A From the National Trust visitor centre looking south east. AREA 27

Approved Feb 2004 Brimham Rocks

HARROGATE DISTRICT Landscape Character Assessment

Area boundary* Not to Camera location Scale & direction

* NB Due to the nature of landform, surface treatment and soil/ composition Character area bound­ aries cannot be delineated precisely and should be considered "transitional".

Location in District

©Crown Copyright. All Rights Reserved. Harrogate Borough Council. 1000 19628 2004

Description Key Characteristics This landscape is an untouched heathland north of Summer- Geology, soils and drainage bridge that has survived as the surrounding landscape has Millstone grit solid geology. been drained for agricultural improvements and large-scale forestation. Acidic upland soil with a wet, peaty surface horizon. Some shallow, peaty soils over rock. The area covers approximately 1.66km² and is characterised Boulders locally. (Humus iron pan Stagno­ by millstone grit outcrops that have weathered to create podzol). dramatic shapes in the landscape. Many outcrops occur at the northern end of the site where the landform is higher, drier and cloaked in species such as heather and bilberry. On lower lying land, the ground is wetter and several springs form small streams that meander through the wetland scrub. Across the rocks, natural clumps of birch have been allowed to regenerate remaining naturalistic and wild. The area is an SSSI managed by the National Trust and open to the public all year round. It is easily accessed by a net­ work of public footpaths including the . There are extensive views of the rocks jutting above woodland from north west as well as 360° views of the surrounding countryside and beyond. Harrogate and the edge of the North York Moors can be seen on a clear day as well as the radomes at Menwith Hill.

B Visitors on one of the bound paths through the rock formations. LCarea027.cdr LCarea027.cdr Key Characteristics Settlement pattern,builtformandcommunications Land use,fields,boundaries,treesandwildlife Landform anddrainage C formations. recreation becauseofitsunusualrock Historically theareahasbeenusedfor A minorroadpassesthroughthesite. park tothevisitorcentre. Both boundandunboundpathsfromthecar withaslateroof. Visitor andinformationcentreisbuiltoflocal geological andecologicalvalue. The areaisdesignatedasanSSSIforits Car Parking atthesouthernendofsite. The areaisusedforclimbingandwalking. Open heathermoorlandandacidicwoodland. eastwards outofthearea. to theeastfeedingsmallbecksthatflow No majorwatercoursesbutseveralsprings SSSI forgeologicalinterest gritstone onsmallareaofuplandmoor. Distinctive weatheredrockyoutcropsof (Cont'd) Guidelines i: To theuniquelandformandland conserve Aim: Sensitivities &Pressures antly alterslandformandlandcover. No developmentwillbeallowedthatsignific­ Character Areaitself. bouring characterareasaswellwithinthe assessed fordevelopmentproposalsinneigh­ impactontheseviewsshouldbe important: Views toandfromBrimhamRocks are the uniquelandscapecharacterofsite. to newfacilitiesshouldbedesignedrespect Any developmentrequiredforthesitefromsigns interest. the siteforrecreation, wildlifeandgeological theNationalTrustSupport initsmanagementof cover thatdistinguishesthearea. encroachment ontothesurroundingmoorland. requires managementtopreventthethreatof Woodland hasgrownuparoundthesiteand setting oftheuniquerockformations. less formalthantodayanddidimpactuponthe visitors eachyear. Inthepastcarparkingwas ical characteristicswhichareenjoyedbymany SSSI statuswasgiventotheareaforitsgeolog­