Brimham Rocks

It is great fun on Brimham Rocks. Rather than just visit though it is more enjoyable to make the visit in to a short but ‘proper’ walk. The rocks themselves are a series of sandstone boulders which you can scramble on.

The Walk

Brimham Rocks is definitely a ‘must see’  when visiting the Yorkshire Dales. However it is not ideal as part of a structured walk. The best approach though is to climb the hill towards Brimham Rocks rather than just park in the car park. I chose the pretty village of Smelthouses to start from and a walk through the lovely riverside woods to approach the rocks. The name of the village originates from the time the monks from Fountains Abbey built one of the first smelt mines for the local ore.

However once we arrived at Brimham Rocks myself and my daughter just launched in to a scrambling fest. The landscape is unique and the area atmospheric with the hard gritstone forming great pillars of sandblasted rock all formed in to weird and wonderful shapes. The rocks were formed as long as 350 million years ago and sit amongst an area of wet and dry heathland. The land is owned and managed by the National Trust who have done a good job.

The views up Nidderdale and towards the Vale of York are good in clear weather; claims are made that 60 miles distance is possible to view. I had wanted to visit Brimham Rocks for a while and when this happens the reality can be a disappointment. Fair do’s though this was not a disappointment, ask my daughter!

Recommend

A picnic haven! There is a multitude of hidden away enclaves between the rocks and amongst the bracken.