Hole of Horcum | Saturday 17 July 2021


Walk Leader: Robert Cope
Participants: 17
Mileage: 19 miles
Ascent: 2,700 ft
Walk Report: Wendy Leete

 

Talk about mad dogs and Englishman go out in the midday sun!!!  Seventeen of us met for a 19 mile circular walk (in what is probably the hottest day of the year) from the heart of the North Yorkshire Moor, Hole of Horcum car park - legend has it that Wade the giant (before our time, of course) scooped out a handful of soil and threw it at his wife during an argument.  The soil landed on the opposite side of the car park remnants of a hillock known as Blakey Topping today.  We'll leave this to the reader's imagination!
 
Our route headed east on Old Wife's Way taking ourselves through a small wooded area before visiting the secluded Bridestones.  These fascinating sandstone rocks are the remains of Jurassic sedimentary rock deposited some 150 million years ago.  Impressive and well worth a view.  We continued to the very popular Dalby forest visitor centre for our first welcome break.  
 
Heading back west and climbing out of Dalby forest we traversed through very over grown tracks and fields (presumably due to lack of walkers) to Levisham station....for lunch/and massive ice creams.  We ended up having our own photo shoot at the request of a NY Moor Railway volunteer.....check out their website for details!!
 
We climbed away from the railway to Newton Bank, and on to a short section of the Tabular Hills route and Newton Dale trail reaching Newton Dale Halt before climbing again to the top of the scar, and across moorland to Saltergate.  A short climb out of here brought us back to the start where we were welcomed with nice cold, juicy melon and further ice creams for those that wanted. 
 
Thank you to our leader for a "Grand Day Out" and to our regulars and newcomers.  We hope to see you all again soon.

Photos by Tony Jenner

Photos by Robert Cope