ILKLEY’S reputation as a spa town grew in the 19th century when thousands of visitors flocked there to ‘take the waters’.

Charles Darwin was among the spa tourists, arriving in October, 1859 for the ‘water cure’ at Wells House after reviewing proofs of his book On the Origin of the Species by Natural Selection.

But the healing powers of Ilkley’s moorland go back to ancient times.

For more than 30 years Jenny Howarth has lived in the shadow of Ilkley Moor and has learned about the ancient history of its carved rocks, the healing energies of its flowers, and the legend of Verbeia, the Celtic-Roman goddess of Wharfedale.

A qualified homeopath and reiki teacher, Jenny has drawn inspiration from the “goddess of the River Wharfe” for a body care range made from essences of wild flowers and plants on Ilkley Moor. The handmade products, called Verbeia, include a morning pick-me-up, a mid-afternoon energy boost and a calming influence in the evening, caring for body and mind from sunrise to sunset.

Jenny set up a homeopathy centre in Ilkley 15 years ago and, after taking early retirement from public sector management, she developed the practice to treat shoulder and back problems. It became Ilkley Complementary Therapies, where six homeopaths work together, taking forward the area’s healing history.

“Ilkley is known as a spa town, but the ancient spiritual and healing energy connected to the area is lesser known,” says Jenny. “As a homeopath I have used flower essences from around the world for many years, but having lived in Wharfedale for a long time I feel very much part of the valley. I became drawn to the ancient, healing energy of the moor and thought ‘Why am I using essences from places like Australia, India and Africa when I can use what’s right here in Ilkley?’ ”

Flower essences were recorded as early as Ancient Egypt, with essence recipes engraved in the stone of pyramids. British homeopath Edward Bach brought them to the forefront in the 1930s.

Inspired by Bach, who developed flower remedies by gathering dew drops, using the principle that water picks up the flower’s energy, Jenny sets out to Ilkley Moor armed with a bowl, a bottle of water and a stack of bamboo sticks. “I don’t cut flowers, I simply bend them into a bowl of water for a while, using the sticks to keep them bent,” she says. “The water takes on the flower’s energy, in the same way it takes on energy of powerful rocks and crystals, without causing any harm.”

Jenny’s products were seven years in the making and went through rigorous testing, with feedback highlighting improvement in energy, sleep, relaxation and confidence.

Jenny, a registered practitioner with the British Flower and Vibrational Essences Association and a member of the British Association of Flower Essence Producers, uses a variety of plants, including heather, gorse, bracken, crowberry and winberry, and rushes that grow in abundance on the moor. The essences capture the vibration of plants and minerals in water, energised in sunlight, and are preserved in alcohol.

She also takes energy from the Ilkley rocks, placing a bowl of water on top of them, and she has drawn on energies of stone carvings of Verbeia in Ilkley. “It seems she might have come to Ilkley with Roman troops,” says Jenny. My interpretation of her carving is that she’s holding water that comes from two streams into the River Wharfe.”

Initially Jenny launched moorland flower-bottled essences to be sprayed into the air or on pulse points, or released in drops onto the pillow, to aid relaxation and sleep.

As interest grew, she expanded the range to body care products, including moisturiser, shower gel and hand cleanser, combining essences with therapeutic essential oils.

“When I included products for everyday use, I wanted something that could help people to wake up and wind down after a typical day.”

The seven Moorland essences Jenny has developed are heather, which boosts energy and focus improves sleep; gorse, for relaxation and patience; bracken for cleansing and purifying, stability and calm; crowberry, which eases lethargy, depression and “clears the minds fog”; winberry for a “sense of wholeness”; soft rush to create “stillness, quiet listening and a sense of affection” and fylfot for contentment and “a cornucopia of goodness”.

“These are plants that epitomise the spirit and ancient healing properties of Ilkley,” says Jenny, who takes individual consultations for bespoke prescriptions of essences. “A flower or vibrational essence isn’t intended to replace conventional medical treatment.”

After being asked by the director of a spa centre in Gironde, in France, for a new range, she started working on essences made from later flowering plants of woodland by the sea.

  • For more details, email jenny@ ilkleycomplementarytherapies.co.uk, call (01943) 603388 or visit verbeiaessences.co.uk.