The Tabular Hills form an east–west line along the southern bounds of the North York Moors, between Scarborough in the east and Black Hambleton in the west. The name refers to their flat summits composed of hard Corallian limestone, known locally as "nabs". They form the northern boundary of the Vale of Pickering.

Tabular Hills link walk signpost
Northern escarpment of the Tabular Hills along the Derwent valley, near Wrench Green

Description

edit

Steep-sided river valleys break through the Tabular Hills to form a broken series of tablet-shaped hills. The most distinctive feature is their northern escarpment, which rises to about 200 ft (60 m) above the moorland to the north. At their western end, beyond the River Rye, they join with the north–south Hambleton Hills, which have a similar geological basis.[1][2][3]

Striking among the river valleys are Newton Dale and Forge Valleydeep channels formed when an exit to the North Sea for glacial meltwater was denied by the North Sea ice-sheet, pouring over the lowest points in the local landscape during the last ice age and cutting steeply sided channels.[4] The Hole of Horcum is a scallop-shaped valley formed by the action of a line of springs.[5]

Tabular Hills walk

edit

The Tabular Hills walk loosely links the two southerly ends of the Cleveland Way National Trail, enabling walkers to walk the complete perimeter of the North York Moors National Park. It runs from Helmsley in the west to Scalby Mills on the North Sea coast and measures 48 miles (77 km). It crosses sparsely settled countryside between Scalby and Levisham and then touches the villages of Newton-on-Rawcliffe, Cropton, Appleton-le-Moors, Hutton-le-Hole, Gillamoor, Fadmoor and Carlton.[3]

References

edit
  1. ^ Rickard, John (2005–2009). "Tabular Hill". Moors Knowledge. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
  2. ^ Sorby, H. C. (1849–59). "On the Excavation of the Valleys in the Tabular Hills, as shown by the Configuration of Yedmandale, near Scarbro'". Proceedings of the Geological and Polytechnic Society of the West Riding of Yorkshire. 3: 3, 169–172. doi:10.1144/pygs.3.169. ISSN 0044-0604.
  3. ^ a b Collins, Martin; Dillon, Paddy (2008). "The Tabular Hills". In Paddy Dillon (ed.). The North York Moors: A Walking Guide. Cicerone British Walking British Walking Series. Cicerone Press Limited. p. 21. ISBN 978-1-85284-448-6.
  4. ^ "Geology of the Tabular Hills". North York Moors National Park. 11 June 2010. Archived from the original on 28 December 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
  5. ^ "Levisham Moor and the Hole of Horcum". North York Moors National Park. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
edit

54°18′00″N 0°49′30″W / 54.300°N 0.825°W / 54.300; -0.825