The Hole of Horcum Circular Walk, North York Moors

My favourite circular walk at the Hole of Horcum starts from the Saltergate Car Park and crosses Levisham Moor to Levisham. As soon as you get out of the car, you get a panoramic view of this natural phenomenon. We often stop at The Horseshoe Inn for chips or at Lockton Tea Rooms for their delicious carrot cake. 

The Hole of Horcum is one of North Yorkshire’s most dramatic natural landmarks, tucked away in the North York Moors National Park.

This huge natural amphitheatre was formed by natural erosion and spring activity, which weakened the sandstone and shale, causing a massive landslip during the last Ice Age.

We parked at the car park on the A169 above the Hole of Horcum.

We walked from the 'you are here' on the map east along the blue trail, then red to Levisham. From there, we walked northeast to Skelton Tower and back east along the top yellow path to the car park. In all, the walk was about 8 miles.

We were blessed with winter sunshine and bright blue skies. It feels like autumn colours have carried on late this year, and the bracken still holds its auburn glow.

The Horsehoe Inn pub at Levisham does great food and is the perfect place to stay for a weekend. In the summer, it’s a lovely, quiet spot to sit in the sunshine.

Hawthorn trees are a key feature of the landscape.

Just by Skelton Tower, you get great views of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. If you're lucky and time it right, you'll be treated to a steam train passing by.

The path below is one that we often walk along too. I think it's the blue path of the map at the top of this post. I love seeing landscapes and countryside at different times of the year. It's the view which inspired the print below.

Being one of my favourite walks, I've already created a linocut print inspired by a photograph I took, looking back down the bank after a walk there about seven years ago. The heather was in full bloom.

Find out more about the limited edition original print here.

For other walking route ideas and information about the Hole of Horcum, go to the North York Moors website.

I'm always on the lookout for new inspiration.

Do you have a favourite walk in the North York Moors? I'd love to know.

Michelle

Photo credits

Thank you to my friend Mike Pringle for the photo of me taking a photo.

Other photos and linocut print copyright Michelle Hughes.

About the author

Michelle Hughes is a North Yorkshire landscape artist. Much of her work depicts the Yorkshire landscape and Yorkshire coast, including the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors.

Michelle loves exploring the British countryside by bike or on foot, with her camera in hand, and capturing ideas for her next linocut prints. Back in her garden studio, Michelle creates simple yet stylised silhouettes from her photographs and carves them into lino. She handprints with an etching press, using oil-based inks to create tonal blocks of colour.

Michelle’s original linocut prints are limited editions.