A scatter of strange weathered rock formations on a moor above Nidderdale, shaped over thousands of years and endlessly good for scrambling
Open accessNational Trust land — free to wander
Brimham Rocks is a spread of odd, top-heavy rock formations standing on open moorland above Nidderdale in North Yorkshire. The rock is millstone grit, a coarse gritty sandstone, and thousands of years of wind, rain and frost have worn the blocks into balancing lumps, mushroom shapes and toppling stacks. Many have picked up names down the years, among them the Dancing Bear and the Idol, a huge block that appears to rest on a stone base no bigger than a football. People once thought the shapes were carved by druids, but they are simply the slow result of weathering on softer and harder bands of the same rock.
The site is looked after by the National Trust and free to wander, with paths threading between the outcrops and grand views out over the dale. It is a brilliant place for children to scramble, though some of the rocks have real drops off the far side, so keep an eye on younger ones near the edges.
There is a car park on site, and a small visitor centre in one of the old buildings among the rocks. Brimham sits on the Nidderdale Way, so you can arrive on foot, and the market town of Pateley Bridge a few miles west makes a good lunch stop. The ruins of Fountains Cistercian Abbey and the water gardens of Studley Royal are a short drive north-east, and make a natural next stop.
