Visiting Bingley

Are you planning a visit to Bingley? You have found the right page! We have lots of information for you and we hope you will find it useful. And Bingley is a great place for walking so maybe you can include that activity during your visit?

If you need more info on a particular aspect, why not contact us, we might be able to help.

Bingley is a Market Town of about 20,000 inhabitants located north of Bradford in Yorkshire in the beautiful Airedale Valley. The surrounding villages of Cottingley, Crossflatts, Eldwick, Gilstead and Micklethwaite are also part of Bingley Town Council, a parish town council created in April 2016. The area is crossed by both the River Aire and the Leeds & Liverpool Canal and is part of the Metropolitan Borough of the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. The postcode for the area is mainly within BD16. Travelling to Bingley is easy with two railway stations (Bingley and Crossflatts) connecting the town to major cities like Bradford and Leeds. A relief road was opened in 2004, making the town centre less congested with traffic and more attractive to visitors. The Leeds-Bradford International airport is only 10 miles away. Finally the town is connected to the wider British waterways network thanks to the Leeds & Liverpool canal, a delightful and relaxing way of travelling up to Bingley.

One of the most famous landmarks in town is the Five Rise Locks on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Only a ten minute walk from the town centre, this staircase lock is known as one of the 'seven wonders of the waterways'. It's a perfect day out for the family and we invite you to download our Five Rise Locks Family Walk!

Other places we highly recommend a visit to are Myrtle Park in the town centre which has a lovely Riverside Walk along the banks of the River Aire; Prince of Wales Park, a woodland treat on the way to Eldwick; and the St Ives Estate with children’s adventure playground.

For the more adventurous, Bingley Moor on the edge of the Rombalds Moor and Ilkley Moor is a wilderness heaven. Bingley is located in the middle of the South Pennines an area crossed by many long distance walks.

One of Bingley's most famous persons is Sir Fred Hoyle, an astronomer who coined the term 'Big Bang!'. We have created a series of walks illustrating his early story as a child living in Bingley.

In 2018, new town signs were installed at Bingley Railway Station and in Jubilee Gardens near Market Square. These maps of Bingley provide assistance for visitors and an outline of the parish with some basic directions.

Click on the map below to open a high resolution version that can be printed or downloaded (PDF 5.5Mb).

In May 2022, the local councils of Harden, Wilsden, Cullingworth, Denholme and Cottingley released the “Green Travel Map" as part of the Bingley Rural Green Travel Project. The aim of the project is to give a voice to local residents and visitors about what makes Bingley Rural attractive and inspire greener and healthier travel in the area. You can access to the online version of the map and leave your contribution which will be reviewed by local councillors. A brilliant way to express your views on what can be improved locally!

Explore the online map: https://bingleyrural.communitymaps.org.uk/welcome

There are many things to do in Bingley all year round. Below is a list of the most regular events:

• Bingley Market is a regular weekly event happening every Fridays and Saturdays on Market Square and is host to many independent  stalls. An occasion to come in town, do a bit of shopping and get to know our market town a bit more.
• Bingley has been firmly on the festival road map thanks to the annual Bingley Live Music which ran for 11 years between 2007 and 2018. In 2019, Bingley Weekender festival took over and after a pause in 2020 and 2021 it came back in August 2022 with a great line-up including Rag'N'Bone Man, Pixies, The Libertines, and many more! The 2023 edition will happen on Friday 4th, Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th August and will see big stars such as Liam Gallagher, Razorlight or Travis on the stage.
• Bingley Show is another institution in town. Over a hundred years old, this agricultural show attracts thousands of families every year to town in July. Unfortunately it has not been on since 2019. We hope 2023 will see its revival!
• The Bingley Arts Centre on Market Square is host to the Little Bingley Theatre, an amateur theatre group which has a very diverse production.

Bingley is a vibrant community with a high number of independent establishments. As a Walkers are Welcome town, many of the local businesses show their support to the scheme by displaying our logo on their shop window or door. We highly recommend paying a visit to these welcoming businesses!

Hotels and Accommodations in Bingley

Pubs, Cafés and Restaurants