A quiet Yorkshire dale of reservoirs, gritstone rocks and wooded gorges, next door to the Dales but with room to breathe
Nidderdale sits just outside the Yorkshire Dales national park, which means a fraction of the crowds for much the same country. A green dale floor gives way to gritstone edges, with moor rising on either side. It covers 601 square kilometres of North Yorkshire.
The pull for most people is Brimham Rocks, a scatter of gritstone lumps weathered into balancing shapes, easy to reach and a good hour or two of clambering for children. Down in the valley Gouthwaite Reservoir is a reliable spot for birdwatching, and Hack Fall Wood runs down a steep wooded gorge above the Ure — an old designed landscape gone half-wild.
For a bigger day, Upper Nidderdale leads you up towards the moorland heads of the dale. The going is mostly gentle here compared with the high fells, which makes it a good choice when the weather’s iffy or you just want an easier afternoon.
