[8] The Brigantes, who occupied the territory before the Roman invasion, used a gritstone outcrop that overlooks Bingley as an altar in what is believed to be a form of Druidism.

This road originated in Manchester (Mamucium) and continued north to Ilkley going through Riddlesden, Morton Banks and Rombalds Moor to what was the Roman encampment known as Olicana.

Although there is no known documentary evidence of a fight, it is known that Thomas Fairfax stayed at Harden Grange and most likely he ordered a trench to be dug as a defensive measure.

At the time of the supposed skirmish, the site was part of Harden Moor[15] and the area was left undeveloped by the Ferrand family (the local landowners) in deference to the rumour that bodies of fallen civil war soldiers were buried there.

[17] Due to finds of coins and other artifacts, it is believed that the Jacobite army of 1745 passed over Harden Moor in November of that year en route to Preston.

Disraeli had visited the rock in 1844 when he was staying with his friend William Ferrand,[32] who was the then owner of the St Ives Estate which borders Altar Lane to the south.

[16] This may have had some basis in fact as Chartist rallies were being held around this time in the Aire Valley, with one meeting being reported on Harden Moor.

[34] Traditionally, the site of Altar Rock has been on Harden Moor, although it is now part of the St Ives Estate despite Altar Lane, which stretches between Ireland Bridge in Bingley and Aire View Farm on the Harden to Keighley Road, being a natural boundary to the northern edge of the St Ives Estate.

The 15-year-old girl in question was Nobantu Zani (also known as Mandy) who had emigrated to Bradford from South Africa with her mother and two brothers after her father was killed.

[35] Zani's mother believed her to be staying with friends and she may have been missing for up to three weeks before her body was found strangled with her own chiffon scarf.

The wood, through which Deep Cliff Hole drains, is a remnant of an ancient woodland[42] which sits on a fault extending southwards towards Wilsden[43] and is noted for its oak trees, badgers, woodpeckers, bats and cuckoos.

[40] The heather on Harden Moor is noted to be free of disease and parasites and so has been used to re-seed other moorland habitats in Yorkshire when they have been at risk.

[45][46] The whole of Harden Moor is designated as common land[41] and besides being used for walking and horse riding, the moorland is also used by motorbikers and push-bikers for trials and competitions.

[50] When the Ferrand family still owned the St Ives Estate, they used Harden Moor for hunting with dogs and invited along friends and aristocracy.

[54] This then goes past Druid's Altar and takes the walker or mountain biker down to Bingley along the northern edge of St Ives Estate.

[1] The moor is accessible on foot via Hainworth Shaw from the north, St Ives Estate in the east and on pathways from the south through Ryecroft and Harden.