Hole of Horcum

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.