Robin Hood's Bay

Along the Heritage Coast in North Moors National Park, just five miles south of Whitby in North Yorkshire, lies Robin Hood's Bay, its narrow, twisting cobbled streets former haunts of sailors and fishermen, smugglers and press gangs. Now tourists traverse the labyrinth of streets and alleyways of the village, stopping in to visit shops, cafes and pubs and pausing to admire the old cottages which cling tenaciously to the sides of the limestone cliffs.

Vistors are advised to park at the top of a steep cliff and make their way to the sea on foot. We realized the wisdom of this advice when we started our descent and discovered a narrow, stepped main street with handrails to help those less spry or simply fatigued. Sharp angles heralded a surprise around many a corner and the walk down to the bay was well worth the effort, for we found it a picturesque setting for a walk and a splash or two at the seaside.

Date of Our Last Visit: July 2002