How to Spend a Weekend in Robin Hood's Bay
Escape to this idylic village on the Yorkshire coast
STAY
If you can, seek out a traditional fisherman’s cottage-cum-self catering property tucked away on one of the cobbled lanes in the Lower Bay. Storm Cottage is a sunny, two-bedroomed bolthole in the heart of the old village with sea views from its patio. The Hotel Victoria overlooking the Bay has been refurbed and now boasts a bar, restaurant and separate pub area. Choose a Sea View Balcony room to make the most of its location. For a super-stylish retreat nearby, the all-new Saltmoore is just a 15-minute drive north at Sandsend.
EAT
Brambles is a fabulous, independent steakhouse and bistro in the heart of the Bay serving brunch, lunch and dinner, and is definitely worth booking (if you are lucky you might get one of the tables outside). Smugglers Wine Bar is cosy candlelit bar with open fires offering homemade stone-baked pizzas, deli boards and nibbles, or you can pick up a coffee and sandwich from The Galley on the Quarterdeck and enjoy on one of the benches with far-reaching views out to see. Back up the hill, The Fish Box is where to find fresh fish and chips.
EXPLORE
If you are staying in a cottage in the Bay you may well have some priority parking, if not you’ll need to find a space at the top of the hill before wandering down the steep slope towards the sea. This picturesque fishing village tumbles down the hillside and with tiny cottages crowding the ancient cobbled alleyways and snickets it’s easy to imagine fishermen, smugglers and even press gangs stalking the streets so long ago. Now the vibrant village has plenty of independent shops and cafés and even museums to explore, but the focal point remains the sandy bay ringed by cliffs, and with plenty of rock pools made for exploring when the tide is out. For walkers, The Cleveland Way actually passes through the village and the North York Moors National Park is on the doorstep.
DON'T MISS
The Robin Hood’s Bay Museum in the old Coroners Room on Fisherhead. Run entirely by (knowledgeable) volunteers, it’s home to fascinating displays of local memorabilia giving an insight into the community as it was long ago in this tiny village. Details of the many shipwrecks and historic rescues in the Bay are all recorded and there is a unique model of a smuggler’s house showing how and where contraband could be concealed. At the top of the hill, Old St Stephen’s is a rare and unaltered example of a church built simply for the preaching of the Word with an unusual three-decker pulpit.
