Brimham Rocks

Brimham Rocks is a 400-acre stretch of open moorland above Nidderdale scattered with millstone grit worn by millions of years of weather into shapes that look deliberate. They have names, because people cannot help themselves: the Eagle, the Castle, the Dancing Bear, the Druid's Writing Desk that everyone now calls E.T. Some balance on stems narrow enough to make you look twice. Others form arches and passages you can walk through. The National Trust has looked after the site since 1970, but there is nothing manicured about it, and that is the appeal. Children go feral within about four minutes of leaving the car park. Adults follow them up onto the rocks and pretend they are only keeping an eye out. On a clear day the views across Nidderdale go a long way.

From Tea Time Cafe at 87 Market Place, take the A61 southwest through Ripon and carry on towards Harrogate, then turn off onto the minor roads for Summerbridge. Follow the brown signs for the last stretch rather than the sat nav, which has a habit of sending drivers down lanes that narrow to nothing. It is about 40 minutes in total. The car park is ANPR-controlled, so you tap in your registration when you arrive and there is no ticket to display.

Getting here without a car from Thirsk is awkward. The daily 24 bus between Harrogate and Pateley Bridge stops at Summerbridge, which leaves roughly a mile and a half of uphill walking, and the seasonal 825 Eastern Dales Bus links Harrogate, Brimham and Fountains Abbey on Sundays and bank holidays. Both mean getting to Harrogate first, so for a Thirsk day out this is effectively a car trip.

Pick up a map at the car park and head for the named formations first, since they are what most people come for and they string together into a natural circuit. After that, the sensible plan is no plan. Let people wander, scramble, and lose each other briefly among the stacks. It is good picnic country, with plenty of flat rock to sit on and a view in most directions. The kiosk handles drinks, pies and ice cream, and the second-hand book shop that replaced the old National Trust shop is worth ten minutes.

The formations themselves are the whole show, and the ones that balance on impossibly thin stems are the ones people photograph. The open-access moorland means you can leave the main paths and find quiet ground within a few minutes on even a busy day. Free entry makes it one of the cheapest big days out on this list, particularly for National Trust members, who pay nothing at all. Dogs are welcome throughout on a short lead.

Wear boots or trainers with some grip. Grit is rough on the hands and unforgiving on smooth soles, especially after rain. The car park fills quickly on fine summer weekends, so arrive before eleven or leave it until mid-afternoon. Note where the toilets are before you wander off, because they are about 550m from the car park and that is a long way back with a small child. Climbing equipment is not permitted on the rocks and neither is cycling. If you are a National Trust member, bring the card and scan it, or the ANPR system will bill you like everyone else. Admission here is free. Pair it with Fountains Abbey or a couple of hours in Ripon and you have a full day out of one tank of fuel. Fill a flask and take a picnic, because the kiosk is limited and the best spots to sit are nowhere near it.