Hole of Horcum

Close to the A169 near Pickering in North Yorkshire, England, is a deep hole in the ground rumored to have been the work of a legendary giant named Wade.

The Hole of Horcum is a geological feature formed by spring-sapping, in which upwelling water eats away at the ground, creating valleys. This 400-foot-deep natural cauldron, which measures about three-quarters of a mile across, has evolved over thousands of years since the last ice age. The widening of a narrow valley has resulted in the heather-covered landscape we see today.

Of course, this explanation is far less interesting than the legend of Wade the Giant who, annoyed with his wife Bell, scooped up a handful of earth to throw at her. When he missed, the story says that it landed a few miles away and formed the hill now known as Blakey Topping. The hole left behind is the Hole of Horcum (also known as the Devil’s Punchbowl). This fantastic feature is a glorious sight at the correct times of year but to call it, as they do, Yorkshire’s answer to the Grand Canyon is somewhat an exaggeration. 

Levisham Moor surrounds the hole and is filled with structures that date back to at least the Bronze Age, including several round barrows. An important feature is the series of obvious ditches (referred to locally as dykes) which run along some of the paths. These are thought to be late Iron Age boundary lines (i.e. over 2,000 years old).

In the base of the hole is a ruined barn, which is known to be a barn owl nesting site and has been modified to make it even more attractive to owls, swallows, and bats. The best time to see the owls hunting is around dawn and dusk, but in summer you might be lucky at any time of day as the owls will need to feed their young.