Walks
The Bridestones walk
Hidden above Dalby Forest, the Bridestones are a cluster of huge, weirdly-weathered sandstone outcrops — the North York Moors' quieter answer to Brimham Rocks — cared for by the National Trust as a nature reserve. A short, rewarding circular walk brings you right among them.
Placeholder photograph — real imagery to follow.
The walk
The usual route is a modest circular of a few miles from Staindale, within Dalby Forest, climbing gently through woodland and heather to the stones and looping back past Staindale Lake. It's a manageable half-day walk and a good one with children, who love scrambling around the rock shapes. Access is via the Dalby Forest Drive, which is a toll road (see our Dalby Forest guide), and it's worth checking the National Trust's route and parking notes.
The stones
Sculpted over millennia by wind, water and frost picking at bands of harder and softer sandstone, the Bridestones stand like weathered mushrooms and anvils above the valley — a fine spot to sit with a flask and take in the moorland views, and far less crowded than the region's better-known landmarks.
Combine it
Energetic walkers link the Bridestones with the Hole of Horcum for a longer moorland circuit of around ten miles. For a base within easy reach of both, see where to stay.