This song, with its rather mournful and dramatic plotline of a reckless young lady dying from hypothermia and ending up being eaten by her relatives is considered by many to be the unofficial anthem of Yorkshire.

"Ilkla" is, in itself, a dialect form of "Ilkley" and the geographic location of the song is very real and can still be visited today in the West Riding of Yorkshire near Halifax. It is said to be based on the unfortunate outcome of a chapel picnic, with some echoes here of "Picnic at Hanging Rock"!

Although the song first appeared in print form in 1916, it dates back to at least the mid 19th century.

There are a couple of interesting facts about the familiar tune - its composer, Thomas Clark, wasn't a Yorkshireman at all, but came from Kent, and it was originally used as a setting for the Christmas carol "While Shepherds Watched" though the carol is rarely sung to that tune nowadays. It had also inspired several ribald parodies.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org