An epic new literary walking trail that spans the 47 mile Pennine Watershed from Ilkley to Marsden in West Yorkshire has been completed.

The ‘Stanza Stones’ trail features six new poems by British poet Simon Armitage CBE, creating a permanent legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The ‘Stanza Stones’ project is a collaboration between Imove, Ilkley Literature Festival, Simon Armitage and Pennine Prospects.  ‘Imove’ is the Legacy Trust UK’s celebratory programme for Yorkshire and part of the Cultural Olympiad.

Inspired by Yorkshire’s diverse and dramatic landscape which has been muse to  artists for centuries, including Charlotte Brontë, Fay Godwin, Barbara Hepworth, David Hockney and Ted Hughes, Armitage took water as his starting point for ‘Stanza Stones’. Highlighting its central role in shaping the landscape and powering local industries, the Stanza Stones poetry trail features poems, carved into individual stones, that describe water in different forms – beck, puddle, mist, rain, dew, snow.  

Simon Armitage commented: “I have always been inspired by the surrounding landscape since growing up in Marsden which is one of the locations on the trail.  

People have been visiting the moors of West Yorkshire for thousands of years to offer their prayers and express their hopes and dreams in the form of carved stones; this is my poetic contribution to a conversation between earth and sky that could well remain in the distinctive Yorkshire landscape for future generations.”

The ‘Stanza Stones’ poetry trail is a series of six stones that have been engraved by letter carver Pip Hall, either in situ where she has regularly battled against the wind and rain, or in her studio in Dent.  The making of each carving presented different challenges, from carving ‘Rain’ directly onto a rock face with the guidance of local climbers and the British Mountaineering Council, to two weeks kneeling in a moorland stream in full spate to carve ‘Beck’.  

The location of each Stanza Stone has been carefully chosen to enable visitors to experience six walks ranging from 600 metre strolls to walks of 4 kilometres, taking in wild moorland, wooded valleys, Victorian canals and reservoirs, ancient quarries and forest paths.  A free guide to the Trail and the short walks can be downloaded from www.ilkleyliteraturefestival.org.uk and is available in local Visitor Centres and Libraries.

The Stanza Stones’ locations are:

· ‘Snow’, Pule Hill, Marsden. 800m /0.5 miles, Map ref SE 029109

· ‘Rain’, Cow’s Mouth Quarry, off the A58 Littleborough to Ripponden. 4km / 2.4 miles, Map ref SD 968178

· ‘Mist’, Nab Hill, nr Oxenhope. 1km / 0.6 miles. Map ref SE 028344

· ‘Dew’, Rivock Edge, off the Silsden to East Morton road. 2.4km / 1.5 miles. Map ref SE 071438

· ‘Puddle’, Whetstone gate wireless station, Rombalds Moor. 2km / 1.4 miles. Map ref SE 087432

· ‘Beck’, Backstone Beck on Ilkley Moor, 1.4km / 1 mile.
Map ref SE 125468

The location of a seventh and final stone, yet to be placed in the landscape, remains secret, encouraging walkers to discover the stone naturally as they explore the Pennine Watershed.   

‘Imove’ has been funded by Legacy Trust UK, creating a lasting impact from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, by funding ideas and local talent to inspire creativity across the UK.  One of more than 100 events taking place across the region commissioned by ‘Imove’, the ‘Stanza Stones’ project aims to motivate people to experience art outdoors and to take part by walking the routes between each of the stones.

Ilkley Literature Festival Director Rachel Feldberg said: “Stanza Stones has been a huge undertaking and collaborative effort involving many partners, as well as more than 140 young people from 13 different arts groups, and over 30 workshop leaders offering their expertise.  We hope that this subtle, thoughtful and engaging new trail will encourage people of all ages to head out and explore the landscape, taking the time to look afresh at one of the country’s most beautiful settings and enjoying Simon’s remarkable poems in the landscape which inspired them.”

<< Back to News