New Year’s Day in Ilkley: People take the plunge in annual tradition at White Wells

New Year’s Day in Otley and Ilkley: People take the plunge in annual tradition at White Wells and in the River Wharfe  Pictures: Jonathan Gawthorpe

Transcript

00:00Intrepid Yorkshire folk headed to Whitewells Baths where they were taking a Victorian-style

00:07plunge in the cold pool. This has become a bit of a New Year's Day tradition.

00:14The Whitewells Spa Bath first opened in the 1700s. It was part of the reason that in the

00:21Victorian times Ilkley was named a spa town. Whilst the water itself is from the natural

00:29spring and has no proven healing qualities, it's believed that the cold water therapy

00:36does boost circulation and it certainly gave those who had a plunge on New Year's Day

00:43a bit of a feel-good factor once they got out again.