A few weekends ago I spend a long weekend on the North Yorkshire coast with my family. Despite the dismal weather we had a smashing time having some much needed R&R.

Stay

We based ourselves in the beautiful little town of Sandsend filled with picture postcard cottages and a gorgeous stretch of sandy beach. Just a three mile coastal walk from the larger town of Whitby, we stayed in the quaint Thordisa Cottage which I found through Airbnb. Set right on the estuary overlooking the beach, the three bed cottage proved to be the perfect base for the family offering all the mod-cons; a hot shower, comfy beds, Wi-Fi as well as being dog-friendly for Reg, the cockapoo puppy.

Eat

It’s years since I’ve been to Whitby but I have fond memories of Christmas visits there when we used to rent a tiny cottage in Staithes. Personally I felt it had lost its shine this time round however this could be due to fact the weather was less than desirable. Also we were pounding the streets with a dog so couldn’t go into the haunts usually favoured by my Mum and sister such as the Magpie Cafe for Fish and Chips and the Marine Hotel for cocktails and prosecco.

Some of my very helpful instagram followers also suggested the Rusty Shears for tea, cake and gin as well as Beckett’s Cafe which is apparently cake-heaven and perfect for book-lovers. It’s only looking at their reviews now I realise they’re dog friendly so we could have stepped inside.

For a small place Sandsend has some fabulous places to eat. Two AA rosette restaurant Estbek House was just a couple of doors down (housed in an impressive Georgian building) however we chose to spend Saturday night at the Bridge Cottage Bistro. A small menu of tasty local delicacies left James tucking into lobster and me into lemon sole. We had a great meal and would definitely go back. We also enjoyed a tipple or two in the nearby pub, The Hart Inn (again just a few doors down) which had friendly staff, prosecco on tap and a roaring fire.

See

The sun didn’t decide to grace us with her presence so we spent most of the time either in the cosy cottage or walking the stretch of sandy beach at Sandsend.
We did visit nearby Robin Hood’s Bay to meander the charming winding streets and take a walk along the beach and if it hadn’t have been hailing we would have nipped to Runswick Bay. If there had have been more time we were also considering a trip along the North Yorkshire Railway too. Maybe next time…

Does anyone have any gems they’d like to share on the North Yorkshire Coast? Any favourite eateries or places to stay in the area surrounding Whitby?