Why Ilkley’s One of the Best Places to Work

Bracken Workspace Plus Why Ilkley’s One of the Best Places to Work

We know why the Sunday Times thinks Ilkley is the best place to live… but here’s why we think it’s also one of the best places to work! 
 

In April this year, 2022, the already popular Yorkshire town of Ilkley was named the Sunday Times best place to live. It beat competition from 70 other locations throughout the country and was commended for the health of it’s high street, it’s proximity to green outdoor spaces and its broadband speeds. If you’d like to read more about why Ilkley is considered the UK’s best place to live, you can find that article here, but for our blog post, we’re discussing why we think Ilkley is also one of the UK’s best places to work. 
 

Location & Transport 

Let’s start with the most common topic when it comes to work – the morning commute.  Even in today’s hybrid working culture, the morning commute is still a key concern for many people when choosing a place to work. When it comes to Ilkley, you really are spoiled for choice when you start looking into transport links. 

For starters, Ilkley boasts its own train station and bus station, so if you don’t drive, or you’re interested in more environmentally friendly transport options, these two stations have you covered. The train station runs regular services between Ilkley and Leeds and Ilkley and Bradford Foster Square, both stations which then offer train services further afield to places such as London and Edinburgh. The trains run approximately every half hour to both Leeds and Bradford. Meanwhile, Ilkley bus station connects you with the same big cities and the smaller places in between such as Wetherby, Harrogate, Otley, Skipton, and Keighley.  

For drivers, Ilkley is well served by the A65, A59 and the M1 and M6 motorways connecting you with Leeds, Bradford, Harrogate and then ultimately London to the south and Edinburgh to the North. Cycling is also very popular in and around Ilkley, there is in fact the Ilkley Cycling Club, but it does also mean that cycling is a well-supported method of commuting in the town too. 


 

Key commutes from Ilkley 

(All times for car travel are based on setting off at approximately 8:30 on Wednesday morning. Source: Google Maps) 

 

Ilkley to Leeds 

  • Car - 48 min (17.1 mi) via A660 or A65 

  • Train – 34 min direct from Ilkley train station into Leeds station 

Ilkley to Bradford 

  • Car - 42 min (11.9 mi) via Moor Rd or A65 

  • Train – 36 min direct from Ilkley train station into Bradford Forster Square 

Ilkley to Harrogate 

  • Car - 37 min (17.4 mi) via Otley Rd/B6162 or A59 

  • Bus – 54 min via X52 Wharfe ConneXion towards Harrogate arriving at Cheltenhem Cresent 

Ilkley to London 

  • Car - 4 hr 33 min (228.4 mi) via A1 

  • Train – 3 hr 6 min from Ilkley train station via Leeds and Stevenage into London St Pancras International 

Ilkley to Edinburgh 

  • Car - 4 hr 15 min (192.7 mi) via M6 

  • Train – 3 hr 44 min from Ilkley train station via Leeds and York into Edinburgh Waverley 

One final feature, that also makes Ilkley a fantastic place to work, is that once you’ve conquered the morning commute, everything you need is right on the doorstep. That means nipping out for lunch, taking a coffee break, and even stocking up on office supplies throughout the working day, can all be done on foot. No need to jump back in the car and battle with any more traffic. 
 

Broadband & Connectivity 

To successfully do business in today’s world, you need to be connected. That means easy access to the internet, fast upload and download speeds and plenty of choice when it comes to your connection provider. In Ilkley, businesses can enjoy a choice of standard, superfast and ultrafast broadband connections, with the fastest broadband available in the Ilkley area delivering an average speed of 67Mbps. At our workspaces across Leeds and Ilkley, we make sure our broadband packages are flexible too. 

If you need more bandwidth, you can increase it, if you need advanced voice services including call answering and call management, messaging services, voicemail and call recording you can add it on. It's IT services on demand so you have the connectivity and the technology you need when you need it. 
 

Local Amenities & Culture 

Even though a town or city might only be where you work, and not where you live, it’s still important for many people, that their workplace is close to useful amenities and enjoys a thriving community. If that’s true for you, then Ilkley could be the perfect place to base your business. As we mentioned already, once you’re there, everything in Ilkley is within an easy walking distance and when we say everything, we mean everything. 

Ilkley town centre offers the perfect blend of greenery and open spaces, perfect for those times when you need to head out the office and find some peace and tranquility, alongside a fantastic range of shops and local businesses. There is a thriving mix of independent boutiques and well-known big brands like Oliver Bonas. There are charity shops, inviting cafes, stylish restaurants, traditional pubs and even award-winning establishments like The Box Tree and a local branch of the infamous Betty’s.  

As if all that wasn’t enough, people working in Ilkley can also immerse themselves in the town’s regular cycle of events including the annual Ilkley Literature Festival, the Ilkley Summer Festival, and the Real Food Markets. In other words, whatever you like to do on your lunch break or after a hard day in the office, there is something to suit you in Ilkley. 

And last but by no means least, is the culture in Ilkley and more than anything else, that’s defined by the “can do” attitude of its residents. This was one of the characteristics of Ilkley that factored into it being named the Sunday Times best place to live 2022, and it’s no surprise why. Ilkley residents are always happy to get stuck in and do what needs to be done to make the town an even better place to live and work. That means it’s fantastic for building positive working relationships and really making a difference in the local area. 

If you’re interested in working in Ilkley, then be one of the first to find out more about our two exciting new workspace opportunities in the town: The Corn Mill and Wells Road.