The Cove is a lovely little fashion shop situated on the promenade of shops just opposite the huge…read morecar park in the centre of Ilkley. It's really easy to find, but be warned, at the moment there is a bit of scaffolding going on in front of the shop which obstructs the signage at the moment - I am sure this is only temporary though! Inside you will find a selection of sharp, snappy clothes, all quite 'young fashion' in style, with some bold prints and short cuts! One little number certainly qualified as a 'little black dress' item making it great for accesorising and decorating to ones own style. They had options for you to do just that too, since there were a number of different handbags and jewels on sale here too! From a delightful crushed velvet handbag, to posh little clutch purses, gold circlets and contemporary sleek jewellery - such as long chains with heart pendents and such! Essentially, I'd hazard a guess and say this one was definitely more for the girls of Ilkley than the ladies but it is nonetheless a great little place to browse.

The market down of Ilkley is known for its upmarket status and fine shops so it's no surprise to…read morefind a little piece of Joy like CoCo there. Now we're talking girls because it's bag heaven. All aboard the bankrupt train and don't stop till the final destination. If the bags aren't what you're after then worry ye not. It's an accessory paradise with belts galore, hats and some truly lovely jewellery. It's a really nice lay out too and is lots of fun to go for a gentle wander around whilst planning your next big money spending raid. I find it ideal for gift ideas. It's especially good for gift ideas regarding certain members of the family so with Mother's Day coming up you could do a lot worse than have a look around. What mum doesn't like a nice bag or some bling? Nothing in Ilkley is particularly cheap but sometimes we need to share the wealth.

This is probably the largest charity shop in Ilkley and holds all the delights of an Oxfam shop,…read moremixing second hand clothes and books with new items. At the front there is a section selling garden things where I picked up some compost mostly for its novelty value but also to plant things in. It is compacted to about the size of a brick but when you add water to it, it expands to 8 liters. Or so it says on the packet! I thought compost was alive and this seems pretty dry..? Oh well, I'll give it a go. In keeping with its ethics, this Oxfam has a range of fair trade jewelry and chocolate and eco-friendly washing powders. If you're stuck for a gift idea for the person who wants for nothing then you can buy them a goat in Africa to help a family. So if you haven't been totally sucked into all of this and want to move further into the shop, you will find second hand clothes and a large book section at the back. There is also a bedding section, which I haven't noticed in many other charity shops before.