Exploring Brimham Rocks in the Snow

Surely one of the most magical things in the world is waking up to a scene you look at every day and seeing it covered in a blanket of pristine white snow. This comes from a place where snow is not a regular occurrence. Normally I’m in the camp where the thought process goes: “it’s beautiful as long as I don’t have to drive anywhere.” Well –the last couple of years, when the snow has hit the UK, I’ve always been away so driving was a necessity. However it has meant that I have opened my curtains to little pieces of magic in different pockets of England! Remember the ‘Beast from the East’ two years ago? I was in Nidderdale in Yorkshire at the time and was so excited to go and see the geological phenomenon that is Brimham Rocks all covered in snow!

Of course, these rock formations are tremendous in their own right; but lace them in snow and you’ll find yourself transported to England’s very own Narnia.

What are Brimham Rocks?

Situated in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in North Yorkshire, Brimham Rocks are a large outcrop of dramatically shaped rocks which stand on the edge of Brimham Moor, overlooking the valley of Nidderdale. They belong to the Pennine Hills which is the mountain range that extends on a north-south axis along ‘the spine’ of England.

These outcrops of rock rise from the heather moorland in weird and wonderful shapes, each fascinating and unique; some fairytale-like, some menacing, some even gravity-defying, but all tactile with the ability to induce a serious case of clambering.

Many of the outcrops have been given names based on a form they resemble from a particular angle. There’s a rhino head, a camel, a rabbit, an eagle, a blacksmith’s anvil and a smartie tube (of all things!) Make sure you pick up a leaflet on arrival to show you all the locations or download a map here before going. Some are much easier to find than others. You can’t fail to spot the Dancing Bear, although personally I think it looks more like a dog.

Millstone grit outcrops can be seen all over the Pennines from the Edges above Sheffield, right up to Scotch Corner. There are many unique intriguing shapes amongst them, but it is only at Brimham where there is such a concentration of these fascinating rocks.

Under normal circumstances, Brimham Rocks would bring out the child and adventurer in me – clambering, balancing and jumping over rocks and crawling through gaps. It’s certainly a haven for climbers as well as walkers. However, with a lot of snow and ice everywhere, there was no clambering involved this time as even just walking on the paths was hazardous enough. It was however a photographer’s paradise, so my camera did not get a rest. It really is best described as “Nature’s Wonderland”

A Site of Special Scientific Interest

Brimham Rocks is managed by the National Trust as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This is an award granted by Natural England to protect the natural, environmental or geological heritage of the British Isles from development, pollution or insensitive land management. And boy, am I glad this exists at Brimham Rocks!

As the rocks spring from heather moorland where bracken and birch are prevalent, these could easily invade the heather and turn the landscape to scrub and woodland, further eroding the rocks whilst driving away moorland species that thrive amongst the heather. The cutting back and burning of bracken and birch is an activity that is regularly carried out by National Trust rangers.

The History of Brimham Rocks

The ownership of the land at Brimham Rocks was first recorded in 1086 in the Doomsday Book. By 1252 it was owned by the monks at nearby Fountains Abbey (also managed by the National Trust) who used the land for livestock grazing. Following the dissolution of the monasteries in the 1530’s, Brimham passed into private ownership.

By the 18^th century the rocks started drawing visitors who could not believe the landscape was natural. It was believed for a long time that the stones must have been stacked or carved by prehistoric druids, much like how Stonehenge was created.

It is only since the early 1900’s as geological and scientific knowledge progressed, that the true nature of Brimham’s formation was understood.

The Formation of Brimham Rocks

So – here’s the geography part! Brimham Rocks is where you can explore 380 million years in the making. They were formed before the age of the dinosaurs when the British landmass was south of the equator (I know – hard to comprehend).

Three periods of history are particularly important in the formation of Brimham Rocks.

380+ Million Years Ago

The first is the creation of the millstone grit which is the type of rock found at Brimham. This happened around 380+ million years ago when a huge mountain range north of Brimham was created by Europe colliding with what is now North America. This land eroded over time and rivers washed loose sand and grit from the mountains down into a Delta that covered half of Yorkshire. Here the water flow slowed down thus dropping its load to settle on the river beds. The grit included crystals of hard quartz and softer crystals of feldspar. Over millions of years layers of river sediment compressed to form layers of sedimentary rock

22 Million Years Ago

Fast forward to about 22 million years ago. This is when the Pennine Hills were formed from uplifting rock as land plates pushed and buckled together.

18,000 Years Ago – The Ice Age

The third period of history that is primarily responsible for the weird and wonderful rock shapes at Brimham is the last Ice age about 18,000 years ago. This was when a moving glacier carved out the U-shaped Nidderdale Valley below Brimham Rocks. The hard millstone grit resisted this glacial erosion and was left exposed overlooking the valley while softer rocks were cut away by moving ice.

It is believed that during that Ice Age, the rock at Brimham stood out above the ice and was sandblasted by particles of ice, sand and grit blown off the ice cap by fierce winds. These winds were particularly strong at ground level which led to the creation of many mushroom shaped, undercut rock formations, such as the Druid’s Writing Desk and The Idol Rock.

