Simon's Seat

About Simon's Seat

Rising above the River Wharfe, this prominent gritstone summit offers a rugged contrast to the limestone common elsewhere in the Dales. The approach through the Valley of Desolation leads to a chaotic jumble of millstone grit boulders, providing a sprawling vantage point over Wharfedale and the distant North York Moors.

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Did You Know?

• •The name likely refers to a local legend of an infant named Simon found on the rocks, though more scholarly theories suggest it derives from the Norse name Sigmundr, reflecting the Viking heritage found throughout the Yorkshire Dales.
• •The summit sits within the private Bolton Abbey Estate and is situated on Barden Fell; walkers should note that access is occasionally restricted during the grouse shooting season or during periods of high fire risk.
• •While much of the Dales is defined by pale limestone, Simon's Seat is composed of dark Millstone Grit, forming weathered tors and 'rock cities' more reminiscent of the Peak District or nearby Brimham Rocks.
• •From the summit boulders, walkers can look directly down onto the ruins of Bolton Priory to the south, while the northern skyline is dominated by the bulky profiles of Great Whernside and Buckden Pike.
• •The popular ascent through the Valley of Desolation earned its name following a violent thunderstorm in 1826, which triggered a landslide that stripped the valley of its ancient oaks and left a path of destruction.
• •Despite the name suggesting a place of rest, you will find no upholstery at the summit—only several million tons of abrasive gritstone that has spent the last few millennia perfecting its ability to snag a pair of walking trousers.