Hole of Horcum
A genuinely dramatic piece of landscape - a mile-wide natural amphitheatre - covered properly on foot rather than just glimpsed from the roadside viewpoint everyone else stops at.
Effort: Moderate distance, manageable climb
Underfoot: Some uneven or off-path ground
E2·T2 — how we grade routesAn 11km loop around the Hole of Horcum, a huge natural bowl carved into the North York Moors, following the rim and dropping into the bowl itself with 109m of climbing.
A genuinely dramatic piece of landscape - a mile-wide natural amphitheatre - covered properly on foot rather than just glimpsed from the roadside viewpoint everyone else stops at.
The route
Most people see the Hole of Horcum from the A169 viewpoint and never go any further. This route drops straight into it, following the path down into the bowl before climbing back out onto Levisham Moor for the return leg. The Hole itself was carved out by centuries of spring erosion undermining the hillside - locally it's known as the Devil's Punchbowl, after a folk tale about a giant hurling earth at his wife - and running down into it gives you a much better sense of scale than any photo from the top.
Levisham Moor
The return leg crosses open moorland with views down into Newtondale, where the North Yorkshire Moors Railway runs steam trains through the valley below - worth timing your run for if you want to catch one passing. The moor here is properly open and exposed, a contrast to the sheltered bowl you've just climbed out of.
Why it works
At 11km with only 239m of ascent, this is a short, approachable route that still delivers a genuinely distinctive landscape experience. It's a good one for a short morning session, or to pair with a longer day elsewhere in the Moors if you're staying nearby.
Access notes
The only parking is the Saltergate car park on the A169, which is popular with sightseers as well as runners, so expect company. There's no shelter or facilities once you're out on the moor, and the car park itself sits right on a fast road, so take care crossing to reach the path. On a still morning the bowl below often holds mist long after the surrounding moor has cleared, which is worth timing a visit around if you want the place at its most atmospheric and quiet before the day's traffic builds on the A169.
The descent into the bowl is steep and can be slippery when wet. No toilets or shelter anywhere on route, and the moor sections are fully exposed to wind and rain.
Safety on this route
- No signal? Text 999 — pre-register first: text register to 999
- Tell someone your route and expected return time before you head out
Leave No Trace
- Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but memories.
- Please respect the countryside and all its inhabitants.
- Dogs on leads near livestock, and around ground-nesting birds from March to July.
- Gates as you find them — open or closed, leave it that way for the farmer and the next runner.
- Take it all home — wrappers, peel, tissue, the lot. It doesn't count as biodegradable if you can still see it.
- Stick to the path where the ground either side is wet, planted, or nesting habitat.
Common questions
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