Get in touch!
DalesDiscoveries.com
  • Home
    • Love Letter
  • Where to visit
    • Wensleydale
    • Swaledale & Arkengarthdale
    • Nidderdale
    • Malhamdale
    • Dentdale & Sedbergh
    • Wharfedale
    • Ribblesdale & the Three Peaks
    • Skipton
  • Eat & drink
    • Cafes and tea rooms
    • Pubs >
      • Dog friendly pubs and cafes in the Yorkshire Dales
      • Dogs friendly accommodation
    • Fine Dining
  • Things to do
    • Family fun
    • Ways to explore
    • Outdoor activities
    • All Experiences
  • More inspiration

Brimham Rocks

Brimham Rocks are the kind of natural curiosity that delight young and old visitors alike. Once discovered, many ask ‘why haven’t we been here before?’.

They’re slightly hidden on a minor road near Summerbridge in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and make a perfect natural playground and picnic spot. The site is large enough to provide entertainment for several hours, with plenty of spot for children to run and play hide and seek among the rocks.

​The Millstone Grit stones have a coarse surface, making them a great starting point for young climbers but watch out on rainy days when they can be quite slippy. Roger and the Rottentrolls was filmed here so you may spot some of the locations from the children’s TV series. The views from the rocks on a clear day also make it worth a visit, particularly if you’re seeking a picnic site.
Picture
Picture

​The rocks are the result of over 350 million years of erosion. Around 380 million years ago a huge delta river deposit the Millstone Grit which was eventually shaped by ice, water, and sand deposits in wind, creating the curious collection of interesting shaped rocks that visitors now love.

 
Over the years the various formations and shapes have been given names, and stories attach to some of them. There are numerous Rocking Stones, Druid’s Kissing Chair, Wishing Rock, Pulpit Rock, Cannon Rocks. Some are said to resemble animals - the Crocodiles, Polar Bears, Elephant, Turtle, Rat, Owl and Camel’s Head.

​
In the 1950s it seems to have been a popular pastime to ask bachelors to walk through a narrow cleft called the Needle, for the amusement of assembled women (simpler times...). Children now delight in weaselling their way through the tight spaces and discovering the nooks and crannies.
 
Brimham is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It's quite unusual to find three different varieties of heather in one area – ling, bell, and cross-leaved heath. Numerous bird boxes have been erected around the site, which attract blue and great tits, pied flycatchers, nuthatches, redstarts, spotted flycatchers and owls. 
 
The National Trust has a regular programme of events at Brimham Rocks, with guided walks looking at its geology and history, and adventure days organised with the Harrogate Climbing Centre.

Find more places to visit in the Yorkshire Dales

Wharfedale
Grassington
Kettlewell
Burnsall
Appletreewick
Kilnsey

Bolton Abbey Estate

​
​
Swaledale & Arkengarthdale
Reeth
Richmond
Muker
Thwaite
Keld
Buttertubs
Langthwaite
Gunnerside
Crackpot Hall
Corpse Way
Swale Trail
Wensleydale
​
Hawes
​
Leyburn
Masham
Middleham
Askrigg
Wensley
Aysgarth
Carperby


Ribblesdale & Three Peaks
Settle
Settle-Carlisle Railway 
Yorkshire Three Peaks
Clapham
Feizor
Hoffman
Ingleborough
Ingleton
Stainforth
Nidderdale
Pateley Bridge
​
Scar House Reservoir
Coldstones Cut
Fountains Abbey

​Brimham Rocks

About DalesDiscoveries.com

This independent not-for-profit website was created using recommendations from Dales insiders' - people who live in, and love the Yorkshire Dales. 
​
​Copyright Susan Briggs 2021
The Tourism Network
The Old Mill
Millgate
Masham
HG4 4EZ

​​
Email

​Sometimes places open or close unexpectedly. Please always check opening times in advance.
​

Love letter to the Yorkshire Dales

Picture
Image; Guy Carpenter
Sign up for our free & upbeat Love Letter to the Yorkshire Dales. 

​