
A BUILDING which has played an important part in Ilkley’s history was recognised with a blue plaque in November 2020. The building, which is now apartments, dates back to the 1830s and has been a hotel for almost all of that time.
In about 1834 Elizabeth Beanlands built Moor Lodge as her home and next door to this The Crescent as a lodging house. She came from a long-established Ilkley family, with a memorial in Ilkley Parish Church. In 1855 she built Brook Terrace, Ilkley’s first purpose-built terrace of shops with accommodation above, on the west side of Brook Street near its junction with the turnpike road (now the A65). Her Nephew Joseph Beanlands established the Beanlands Grocers also on Brook Street.
From the 1840s to the 1860s The Crescent was a superior lodging house run by the Usher family as tenants. It was here that Dr Rischanek stayed from May 1843. Haimer Stansfeld brought him from Silesia to encourage patients to come to Ilkley for ‘the cold water’ treatment at White Wells. It proved so successful that in August the building of Ben Rhydding Hydropathic Establishment was started at Wheatley, opening in May 1844. This brought many visitors to Ilkley to enjoy the pure waters and fresh air.
In June 1854, The Ilkley Visitor and Wharfedale advertiser listed Mr. Dickinson (Leeds), Rev W. Mallinson (Todmorden), Mrs and Miss Craike (Barnsley), Mr and Mrs Alderson (Bradford), Mrs Morell (Bradford), Miss Ackroyd (Bradford), Mr and Mrs H. R. Morley (Burley near Leeds), Mr and Master Middleton (Darlington), Mr and Mrs Newton, Mr James Newton and Miss Newton (Sheffield) as the visitors to Mrs Usher at the Crescent.
By 1865 it was being advertised as Usher’s Boarding House, Crescent, Ilkley for board and residence. The building “having been considerably enlarged and improved, is now entitled to rank as one of the most comfortable establishments in the kingdom. Situated on the very edge of Rombald’s Moor, in that part of Ilkley known as the “West View” it possesses the best aspect and embraces some of the finest prospects obtainable of the romantic valley of the Wharfe, baths, stabling, coach-houses &c.”
In 1868 the Ushers left and there was a three day sale of all the furnishings of the 8 sitting rooms and 25 bedrooms. By the autumn it was advertised in the Ilkley Gazette and Wharfedale Advertiser as The Crescent Board and Lodging House under the joint management of Miss Sarah Beanlands and her sister Mrs John Simpson. Sarah ran the lodging house for some forty years until she died in 1893.
By 1901 it was Crescent House run as a boarding establishment by a Miss Jones who by 1915 had been succeeded by Miss Bradley, by 1927 by Mrs E Hinchcliffe.
In 1931 Mrs Hinchcliffe advertised it as Crescent House Private Hotel and facilities were extended to guests making a a prolonged stay, to whom, by arrangement, furnished or unfurnished accommodation could be offered.
By about 1935 it was Crescent Hotel with hot and cold water in all bedrooms under the proprietorship of E Waddington. By 1939 it was Crescent House again under Marian Hinchcliffe with Rita Birch manageress.
In 1947 Crescent House, Private Hotel, was also offering electric fires and Mrs R Birch was proprietor. She continued there until at least 1962.
By 1968 it was Crescent House Hotel offering bed and breakfast and dinner and had added a television lounge. The proprietor was then N. E. Wale. The tariff was 24/6 for bed & breakfast. There were 13 bedrooms.
By 1973 it was promoted as having three lounges, one with TV, and car park at rear. Families were welcome with reductions for children. The managers were Terry & Shirley Heslop. In 1975 the beds were increased to 20.
In 1982 it became Rombalds Hotel with Mr & Mrs Guthrie. They added, beyond the kitchen, a conference suite, and refurbished the hotel, introducing their signature Sunday Brunches.
The last owners of the Hotel were Mr & Mrs Colin Clarkson for 22 years. The Hotel finally closed in December 2016.
Burley Developments bought the building and after conservation work redeveloped it as apartments in 2019. The Rombalds plaque is sponsored by Burley Developments and Ilkley Civic Society.
Ilkley Local History Hub would like to hear from people with pictures or information about The Rombalds - localhistory@civicsociety.ilkley.org