medal ."
"I have spent more time sitting on my seat up there than I can remember, I used to go when I was little and then in my Teenage years, it became a place for me where all the Worlds bad things went away and I could relax and think again. When I was studying I would drive up there and climb the Rocks sit down and take a break from the World. One weekend evening I drove up there in the darkness and climbed the Cow and sat there to think of things and stare into the pitch black of the night and then after a while I carefully walked back down to the Car to find it had a flat tyre, The nearby Cow and Calf Hotel was having a Disco night so I walked over to Telephone my Dad and asked him to come and help me fix my Tyre, he soon arrived and tried to pump my Tyre back up but the pump was low on oil so he put some Water in it and the Tyre slowly inflated. There were never too many Cars there in those days but we were lucky as there were some Couples snuggling up in their own Cars who put their headlights on to give us some light. I have even spent a New Years Eve up there."
"You must have been cold Diane, were you on your own?."
"Good Heavens it was a long time ago, I used to go up there regularly on my own and with an equally mad Friend, we would sit for hours and hours laughing, crying, sighing on the cold damp Rocks."
I admire Diane and all those indeviduals who took the time to engrave their names into solid Rock, the earliest one I noticed was from the year 1842, but it would not surprise me to learn of earlier carvings, who knows maybe even from the Stone age.
