First up, the lovely little village of Robin Hood's Bay, on the coast between the seaside towns of Scarborough and Whitby. Quaint place - all narrow streets and old fishing cottages.
I should probably note that this trip was in March and the weather was fine but chilly so I was surprised by how many people were out on the beach.
No one seems all that sure why it's called Robin Hood's Bay. It doesn't seem to come up in any of the early Robin Hood tales, but it's had the name since at least the 1500s, so who knows!
Well worth a stop if you're driving up the coast road between Scarborough and Whitby if only to feel like you've stepped back a century or so. For those thinking of staying more than the hour we did, there's the tiny little Dinosaur & Fossil Museum, which I am informed by my dad that I have been in, many moons ago. There's also a whole host of pubs and cafes, all of which seemed pretty busy given how early in the season it was.
Getting there: 5 miles south of Whitby/15 miles north of Scarborough off the A171 coast road. Parking is at the top of the hill in the village. Be prepared for the walk to the bottom of the cliff and back - it's quite steep in places.
From there, we headed north along the coast road to Whitby in search of lunch. It being Whitby, lunch sort of had to be fish and chips. There's plenty of chip shops to choose from in the town, but for someone from Grimsby who's used to fish & chips being relatively cheap, the prices can be a bit steep. Not that most others would notice, I'm sure.
Anyhoo, we settled on Russells, which does very nice chips and then went for a wander. Whitby, like Robin Hood's Bay, has little narrow streets but doesn't have quite the same feel. It's much more touristy. Not a bad thing - there's some really nice shops around the eastern bank of the river.
For a real history kick, climb the 199 steps from the base of the cliff up to the Abbey. The Abbey's pretty important in the history of Christianity in England and I'd really recommend going in and having a look. Sometimes there's reenactment groups in, which are great fun. Vikings running around? Oh yeah.
On this occasion, we bypassed the Abbey and had fun trying to read some of the old gravestones in the churchyard next door. We especially liked the Latin inscription on this memorial, which translates as Death is Inevitable.
Which brings me almost neatly onto Whitby's other claim to fame. It features quite prominently in Bram Stoker's classic gothic novel Dracula as the port through which the eponymous vampire enters England. Whitby has embraced this and if you're in town on the right weekend you can enjoy the peoplewatching that comes with Goth Weekend.
Getting there: Whitby is easily reached from the A171. The area around the harbour can get a bit short on parking at the weekend, especially over the summer. There's more parking at the top of the cliff near the Abbey.
If you're heading south from Whitby and you've already driven the coast road, I'd recommend heading over the top of the moors on your way back. It's a beautiful scenic drive, with plenty of opportunities to stop or turn off and explore the valleys. Just don't go trespassing into Fylingdales base - don't think the Americans would be too happy about that.
Also, if you head over the moors and you're that way inclined, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway is pretty good fun and there's a really nice walk between the stations at Goathland and Grosmont.
Have you got any recommendations for places to see on the North Yorkshire coast? Why not share in the comments.
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