Nidderdale

Nidderdale borders the Yorkshire Dales National Park and is an AONB for good reason – we have visited Nidderdale only once when we were staying in Grassington travelling east along the B6265 but we thoroughly enjoyed our visit and will definitely be back soon. Our first stop was The Coldstones Cut. I don’t profess to have a keen eye for art so perhaps I overlooked the significance of the sculpture but what cannot be overlooked are the views across The Coldstones Quarry and beyond. The viewing platform stands at over 1,300 feet above sea level and it truly feels like you’re on top of the world. The path from the car park at the bottom of the hill up to the sculpture is quite steep but not too long (it only took us 10 minutes or so to get to the top) and it’s definitely worth a visit if you’re passing.

After visiting The Coldstones Cut we carried on the road stopping in Pateley Bridge for fish and chips and a visit to England’s oldest sweet shop to stock up. Pateley Bridge is a lovely market town.

From Pateley Bridge we carried on towards Brimham Rocks, a National Trust site (so you’ll need to pay for parking unless you’re a member, in which case it’s free) and a great day out for adults and children alike. We visited on a busy February day and I’ve never seen children so excited about rock formations! The walk is a 3.5 mile loop and is good for any abilities (although not wheelchair / pram friendly). There’s a small café along the route, we got a hot drink and an ice cream each, I’ll be honest – I was sceptical about Brimham Rocks (‘I don’t get it, is it just rocks?!’) but I was pleasantly surprised. I was pregnant when we visited but we would love to take our son back, although we will wait until he’s a little older (4+) and can walk the full loop.