Hidden in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, Hull Pot is England's largest natural hole, located on the western flank of Pen-y-ghent. The collapsed cavern spans 300 feet in length and plunges 60 feet deep, featuring its own waterfall that vanishes underground before resurfacing at Brants Gill Head.
During heavy rain, the waterfall becomes torrential, filling the pot to capacity and cascading down the hillside. A late 18th-century guidebook described the site as appearing 'like the inside of an enormous old Gothic castle, the high ruinous walls of which were left standing after the roof was fallen in.'
Visitors can reach Hull Pot via two routes. A direct round trip from Horton in Ribblesdale covers just under four miles. Alternatively, walkers can incorporate it into the Pen-y-ghent trail, with the Reluctant Explorers recommending Hull Pot as the first stop in an anticlockwise direction to avoid steep downhill sections.
For a more challenging hike, continue from Hull Pot along the Pennine Journey footpath north-east over Horton Moor, then climb to Plover Hill and south to Pen-y-ghent before returning to Horton. Car parking is available at the Yorkshire Dales National Park car park in Horton in Ribblesdale.
