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Don't miss visiting Brimham Rocks if you are anywhere near Harrogate or Pately Bridge. They are such an incredible sight!! We have visited twice but unfortunately the second visit was bitterly cold.
The rocks are scattered over an area of 50 acres on Brimham Moor, which is at a height of over 300 metres. The land belongs to the National Trust and you pay to park, £4.50 for over 4 hours. Be warned that the place becomes extremely busy on nice weekends and Bank Holidays and you need to get there reasonably early to park, if you are in a motorhome or anything else large.
The huge stones sit precariously balanced, many having been given names after their shapes. There is a main walk taking in all the most spectacular rocks and you are given a map with the named rocks and facilities marked.
Thousands of years ago layers of grit and sand washed down from Scotland and Norway and the forming layers, which included millstone grit, created a delta. Gradually, due to glacial erosion, the rocks were formed from the harder, exposed millstone grit remainig as the softer stuff was washed away. As you gaze at the wierd formations, it's hard to believe they are a natural phenomenon.
At Easter there is always an Easter hunt and quiz and I know we became very competetive for our disinterested son's sake!!!
Take a picnic, enjoy the scenery but it can be VERY cold here!!
Toilets, small gift shop and light refreshments. Leave a Comment
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There has been an unusually early fall of snow this year (2008). In early December we were visiting family in North Yorkshire and of course the dog needs to be taken out for walks, come rain or shine - or snow in this case.
We found a car park off the main road and set off in our thick clothing and wellie boots. There were no signs showing the way so it was just as well our family knew where they were going. The woodland is of mixed conifer and deciduous trees which is always more interesting than the thick, densely packed, and very dark coniferous plantations found elsewhere in Britain. The woodland is harvested and on the side of the tracks are large piles of timber waiting to be carted off to the sawmill.
There are a couple of small lakes where, in places. the Rhododendrons come right to the waters edge. This lake would be ideal for picnics on a warm May evening.
We saw a large group of ramblers so clearly the Howardian Hills have more to offer than just a place to walk the dog and to get out into the fresh air and countryside.
The Howardian hills have been designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and we certainly appreciated the gently rolling hills, the woodland aspect and the wildlife - see my next tip. The snow just added another dimension which made it a particularly special walk in the countryside. Directions: Off the A19 to Husthwaite, through the village and then look for signs to Ampleforth Wood
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Coming from the south of England I'm not too familiar with Yorkshire ( despite having lived in Leeds for a year). I'd never heard of Easingwold but our relatives wanted to take the dog for a run in the park and we happened to stop a while in this interesting town.
Every now and then it's possible to come across these places in the UK that are a bit off the map but have much character in an understated way. I think this town has that appeal. There are no major attractions nearby and it's not even en route to anywhere but it's just the sort of place we'd like to retire to. Perhaps it helped that the sun was shining?
Take a look at the photos and decide for yourself.
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 Christmas lights in
Richmond's Market Place by MikeBird,
1 more photos
We happened to stop by the general grocers Ken Warne, in one of the older side streets and discovered some fantastic items that were perfect as Christmas presents. They had a wide selection of cheeses including one called the Stinking Bishop - I didn't try it - partly because it was rather expensive.
There are all sorts of other specialist shops and drinking places to rest awhile in the town centre so after you have done the 1.5mile town trail or the perhaps just the family shop you can easily find an interesting coffee shop to refuel. Directions: Just head for the signs marked Town Centre. Much of the Market Place is given over to parking spaces but there are other car parks further out from the centre as well.
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The snowfall in the Howardian Hills ( December 2008) gave us a chance to spot the evidence of wildlife even though we didn't see the creatures that left their tracks in the snow.
It's important to remember that the tracks get bigger with time as the snow melts so what could have been small prints to start with could turn into much bigger ones later in the day.
We saw bird ( Pheasant and Moorhen) and mammal ( Rabbit, Deer and lots of dog - or were they Fox?) tracks - see the photo.
Don't forget that a number of British mammals hibernate ( Badgers and Hedgehogs) which reduces the number of possibilities as to the originators of the tracks you find.
It's also quite interesting to speculate how the animal was moving, either running , hopping (the rabbits have 4 prints close together) or just ambling though the snow .
A really great way to add interest to a wintry walk. If you're very keen on this sort of thing there is a terrific book by Bang and Dahlstrom (1974) Collins Guide to Animal Tracks and Signs . It features all sorts of ways of tracking down the activities of wildlife - your first step towards becoming an animal detective.
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Brimham Rocks is a National Trust Property, 11 miles NW of Harrogate.
I visited these dramatic rock formations after the Amazing VT weekend -'Fish Chips and Mushy Peas' in Halifax organised by Ricky 52.
I'd had such a brilliant time at my first VT meet, that I jumped at the chance to extend the weekend, by joining Poons, Suet, Lori Pori, Waalewiener and Angiebabe on the Monday visiting Haworth, Bolton Abbey, Brimham Rocks then Knaresborough.
to be continued.... Leave a Comment
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Looked after by the National Trust, these rocks out near Pately Bridge in the middle of the Yorkshire is a lovely spot Id until never heard of - even though Im a longtime member of the National Trust and read my thick book of all their sites from cover to cover each year(?!!).
But I was very pleasantly surpised and impressed to have been brought here on our spare day after the excellent Halifax VT meet to see some sights in the surrounding area.
Apparently this area of rocks has been a popular place to visit over the last 200 years. Leave a Comment
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 St Marys Abbey, York by SallyM
Their prize exhibit is the Middleham jewel (a 15th-century gold pendant), which is curiously displayed in a gallery otherwise devoted to early medieval artefacts.
There is also a video about the history of the abbey, with some very unconvincing looking actors as monks. Leave a Comment
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 Treasurer's House York by SallyM
Frank Green, who purchased the house in 1897, decorated the rooms of the house in various time periods to show off his collection of antiques. He frequently redecorated. Among the items in the house is a clock with a pendulum so long that a hole had to be cut in the floor to accommodate it.
The house is now owned by the National Trust and has a popular tea room. Leave a Comment
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 Gargoyle, York Minster by SallyM
There is a charge for admission, but if you pay admission by gift aid (UK taxpayers) you can have a pass for entry for a year. Leave a Comment
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