Ever wondered what these “boulders in the wrong place” are and why they sit on a slope in the Yorkshire Dales?
The Norber Erratics has been described as one of the “finest groups of glacial erratic boulders in Britain”.
But while some have been blown away by their appearance, others have been left wondering what all the fuss is about, sharing their thoughts and feelings in reviews on Tripadvisor and Google.
Where did the Norber Erratics come from?
@intothewildyorkshiresty1 Today we walked from Clapham in North Yorkshire up to the Norber Erratics, this is the view from the Cairn 😍 The Norber erratics are one of the finest groups of glacial erratic boulders in Britain. They are found on the southern slopes of Ingleborough, close to the village of Austwick in the Yorkshire Dales The erratics are classic geomorphological features from the glaciation of northern England. In his chapter on the Pennines, A. E. Trueman wrote: "Particularly well known are the great perched blocks of dark grit which stand on the limestone platform at Norber near Settle." Many of the Silurian greywacke boulders at the site are perched on pedestals of limestone up to 30cm high. The boulders were probably deposited by melting ice sheets at the end of the last ice age, around 12,000 years ago The pedestals have developed because the erratic boulders have protected the underlying limestone from solution by rainfall, giving estimates of the rate of lowering of the surrounding limestone pavement of around 25mm per 1000 years Recent cosmogenic dating suggests that the boulders have been exposed for around 17,900 years #intothewildyorkshirestyle2024 #norbererratics #claphamyorkshire #austwick ♬ original sound - Into the wild Yorkshire Style
There are more than 100 Norber Erratics located on the southern slopes of Ingleborough, close to the village of Austwick in the Yorkshire Dales.
They are described as “huge boulders” transported far from their origin by glaciers during the last ice age and left behind when the glaciers melted, according to Visit Settle.
The website added: “Massive dark boulders of sandstone and slate, some of them precariously balanced on limestone plinths, are a spectacular sight and well worth a visit.”
However, some people who have embarked on an adventure to see the Norber Erratics up close and personal have been left confused over the “spectacular sight”.
One couple who visited were divided by the “pile of rocks”, as their Tripadvisor review said: “We planned a circular walk from Clapham which took us through the erratics towards the end. I was wowed by the sheer number of erratics which are spread over quite a large area of hillside. Anyone who is interested in history or geology cannot fail to be impressed.
“However my husband who loves walking but is not interested in such things thought that ‘they are just a pile of rocks!’ so we just agree to differ.”
Thought to have been created between 12,000 and 17,000 years ago, this person was hoping for something “a bit more impressive”, as they wrote: “Lovely and easy walk to the Norber Erratics but we were hoping for something a bit more impressive when we got there.”
Another shared: “What a weird and wonderful field of rocks.”
This account joked: “Tripped over this feature when researching Clapham”.
Before adding: “If you are into Geography and have time definitely go see these rocks.
“Still trying to find out who or what Norber is...”
Yet others were more than pleased with the sights of the erratics, as one shared it was “worth a stroll” to see the “perched big boulders”.
They said: “On a lovely Dales walk from the Yorkshire village of Austwick some amazing boulders come into view.
“I think the correct terminology is 'geomorphological' features from the glaciation period in the North of England.
Recommended reading:
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“Big boulders are perched on pedestals of limestone. Quirky and definitely worth a stroll to see them.”
A user also commented: “These ‘boulders in the wrong place’ are marvellous and the views from the top of the scar are well worth the uphill walk from the village of Austwick."
If you’re looking to find the Norber Erratics, use the address Crummack Lane, Lancaster, LA2 8BS to find them.
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