Simon's Seat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Simon's Seat |
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Simon's Seat from Skyreholme
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 485 m (1,591 ft) |
| Prominence | 102 m (335 ft) |
| Parent peak | Great Whernside |
| Listing | HuMP |
| Geography | |
 Simon's Seat
Location in Yorkshire Dales
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| OS grid | SE079598 |
| Topo map | OS Explorer OL2 |
Simon's Seat is a cool hill in the Yorkshire Dales in northern England. It's known for its big rocks, called millstone grit, which stick out on the eastern side of Wharfedale. Millstone grit is a type of rough sandstone, often used for grinding grain. Even though it's only 485 metres (1,591 ft) (about 1,591 feet) tall, many people love to hike to the top. Why? Because the views from up there are amazing!
Simon's Seat is located on land owned by the Bolton Abbey Estate. You won't find official public footpaths directly to the top. However, the summit is on "access land." This means you are allowed to walk there, even if there isn't a marked path. Most people get there using a special route called a permissive path. This path is allowed by the landowner, but it's not a public right of way.
The most common way to reach Simon's Seat is by walking north from Bolton Abbey. You'll cross the River Wharfe and head up a valley known as the Valley of Desolation. This route goes across Barden Fell, which is a grouse moor. A grouse moor is an area of land where a type of bird called grouse lives and is hunted. Sometimes, this area might be closed to visitors during the hunting season. You can also reach the top using shorter, but steeper, paths from Howgill or Skyreholme, which is about a mile north of the summit.
What's in a Name?
Have you ever wondered how places get their names? Simon's Seat has a few interesting stories about how it got its name.
Early Records
The name "Simon's Seat" was first written down in 1771. It might have been named after someone who owned the land a long time ago. This is similar to how other nearby rock formations are named, like Lord's Seat and Earl Seat.
The Shepherd's Tale
In 1838, a traveler heard a local story about the name. The tale says that a shepherd found a baby boy on the rocks. The shepherd named the child Simon, and that's how the place got its name.
Ancient Beliefs
A historian from the 1800s, Henry Speight, had another idea. He thought Simon's Seat might have been a special place for ancient religious ceremonies, possibly for people called Druids. Druids were important religious figures in ancient Celtic cultures. Speight believed it might have been named after a legendary Druid named Simon, or even a famous historical figure called Simon Magus.
