Leeds, March 27, 2017: It's English Tourism Week and the West Yorkshire market town of Otley is gearing up for a bumper summer season. Whatever the time of year, there's always a good time to visit the historic town - here are our top five reasons to Make a Day of It. 

History & heritage

Otley Chevin, the forest escarpment that overlooks the town, is home to some of the oldest Paleolithic rock art in the Britain. Otley hosted Oliver Cromwell's army before the 1644 Battle of Marston Moor (it's said his troops drank the town dry before marching on to victory), and is the birthplace of renowned cabinetmaker Thomas Chippendale. The very stone that built the Houses of Parliament was mined here, while romanticist painter JMW Turner was inspired to paint some of his greatest works in the town. The Wharfedale Printing Press, meanwhile, revolutionised the printing industry in the mid-19th century, allowing mass printing production for the first time.

Great outdoors

Lizzie Deignan (nee Armitstead), Danny Care, Georgia Coates, the Brownlee brothers… Otley and its surrounding countryside have been the training ground that honed the skills of world champions, Olympic athletes, Gold medal winners and England internationals alike. Visit for magnificent cycling on roads that hosted the professionals in the 2014 Tour de France, incredible walking and hiking on the cusp of the Yorkshire Dales, horse riding on the Chevin and boating on the River Wharfe.

Family fun

Otley was home to one of the first family-friendly venues in Leeds. Tittybottle Park was named after the Victorian mothers and nannies who would nurse infants in a relaxed setting by the River Wharfe. The pretty, landscaped park is still a favourite today and is home to a beautiful mosaic created by local schoolchildren. Just across the water is the larger Wharfemeadows Park, hosting more landscaped gardens, a well-equipped playground, skate park, tennis courts and large, open spaces for a game of rugby, football or kwik cricket. Gallows Hill Nature reserve offers a variety of birds, insects and amphibians and has a pushchair-friendly path round. Regular family based activities are held there.

Unique shopping

Farmers have been selling their goods in Otley for almost 800 years and that proud tradition continues today with a thrice-weekly market and a monthly specialist farmers' market. There are three local butchers offering meat reared on the surrounding farms of North Yorkshire, and prize-winning bakers providing scrumptious bread, while a visit to the town's nationally renowned chocolatier is a must.

The shops on the cobbled lanes around the town provide all manner of artisan shops: vintners, beer specialists and traditional sweet shops, alongside fine jewellers, gift shops and antiques. If you're into art, you're in for a treat – Otley is home to many fine galleries displaying original works.

Café Culture, Great pubs & incredible art

Otley is home to a great number of pubs, some of which date back to the Middle Ages. The town also hosts a number of cool cafes, from the 1950s-themed Pink Teapot, to Bloomfield Square, owned by Terrorvision lead singer Tony Wright and home to a Letterpress printing workshop offering short courses. For a small market town, Otley is also home to a wide range of artists and venues. Matthew Hedley Stoppard is the UK's only town poet, Jen Birch leads the unique Otley Ukulele Orchestra and Opera North singer Sally Egan is the head of women's singing group Sally's Army. Venues include the Courthouse arts centre with its original police cells still in tact, Rocca music bar and Kork's – a wine bar with regular live gigs. 

Visit Otley… make a day of it

- ENDS –

For images of Otley, see here

For more information or images please contact james@allaboutthestory.co.uk
or call 07956 499 043.  

About Otley

Otley is a historic West Yorkshire market town, perfectly placed between cosmopolitan Leeds and the Yorkshire Dales. Major sites include Otley Chevin, Wharfemeadows Park and a traditional market held three days a week. It is also home to a number of quirky tea shops and independent boutiques, as well as some of Yorkshire's best pork pies and a number of traditional pubs. For more see visitotley.co.uk and otleytowncouncil.gov.uk