Wigtwizzle - Norman Smith's Travel Blog.: harrogate

Brimham Rocks is a 183.9-hectare (454-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest and Geological Conservation Review site, 8 miles (13 km) south of Ripon on Brimham Moor in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in North Yorkshire and is looked after by The National Trust.

The site was SSSI listed for the value of its geology and because the heath and bog habitats had been much reduced by farming and forestry abd also to preserve rocky outcrops, birch woodland, acidic bogs, wet and dry heath, and plant communities which thrive when sheltered between the rocks and exposed on the moor.

Many of the rock names have been used for over a hundred years. Some fanciful names may have been invented to amuse visitors but some appear to have been inspired by antiquarians who adhered to Druidical theories about their origins. Just a few names, such as the Noonstone whose shadow indicated midday and old local names, Great Cannon and Little Cannon (now the Smartie Tube), may come from an earlier tradition.

The Rocking Stones, Lovers' Leap, Baboon's Head, Pulpit Rock, Parson's Head, Yoke of Oxen, Frog and Tortoise, Serpent's Head, Dancing Bear, Druid's Writing Desk, Druid's Aerial Altar, Druid's Coffin, Sphinx, Oyster Shell, Mushroom, Idol Rock, Anvil and Porpoise Head have all been named over the years.

Obviousle Brimham Rocks isn't the place to visit on a weekend or school holiday and the parking isn't cheap but if you pick your time it can be reasonably quiet and the parking fee is well spent. An added bonus for me was the coffee kiosk being open which I took full advantage of. A good couple of hours was spent photographing the rocks and I noticed that from one particular spot you get a distant view of Ripon Cathedral.

My journey home took me via Pately Bridge and Blubberhouse to Otley where I joined the rush hour traffic for a slow and laborious final leg.

Brimham Rocks

Note to self...don't visit Ripon on either a Thursday or a Friday. Thursday is Market day so you will never get a parking place in any car park and Friday is well...just Friday! This was my second aborted attempt at spending a few hours with Sal in Ripon. The last time we came ended with the same result which was down to the fact that it was a Thursday and market day.

Fortunately Ripley Castle is only a ten minute drive away and, at this time of year, the Castle gardens are open to the public free of charge so we plumped for going there instead. Its history is one of political, military and religious shenanigans, of plague and persecution, of renaissance, enlightenment and industrial revolution.

Some interesting facts about the Castle and the Ingilbys -

Henry Ingilby collected taxes for Edward III and helped the king to finance the construction of Windsor Castle.
His brother Thomas the king from being gored by a wild boar whilst on a hunting expedition and was knighted for his courage and was given the boar's head symbol as his crest.
Sir William Ingilby held high office and served Henry VIII, Mary Tudor and Elizabeth I through some of their darkest days.
Sir William Ingilby supported Charles I during the Civil War, and was made Baronet Ingilby in 1642. He fought at Marston Moor in 1644, when the King's forces were totally routed, making his escape to Ripley and hiding in a priest hole while Oliver Cromwell billeted himself there for the night.
James I stayed at the castle in 1603. By 1605 the Ingilbys were plotting to kill him
Nine of the eleven known conspirators of the Gunpowder Plot were close relations or associates of the Ingilby Family.

The place never lets us down, the weather is usually nice, there is a lovely coffee shop there, a couple of local craft shops and the Castle and Gardens. We started off with the obligatory coffee and then headed in to the craft shop which houses the entrance to the gardens. Its one of those shops which is popular for browsing round but its very rare that you see someone actually buy anything, probably due to its prices.

Once in the gardens or should I call it the deer park, we decided upon walking the full circle of the lake and then come back via the woodland to the more formal house gardens and hothouse. We got some nice reflections of the Castle as we rounded the lake and the light, as we walked through the woodland was more or less perfect so we both took some nice photographs. But it was whilst walking back through the woodland that I came across the enormous pink dinosaur which unfortunately was literally looking rather deflated. I've no idea what it had been used for but the poor thing looked well and truly on its way to extinction!

It was in to the Castle gardens which, at this time of year, were lacking in colour and looking a bit sorrowful but they had still managed to cultivate a very healthy looking vegetable patch which I presume is in everyday use for the castle and coffee shop. Finally we went in the hothouse which served its purpose by warming us both up before we made our way back to the car.

A visit to The Smiths Arms at Beckwithshaw ended our day out perfectly.