# Hole of Horcum

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Valley in the North York Moors, England

Hole of Horcum Valley Hole of Horcum from the north, with flowering heather in the foreground, August 2017 Hole of Horcum Location within North Yorkshire Coordinates: 54°19′53″N 0°42′04″W / 54.331266°N 0.701168°W / 54.331266; -0.701168 Grid position SE845935 Location North Yorkshire, England

The **Hole of Horcum** is a section of the valley of the Levisham Beck, upstream of [Levisham](/source/Levisham) and [Lockton](/source/Lockton), in the [Tabular Hills](/source/Tabular_Hills) of the [North York Moors](/source/North_York_Moors) National Park in northern [England](/source/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](/source/Celtic_Britons) origin.[1][2]

## The Hole

The hollow is 400 feet (120 m) deep and about ¾ mile (1.2 km) across. The Hole was created by a process called [spring-sapping](/source/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.[3]

## Legend

Local legend has it that the "[Devil's Punchbowl](/source/Devil's_Punchbowl)"-type feature, the amphitheatre, was formed when [Wade the Giant](/source/Wade_(folklore)) scooped up a handful of earth to throw at his wife during an argument.[3][4]

## Panoramic view

A panorama of Hole of Horcum in early evening light, looking west

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Horcum, Hole of Horcum"](http://epns.nottingham.ac.uk/browse/id/53286b0ab47fc40bc60001d2).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Urra"](http://epns.nottingham.ac.uk/browse/North+Riding+of+Yorkshire/Helmsley/53286b0ab47fc40bc6000166-Urra).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-North_York_Moors_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-North_York_Moors_3-1) ["Levisham Moor & Hole of Horcum"](https://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/activity-details?id=56890251#dmdtab=oax-tab2). *North York Moors National Park*. Retrieved 29 October 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["The hero's hole, Hole of Horcum, North Yorkshire"](https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/jun/10/walk-guides-hole-of-horcum). *The Guardian*. 10 June 2009. Retrieved 22 August 2017.

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