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— England, Europe, Hiking, Travel Tips, Yorkshire —

Hiking the Hole of Horcum in the North York Moors

March 4, 2018

Living in Yorkshire, I have to say I am spoiled for choice with beautiful scenery. Yorkshire really does have it all: seaside, beaches, dales, forests, moors, peaks, lakes—you name it. One of my favorite places in the county is the North York Moors National Park, and one of my favorite hikes to date in Yorkshire has been the Hole of Horcum! And despite doing this hike last August, I still haven’t written about it on the blog!

You can start the hike in two places: at the car par on the A169 highway, or in the village of Levisham. I chose to start in Levisham, as it’s a quaint little village with a very nice pub (the Horseshoe Inn). Best of all, there is free parking in Levisham (the parking lot behind the pub)—while the parking off the A169 is pay and display!

The hike takes you in a loop. Starting from Levisham, you’ll either start the hike by going across the moors, down into the Hole of Horcum, and then through the valley/ravine back to the village, or vice versa.

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I chose to start the hike through the valley, and make my way to the Hole of Horcum itself first.

There are several farms in the Hole of Horcum itself, so make sure to be alert for wildlife. The Hole is roughly ¾ of a mile across, and 400 feet deep.

The Hole of Horcum was created through a process called “spring-sapping.” Water welled up on the hills, and gradually sloped down over the rocks. This created a wider and deeper valley, and shaped the Hole as we know it.

It’s a bit of a tough climb (400 feet, to be exact!) up to the top of the Hole. But the views are absolutely worth it. If you park and start the hike at the A169 highway parking lot, this will be your end point!

The scenery in the Hole of Horcum is really spectacular.

It’s especially amazing when the heather covers the moors in a field of purple in the summer!

Seeing the purple heather on the moors was on my bucket list since I moved to England. It definitely did not disappoint. This was one of my favorite walks in Yorkshire to date!

And after all that hiking, I definitely thought I deserved a pint at the Horseshoe Inn in Levisham at the end!

The Hole of Horcum looks equally beautiful in all seasons, especially covered in snow! Don’t miss this wonderful part of the North York Moors National Park.

Have you been to the North York Moors? Where is your favorite place for hiking?

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20 thoughts on “Hiking the Hole of Horcum in the North York Moors”

  1. Love this area of the NYM. Not done the full walk, only parked up and walked around the top a short way. Would love to walk it sometime from Levisham.
    Don’t know if you get the magazine “Country Walking” but the latest issue has a huge article on the Hole of Horcum comparing it to Arizona’s Meteor Crater… it’s a good read.?

    1. It’s such a beautiful part of the country! I will definitely have to check out that article, thanks for the tip 🙂

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