Exercising in lockdown, more and more people discover the delights of Silsden's lanes and uplands

It must be many years since people in such large numbers have walked the lanes and moors around Silsden, taking advantage of permission to exercise locally during lockdown. Young people, elderly residents and families have found the countryside a perfect outlet for relief from the restrictions imposed to try to halt the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

The last day of February was blessed with glorious sunshine and warmth that felt more like the first day of summer than the day before the start of spring. Among the popular walks were the lanes to Nab End, and the ridge route across the moor to Ilkley.

This memorial seat with panoramic views into Wharfedale was seldom vacant as hikers stopped for a coffee and snack, or simply a rest.

The path across the heather was particularly busy. As well as being a fine vantage point, the moor is an important habitat for flora and fauna. Red kite and buzzards are frequently heard, if not always seen, in territories between the trig point and the plantations.

Silsden, viewed from Nab End, sits perfectly in its Aire Valley surroundings. In the last week of February, large numbers of curlews and smaller flocks of lapwings returned to breed in the sunlit uplands and riverside fields. And joy of joys, skylarks were singing on high.