Brimham Rocks

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Overview

One of the most fantastic collections of natural standing rocks anywhere lies jumbled on Nidderdale’s moorland. Brimham Rocks are just off the B6265, four miles east of Pateley Bridge , and should not be missed. Nowhere will you see a sight quite like them: blocks and boulders of dark millstone grit 20 feet and more in height, weathered simply by natural forces – wind, rain, frost and ice – into strange and surreal shapes. Brimham Rocks have attracted tourists since the 18th century, and over the years some have acquired quirky names, such as the Blacksmith and Anvil, the Indian Turban, the Sphinx, and the Dancing Bear. So odd are these shapes that it is hard to believe they were not created by a team of talented sculptors. One in particular, known as the Idol, is enormous and seems to be improbably balanced on a rock scarcely the size of a dinner plate. There is also a Kissing Chair and the inevitable Lover’s Leap. The car park at the entrance to the site is big, and there’s a choice of several walks through the area, which extends for 387 acres around the rocks themselves. An easy central path leads to Brimham House, converted into an information centre with refreshment facilities and a shop attached. Photo credits: cinema by Suzanne Seed, rock by Abi Jaiyeola.

Features

Opening Times
Open all year
Opening Times: Open daily until dusk

Facilities
Parking onsite
Cafe

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Location

Summerbridge, BRIMHAM, Harrogate, HG3 4DW

About the area

North Yorkshire, with its two National Parks and two designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is England’s largest county and one of the most rural. This is prime walking country, from the heather-clad heights of the North York Moors to the limestone country that is so typical of the Yorkshire Dales – a place of contrasts and discoveries, of history and legend.