Because millstone grit is formed from layers of sand and grit, it has weaknesses between the layers which are vulnerable to erosion by the elements. Ice, rain, wind and sun break the rocks apart at their weak points and wear away softer layers. You can see these layers in the rocks everywhere at Brimham and this process of erosion is still going on today. The formations at Brimham Rocks are constantly changing, although not visibly. The gravity-defying Idol Rock will not remain ‘balancing’ forever. At some point erosion will win. Just look the Azure Window arch in Malta that collapsed into the sea in March 2017.

How to Explore Brimham Rocks

The answer is….carefully…especially in snow and ice! While none of the rocks are off limits, please exercise caution in tackling them should you go down the clambering route, no matter what the weather conditions are. Some are only suitable to climbers with equipment. Also bouldering has become popular over the last two decades. This concentrates on tackling horizontal routes across the rocks, rather than vertical ascents.

From the car park, veer off on a path to the left of the track that leads up to the visitor centre. This will lead through the main body of outcrops and join the track again by the visitor centre. Along this route there is a surprise viewpoint that looks out over Nidderdale and the town of Pateley Bridge. There are loads of tiny paths that lead off the main one to duck and dive around stones, so the best thing to do is go explore! You can download a ‘Spot the Rocks’ map and photo guide which will show what some of the more intriguing rocks look like. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see many of these on this trip as the ice precluded much exploring and I didn’t have crampons.

When you get to the visitor centre, the main path that passes in front to the left and curves round the back is where you’ll find the three most famous rock formations – the Dancing Bear, the Idol Rock and the Druid’s Writing Desk.

As you follow the natural path through these you’ll emerge from the stones to see the large expanse of Brimham Moor open up ahead. Make sure you make a short detour to the left here as you’ll be rewarded with a fabulous panoramic view of Nidderdale. Then rejoin the path that forked right to circuit round the rest of the stones.

You’ll eventually meet the track that comes up from the car park, so turn left onto it for the car park or right to the visitor centre. It’s difficult to go wrong if you stick to the main paths, but if you start clambering amongst the stones, you could lose your bearings. Keep that in mind….

Brimham Rocks Visitor Information

Opening Times

The countryside is accessible from dawn till dusk but the visitor centre, shop and refreshment kiosk is only open from 11am – 4pm. They may close earlier during inclement weather. For example, on our snowy day, the centre did not open till 11.45. There is no admission fee for the site, but there is one for parking.

Parking Costs 2020 / 2021

Cars cost £6.00 for 4 hours / £9.00 for all day

Mini-buses and Motorhomes: £12.00

National Trust Members: Free. Just scan your card at the machine for a ticket.

Apparently, up to the 1970’s you could park amongst the rocks. I am so glad that is not the case today. Apart from anything else, it would wreck photos. Having other people in them is bad enough, let alone dodging cars too!

On that note – get there as early as possible if you don’t like people in your photos as it gets very busy by lunchtime.

Dogs at Brimham Rocks

Great news everyone – Brimham Rocks is very dog-welcoming with no need for them to be on lead as long as they are under control. That said, you may need to exercise caution with dogs that have no sense of fear and get excited exploring. Remember there are steep drops and tiny spaces everywhere. They could get in to as much trouble as children! I’ve seen many a small child attached to a leash at Brimham!

My dog had an absolute blast exploring Brimham with a mix of on and off lead time. Oh and they are allowed in the visitor centre and shop as well. Bonus!

Other Things to Do at Brimham Rocks

• There are a number of photography courses and workshops run at Brimham Rocks throughout the year. As I say it’s a photographer’s paradise, so if you’re interested in honing your skills, check out the details on the National Trust’s website.
• There will be an exhibition of landscape photographer Joe Cornish held at the visitor centre from 4^th April – 1^st November 2020.
• You can take part in orienteering trails at Brimham Rocks – I’m so tempted to do this next time I visit as I loved this activity as a teen. There are also two Geocache trails to follow and both activities are available all year round.

Nature’s Wonderland

Brimham Rocks really is nature’s natural sculpture park and is a beautiful place to visit, as is the rest of the Nidderdale AONB. As the area borders the Yorkshire Dales National Park, it regularly comes up in discussion for inclusion into the national park. I can’t believe it isn’t part of it already!

I hope you’ve enjoyed exploring one of the most impressive geological phenomena’s of the UK. Have you visited Brimham Rocks before? Would you go in the snow? Drop me a line and let me know in the comments below…

Further Yorkshire Reading…

If you want to check out some lovely pictures of Brimham Rocks without snow, have a look at The Crave Traveler’s post – her images of Brimham are beautiful. Unfortunately mine are all from the pre-digital era and not the best quality, which means only one thing – I’ll just have to go back! Preferably in the middle of summer when the forecast promises no freak snow storms!

Discover Wakefield Cathedral in West Yorkshire or visit the annual Rhubarb Festival there.

Enjoy a beautiful 4.5 mile circular walk at Ingleton Waterfalls on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

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