The story of the present day Ilkley begins in the 18th century when a Squire Middleton created open air spa baths at White Wells. The waters of the spring filled the baths at 100 gallons per minute and were so cold that the tingling sensation they produced was thought to have a curative effect. Visitors came to plunge into the ice cold moorland springs and Ilkley became a town of fashionable hotels and hydros.