Walk 3585 - printer friendly version

Skelton Tower & Hole of Horcum from Levisham Walk

Author - Lou Johnson

Length - 7.4 miles / 12 km

Ascent - 900 feet / 273 metres

Grade - easy/mod

Start - OS grid reference SE831906
Lat 54.3042550 + Long -0.7244330
Postcode YO18 7NL (approx. location only)

This North York Moors walk starts from the village of Levisham which lies just over a mile to the west of the A169 Scarborough to Whitby road. The route is full of interest including Skelton Tower, Levisham Moor and the deep valley of the Hole of Horcum. The route follows good paths for much of the route and provides an excellent introduction to walking in this area.

The start is the village of Levisham (grid ref. SE831906) where on-street parking is usually available. After parking walk north through the village and keeping to the left of the Horseshoe Inn continue along Braygate Lane for 600 metres to where the tarmac lane bends sharp left (grid ref. SE830910). At this point leave the lane and continue straight ahead on an enclosed track (marked as Braygate Lane on OS maps).

Reaching a gate (grid ref. SE827916) you enter open moorland. Keep straight ahead keeping the wall to your left. After 500 metres the wall turns sharp left. Again, keep straight ahead following a clear path. The path heads uphill and then descends before trending to the right to lead you to Skelton Tower (grid ref. SE820929). The tower offers a great vantage point for watching steam trains on the North York Moors Railway which lies in a wooded valley below.

From the tower, turn east following a clear track along the edge of the valley to your left. After running parallel to the valley for about a kilometre, the track crosses open moorland Just over three kilometres from Shelton Tower, the track bears right, crosses a stream and climbs up to reach the A169 at Saltergate (grid ref. SE849941). You now have a good view down into the Hole of Horcum.

Go left through a gate and then right to follow the descending path into the Hole of Horcum. You soon pass to the right of the buildings at Low Horcum (grid ref. SE844932). Soon after the path forks. Bear left here and follow the path running parallel to the valley on your right. The path forks again. Ignore the rising path to the right and keep straight ahead to a gate. Continue through the gate and follow a section of boardwalk to reach a footbridge over a stream. You soon cross another stream and reach a path junction (grid ref. SE838918).

Ignore the path on the right and follow the path to Levisham. The path climbs gently and then enters woodland. The path bends right and heads west. Ignore the paths to Lockton and continue to reach a road (grid ref. SE833903). Turn right and you are soon back in the village of Levisham.

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