Publications

The Society has its own publications and in addition some of our members are authors. Our main publication is The Wharfedale Naturalist, the annual review of wildlife in Wharfedale. Copies are available for £5.

To celebrate our sixtieth anniversary, we published Wild Wharfedale, a pocketable guide to the best wildlife sites in Wharfedale, Littondale and Washburndale. The last few copies are available from local bookshops.

Our most recent publication is Nature Notes, Jenny Dixon’s compilation of many of the most interesting stories from her regular column in the Ilkley Gazette / Wharfedale Observer. Copies are just £3 – 3 for £10!

Jenny Dixon, Denis O’Connor and Brin Best produce weekly Nature Notes for publication in the Ilkley Gazette / Wharfedale Observer.

Among other publications, the Society has produced the following leaflets:

•  Nature Trail on Ilkley Moor
•  Geology Trail on Ilkley Moor
•  Birds on Ilkley Moor
•  Riverside Trail
•  Wildlife of Middleton Woods
•  Golden Curlew (the curlew is the emblem of the Society and this  is a collection of reminiscences on its golden anniversary)

Society publications are available via the Tourist Information Office in Ilkley.

David Leather has produced a series of Walkers Guides ,to Wharfedale, Mid-Wharfedale, Wensleydale, Swaledale and Nidderdale. He has also written the official Ilkley Guide, and the Collins Ramblers Guide to the Yorkshire Dales.

David Alred wrote the books Washburn Valley Yesterday, Washburn Valley Yesterday II and Nidderdale Yesterday, which are collections of historic photos, illustrating local life over the last 150 years.

Amanda and Brin Best have written Wild flower walks of the Yorkshire Dales (Southern Region), a walk from which appears on the Walks: Grassington page of this web site.  Brin has also written a series of articles for the dalenet website which can be found here.

A Guide to the Birds of the Washburn Valley, has been written by our President, Peter Riley. It is a personal perspective, with habitat and species accounts and a check list. It is not generally available – contact Peter direct 0n 01943-862916. Our best-known author-member is Alan Titchmarsh, the gardener and natural history broadcaster.