The natural spectacle of Brimham Rocks, with its giant rock formations, was created by an immense river 100 million years before the first dinosaurs walked the earth, and a visit to this amazing landscape is truly a journey into pre-history.

The rocks, sculpted by 320 million years of movement of entire continents as well as hundreds of thousands of years of ice, rain and wind, have taken on weird and wonderful shapes and with a little imagination, they resemble familiar creatures.  Visitors are free to explore the site, spotting the Dancing Bear, the Gorilla, the Eagle and the Turtle, whilst the more nimble can crawl through the Smartie Tube and balance on the Rocking Stones.

Brimham Rocks is an amazing collection of weird and wonderful rock formations, sculpted over centuries by ice, wind and rain.

 

National Trust website

 

 

Fountains Abbey

is one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries in England. It is located approximately 3 miles (5 kilometres) south-west of Ripon in North Yorkshire, near to the village of Aldfield. Founded in 1132, the abbey operated for 407 years becoming one of the wealthiest monasteries in England until its dissolution in 1539 under the order of Henry VIII.

The abbey is a Grade I listed building owned by the National Trust and part of the designated Studley Royal Park including the Ruins of Fountains Abbey UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Ghosts Of Fountains Abbey – Poem by Kelly Vinal

Stand silent, and you’ll sense the ghosts
Of Fountains Abbey
White Monks in raw wool habits
Wafting through your soul
Formed-up, Benedictine and Cistercian
Heads low in solemn procession
One-by-one and breeze-by-breeze
Hushed forever now
But loud as children running free
Through grassy fields
Where the entrance used to be