Levisham Moor (Hole of Horcum)

Hills and Mountains

10 Dec

Written By Anthony Ackers

A view into the bowl-shaped Hole of Horum on Levisham Moor in the North York Moors on a cloudy day — The Hole of Horcum, set inside Levisham Moor in the North York Moors

Location: SE 843 943

Getting there: Limited parking in car park at top of Hole of Horcum, on A169

Height (at highest point (unmarked)): 278m

Prominence: unknown

Map: OS Explorer OL26 North York Moors Eastern Area)

OS Maps API | Basic Map ZXY (EPSG:27700) | Leaflet

Watching over one of the most spectacular natural features of the North York Moors, this beautiful, yet unusual area is a fantastic day out, with plenty of hidden history

Inside the Hole of Horcum on the North York Moors, with shape lying on the grass — Looking back along the Hole of Horcum

Levisham Moor lies north of Pickering, and not far from the very prominent Flyingdales radar station. The biggest attraction by far is the Hole of Horcum, a huge natural ‘bowl’, sunken into the moor. Legend says that the hole was formed when Wade the Giant scooped up a handful of earth to throw at his wife during an argument, but domestic abuse issues aside, the hole has been formed over the years by ‘spring sapping’, where streams at the edge of the bowl have sodden and undermined the earth, causing it to collapse into the bowl. The process still continues today.

I always find the North York Moors slightly unusual, maybe because of countless journeys on the A169, insofar that they look largely flat from the road. This is deceiving, as the Hole of Horcum demonstrates, the moors hide a number of sunken bowls and valleys.

Heather and grass moorland on Levisham Moor, above the Hole of Horcum, on a fine, sunny day — Levisham Moor, above the Hole of Horcum

Onto Levisham Moor itself, and alongside incredible views, particularly of the rest of the National Park to the south and west, lie a number of ancient sites. Human activity here dates back to the bronze age, with a number of burial mounds discovered. There are also the remains of a fair-sized settlement, with the holes dug for the foundations clearly visible.

Grassy, altered earthworks indicating the remains of a settlement on Levisham Moor, above the Hole of Horcum, against broken cloud and blue skies — The remains of the settlement on Levisham Moor

A slight detour to the west of the moor will lead you to the ruined Skelton Tower. On the approach to the tower you will once again be treated to spectacular views, with the North York Moors railway snaking through the valley below.

The ruined Skelton Tower on Levisham Moor, with a heather moor in the foreground, and forest in the background, under broken clouds — Skelton Tower, sitting on Levisham Moor

Skelton Tower was built as a shooting lodge by the Reverend Robert Skelton in 1830. Its peaceful location meant it likely served as a beautiful retreat. The date of its ruin is difficult to find, though photos exist of it still standing in the 1930s.

Lack of other parking means the best way to approach the Moor is from the car park above the Hole of Horcum. You can either walk the length of the moor to Levisham, and then head up onto the moor, or cut through Dundale Griff. It’s also worth considering exploring the woods to the north and west of Skelton Tower (note you will need to cross the train tracks, so take care)

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Hi, I’m Ant…

I offer guided adventures and walkshops, for individuals and teams, to get people out of the office, and into the outdoors, giving you the time, space and inspiration to spark extraordinary thinking in extraordinary landscapes.