Last Sunday I took a Moorsbus trip to Sutton Bank again, but this time I walked north along the escarpment rather than south as I had done the previous week. Below the escarpment, and for much of the time quite well hidden, lies Gormire Lake, the only natural lake within the North York Moors national park.
The lake is a product of the last Ice Age, when a huge sheet of ice filled the Vale of York. As the ice began to melt, a river formed between the ice and the escarpment, creating a long channel past Sutton Bank. This is the only remnant of that channel that still survives.
It is a place of mystery and legend - it is said to be a doorway into Hell.
The woodland around and the lake itself are a nature reserve, and there is a nature trail within the site. If you would like to own such an attractive place, Garbutt Wood and Gormire Lake are up for sale!
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Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
The views from the escarpment are impressive, but are best seen on a cold winter day rather than through the heat haze of a summer day.
Ian