For a relatively small market town, Otley has an impressive number of distinct shopping and business areas, each with its own character, history and collection of independent businesses.
From historic streets and hidden courtyards to converted mills and riverside locations, there is plenty to discover beyond the most obvious town-centre routes.
Click the heading for each area to explore the businesses listed there. Some businesses sit close to the boundary between two areas, so we have placed them in whichever location seemed the most logical. It is not an exact science, but hopefully nobody will demand a recount.
Bay Horse Court
Tucked just off Boroughgate beside the Bay Horse pub, a narrow ginnel leads into this charming open courtyard. It is easy to walk past without noticing, but step inside and you will find a small collection of independent shops in one of Otley’s most characterful hidden corners.
Bondgate & Gay Lane
Bondgate is one of Otley’s historic thoroughfares, lined with independent shops, services and places to eat and drink. As it heads away from the town centre, it becomes Gay Lane and continues towards the Chevin and Leeds. Together, the two streets form one of the main routes into Otley and offer an interesting mix of long-established local businesses and newer arrivals.
Boroughgate
Boroughgate is one of the main routes through the centre of Otley and one of its busiest shopping streets. It is home to a varied selection of independent shops, cafés, restaurants, takeaways and professional services. With side streets, courtyards and ginnels leading off it, there is often more to Boroughgate than first meets the eye.
Kirkgate
Another of Otley’s historic central streets, Kirkgate is home to Otley Parish Church, the Navvies’ Memorial and the entrance to Kirkgate Arcade. The street also has a varied collection of shops, cafés and businesses, making it an important link between Market Place, Bondgate and the eastern side of the town centre.
Kirkgate Arcade
This covered Victorian arcade is worth visiting for the building alone. Look up and you will see its old glass roof, decorative details and wonderfully quirky architecture. Stay a little longer and you can browse an eclectic collection of independent shops specialising in collectors’ items, antiques, bric-a-brac and other curiosities you did not know you needed until approximately thirty seconds ago.
Manor Square, Clapgate & Bridge Street
Leading out of the town centre towards the River Wharfe, Otley Bridge and Clifton, this compact shopping area contains several genuine hidden gems. Its mix of shops, cafés, pubs and services makes it well worth exploring rather than simply passing through on the way to the river.
Market Place & Market Street
Otley’s historic cobbled Market Place is the traditional heart of the town. Dominated by the iconic Jubilee Clock, it hosts Otley Market three times a week, alongside a monthly specialist farmers’ market featuring mainly local produce. Market Place is also the setting for major events throughout the year, including Otley’s annual July food festival. Around its edges and along the surrounding streets, you will find many of the independent businesses that make shopping in Otley distinctive.
Maypole & Cross Green
The area around Otley’s historic Maypole and Cross Green sits at an important meeting point between the town centre. It is home to an appealing collection of independent shops, boutiques and local services, with several businesses tucked into buildings that reflect the area’s long history.
New Inn Court
Hidden away behind the buildings on the western side of New Market, New Inn Court is another of Otley’s tucked-away courtyards. Step through the entrance and you will discover a welcoming collection of independent shops, cafés and creative businesses. It is proof that, in Otley, wandering down a passageway is generally encouraged rather than treated as suspicious behaviour.
New Market
Despite its name, New Market is anything but new. This attractive central street links Bondgate with Market Place and is lined with handsome stone buildings, many dating from the Victorian period. Their ground floors are home to some of Otley’s quirkiest and most original independent shops, making New Market an essential part of any browse around the town centre.
Newall & Weston
Newall and Weston lie on the northern bank of the River Wharfe, reached from the town centre by crossing Otley Bridge. Although mainly residential, the area is home to a number of shops, pubs, cafés, services and other businesses serving both local residents and visitors heading towards Farnley, Norwood and the surrounding countryside.
Orchard Gate
Located in the heart of the town, Orchard Gate is one of Otley’s main modern shopping areas. It is home to a diverse collection of independent businesses, ranging from pet shops and food outlets to specialist drinks retailers and professional services. The area also includes Otley Town Council’s offices, the bus station and public toilets, including accessible facilities, making it a useful starting point for a visit to the town.
Pool Road & Pool
The route heading east from Otley towards Pool in Wharfedale is home to a varied selection of businesses, including shops, services, hospitality venues and larger commercial premises. Some sit close to the town centre, while others are dotted along Pool Road and within the village of Pool itself.
Riverside
Otley’s riverside has deliberately avoided becoming heavily commercialised, which is a large part of its charm. However, several businesses can be found beside or close to the River Wharfe. These include places to eat and drink, along with seasonal attractions such as Otley Boats, where visitors can take to the river during the summer months.
Station Road
Station Road leads from the town centre towards the site of Otley’s former railway station and the slopes of the Chevin beyond. This mainly cobbled street is home to a fascinating collection of specialist shops, creative businesses, food and drink venues and local services, all housed in an attractive mix of historic buildings.
Westgate, Beech Hill & Bradford Road
Westgate is one of Otley’s principal shopping streets, continuing through Beech Hill and onto Bradford Road as it heads towards Menston. The area is home to a broad mix of shops, cafés, pubs, takeaways, professional services and specialist businesses, making it one of the town’s busiest and most varied commercial routes.
Wharfebank Mills & Otley Mills
On the western edge of the town, heading towards Menston and Ilkley, Wharfebank Mills is a historic former textile mill that has been carefully converted into a thriving business community. Its atmospheric buildings now house a diverse collection of creative companies, professional services, retailers and hospitality businesses. Next door, Otley Mills is a more recent development containing a number of larger businesses and commercial premises. Together, the two sites form one of Otley’s most important out-of-town business areas.