Hole of Horcum

{{Infobox landform

|name = Hole of Horcum

|type = Valley

|location = North Yorkshire, England

|map = United Kingdom North Yorkshire

|map_width=256

|map_caption = Location in North Yorkshire

|image =Hole of Horcum.jpg

|caption = Hole of Horcum from the North with flowering heather in the foreground, August 2017

|grid_ref_UK = SE845935

|coordinates = {{coord|54.331266|-0.701168|type:mountain_region:GB|display=inline,title}}

}}

The Hole of Horcum is a section of the valley of the Levisham Beck, upstream of Levisham and Lockton, in the Tabular Hills of the North York Moors National Park in northern England.

Etymology

Early forms of the name include Hotcumbe, Holcumbe, Horcombe and Horkome. The first element of the name is Old English horh, meaning "filth," while the suffix, cumb, means "bowl-shaped valley", and is of Brittonic Celtic origin.{{Cite web |title=Horcum, Hole of Horcum |url=http://epns.nottingham.ac.uk/browse/id/53286b0ab47fc40bc60001d2}}{{Cite web |title=Urra|url=http://epns.nottingham.ac.uk/browse/North+Riding+of+Yorkshire/Helmsley/53286b0ab47fc40bc6000166-Urra}}

The Hole

The hollow is {{convert|400|ft|m}} deep and about ¾ mile (1.2 km) across. The Hole was created by a process called spring-sapping, where water welling up from the hillside gradually undermined the slopes above, eating the rocks away grain by grain. In this way, over thousands of years, a once narrow valley widened and deepened into an enormous cauldron. The process continues today.{{Cite web |url=https://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/visiting/enjoy-outdoors/walking/our-walks/walking-routes/levisham-moors-and-hole-of-horcum |title=Levisham Moor and the Hole of Horcum |website=North York Moors National Park |accessdate=22 August 2017}}

Legend

Local legend has it that the "Devil's Punchbowl"-type feature, the amphitheatre, was formed when Wade the Giant scooped up a handful of earth to throw at his wife during an argument.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/jun/10/walk-guides-hole-of-horcum |title=The hero's hole, Hole of Horcum, North Yorkshire |date=10 June 2009 |website=The Guardian |accessdate=22 August 2017}}

Panoramic view

{{wide image|Devils_punchbowl_north_yorkshire.jpg|1500px|A panorama of Hole of Horcum in early evening light, looking West}}

References

Category:Valleys of the North York Moors