Fitz

And Saltersgate was in the perfect spot for just such a task, on the route directly from Whitby to Pickering, at a lonely high point of the moors, far away from the bustle of town and the watchful eyes of the excise officers. and it certainly is a lonely and desolate spot, surrounded by absolutely stunning landscape.

And Saltersgate was in the perfect spot for just such a task, on the route directly from Whitby to Pickering, at a lonely high point of the moors, far away from the bustle of town and the watchful eyes of the excise officers. and it certainly is a lonely and desolate spot, surrounded by absolutely stunning landscape.

We drove along Saltergate Bank on our explorations of the area, and I spent my time in the driver's seat clutching the steering wheel as we roller-coasted around steep hairpin bends and hanging out the window with my jaw gaping at the breathtaking scenery of the purple heather-covered moors.

We drove along Saltergate Bank on our explorations of the area, and I spent my time in the driver's seat clutching the steering wheel as we roller-coasted around steep hairpin bends and hanging out the window with my jaw gaping at the breathtaking scenery of the purple heather-covered moors.

In fact, the Saltergate Inn stood just beyond one such hair-raising switchback, a road feature once known to locals rather fittingly as the Devil's Elbow. Although it's likely not the treacherous nature of the switchback that gave the bend an association with the Devil, but the legend connected to the famous landscape feature that it skirts around.

In fact, the Saltergate Inn stood just beyond one such hair-raising switchback, a road feature once known to locals rather fittingly as the Devil's Elbow. Although it's likely not the treacherous nature of the switchback that gave the bend an association with the Devil, but the legend connected to the famous landscape feature that it skirts around.

Driving along this road, we were slightly confused when we came upon a well-kept roadside car park, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. There were no houses or businesses to be seen, nothing for miles in fact, so at first we couldn't make out what on earth it was there for. However, exactly opposite the car park and on the other side of the road is a feature people apparently travel miles to see.

Driving along this road, we were slightly confused when we came upon a well-kept roadside car park, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. There were no houses or businesses to be seen, nothing for miles in fact, so at first we couldn't make out what on earth it was there for. However, exactly opposite the car park and on the other side of the road is a feature people apparently travel miles to see.

Its official name is the Hole of Horkham, but local legend calls it the Devil's Punchbowl. It's a pretty apt name, the Punchbowl part at least. From the vantage point opposite the car park, it looks like an ancient meteor has punched a crater in the side of the moor. The sides of the concave bowl scooping down into a natural amphitheater 400 feet deep and more than a half a mile across.

Its official name is the Hole of Horkham, but local legend calls it the Devil's Punchbowl. It's a pretty apt name, the Punchbowl part at least. From the vantage point opposite the car park, it looks like an ancient meteor has punched a crater in the side of the moor. The sides of the concave bowl scooping down into a natural amphitheater 400 feet deep and more than a half a mile across.

Of course, local legend loves to explain mysterious landscape features with all kinds of weird and wonderful tales, and this tremendous dent in the landscape has its very own slice of lore.

Of course, local legend loves to explain mysterious landscape features with all kinds of weird and wonderful tales, and this tremendous dent in the landscape has its very own slice of lore.

The story goes that a giant by the name of Wade was responsible for creating the crater when he scooped up a great fistful of earth during an argument and hurled it in a rage, leaving a massive scar where the projectile impacted the moor. In fact, the Devil's Punchbowl is neither a crater or the work of a giant.

The story goes that a giant by the name of Wade was responsible for creating the crater when he scooped up a great fistful of earth during an argument and hurled it in a rage, leaving a massive scar where the projectile impacted the moor. In fact, the Devil's Punchbowl is neither a crater or the work of a giant.

Instead, it's the result of a much more gentle-sounding but equally destructive process called spring-sapping. Over thousands of years, water welling up from the hillside gradually undermines the slopes below, slowly but surely eating away at the rocks and leaving the huge indentation we see today. And it's still nibbling away at those rocks even now.

Instead, it's the result of a much more gentle-sounding but equally destructive process called spring-sapping. Over thousands of years, water welling up from the hillside gradually undermines the slopes below, slowly but surely eating away at the rocks and leaving the huge indentation we see today. And it's still nibbling away at those rocks even now.

but that takes nothing away from the mystery and deep history of this stretch of moors. A quick look at Lil's beloved Ordnance Survey maps reveals layers of ancient history all around this area. A Bronze Age earthwork ominously named Gallows Dyke sits at the crest of the Punchbowl. On the opposite side of it, standing stones are marked on the map.

but that takes nothing away from the mystery and deep history of this stretch of moors. A quick look at Lil's beloved Ordnance Survey maps reveals layers of ancient history all around this area. A Bronze Age earthwork ominously named Gallows Dyke sits at the crest of the Punchbowl. On the opposite side of it, standing stones are marked on the map.

And just a little further out are Cairns, Roman works and the remains of settlements, now all long swallowed up by the Peaty Moorland. And all around Saltergate there are tumuli, ancient burial mounds, some with fantastic names straight out of a fantasy novel, including the Three Tremblers and Mount Misery tumuli.

And just a little further out are Cairns, Roman works and the remains of settlements, now all long swallowed up by the Peaty Moorland. And all around Saltergate there are tumuli, ancient burial mounds, some with fantastic names straight out of a fantasy novel, including the Three Tremblers and Mount Misery tumuli.