Explore-Nidderdale-AW - Flipbook - Page 12
WHERE TO GO
The Great Outdoors!
From the ancient, natural spectacle of Brimham Rocks, created 325 million
years ago and eroded by nature into fantastic and sometimes life-like rock
formations, to Coldstones Cut – a massive and truly unique piece of land art
created in 2010 – and all dates in-between, Nidderdale has outdoor activities
to pique the interest of any visitor to this exceptional natural landscape.
Read on to 昀椀nd out more about the outdoor treasures of Nidderdale…
Brimham Rocks, near Summerbridge, was formed
by an immense river 100 million years before
the 昀椀rst dinosaurs walked the earth, and a visit
to this amazing landscape is truly a journey into
pre-history. It was only in 20th century that it was
con昀椀rmed scienti昀椀cally that the rocks are a natural
feature, as many antiquarians had previously
theorised that the stones could at least partly have
been carved by druids. These old theories still
live on in the names of some of the stones: Druid’s
Idol, Druid’s Altar and Druid’s Writing Desk. To
be sure, a visit to the Rocks should be on the list
of every tourist who comes to Nidderdale, and
is a particular joy for young people who love to
clamber over the rocks!
On the druid theme, another site of interest is
The Druid’s Temple at Ilton, part of the Swinton
Estate near Masham. It is a nineteenth century
folly styled after stone circles and well known
prehistoric monuments such as Stonehenge.
The Druid’s Temple was built 200 years ago to
alleviate local unemployment, allowing William
Danby, a wealthy landowner of the time, to pay
workers a shilling a day for their labour. Despite
its origin, myths and rumours of mystic practices
have sprung up over its lifetime with tales of Devil
worship, etc! For most now, though, The Druids
Temple is a tranquil spot to take a picnic and enjoy
a gentle stroll.
Situated near Grewelthorpe, Hackfall Woods
appears today to be a natural wood, a ‘beautiful
wilderness’. In fact, it is very much a landscape
moulded by people. Famous landscaper John
Aislabie bought Hackfall in 1731 and set about
transforming Hackfall into an ornamental
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landscape that would appear completely natural
to the visitor. The design was developed around
views of both the built features and the natural
features. Hackfall went through a long period of
decline, but the site began to be restored by the
Hackfall Trust in 1989, and a major restoration
began in 2007. This enabled the restoration and
preservation of the buildings; the dredging and
restoration of water features; further improvement
of the footpaths and opening up of the vistas.
Hackfall is now a Grade 1 listed garden and a joy
to visit!
The industrial heritage of Nidderdale is a unique
feature of this very special Yorkshire Dale. Toft
Gate Lime Kiln still features a long 昀氀ue and much
of the lime kiln itself has been uncovered to show
the scale of the work carried out here. Limestone
dug from the hill nearby was heated by 昀椀res in
the kiln to produce quicklime for local agriculture
through the 19th Century. It is well worth a visit
and the nearby car park is a Dark Sky Discovery
Site with a ‘Milky Way’ rating due to its incredibly
Dark Skies and prominent position on the top of
Greenhow Hill.
Coming to the modern day, and built in 2010,
Coldstones Cut is a unique work of land art and
Yorkshire’s biggest and highest public artwork.
Created by the artist Andrew Sabin, the sculpture
overlooks the huge working Coldstones Quarry
at Greenhow, and offers spectacular views over
the surrounding scenery. Perched at a height of
1375 feet, the sculpture can be freely explored by
visitors who can walk its ‘street’ and the various
winding paths and admire the outstanding views!
