I am really cross with myself for failing to get this post out in time for Yorkshire Day yesterday, because I am a big fan of the White Rose County. We pop over the Lancashire/Yorkshire divide all the time for visits and trips and this June we spent a wet and misty week on the Yorkshire coast for our summer holiday.
The weather was awful, we spent nearly every day in our coats and had to drive through heavy fog to get to our destinations but each place we went to was wonderful. I love watching the sea waves no matter what the weather is doing so the rain did not dampen our spirits!
Here are some family days out that I can truly recommend….
This was my unexpected favourite trip of the week. We visited this lavender farm on the way back home. We got there early on a drizzly Friday morning and had the place to ourselves. The farm is beautiful with rows of lavender stretching out in all directions. It is very peaceful and quiet, and we were soon joking that the lavender scent was acting as a sedative on us all. As well as the farm part there is a living willow maze with games hidden within it, an adventure play park and wild nature walk complete with a pond that was teeming with tadpoles and baby frogs. There was also a fantastic herb garden that had so many herbs in it that we spent twenty minutes rubbing each type with our finger tips and comparing the scents. The girls loved this bit and kept running from plant to plant to show us which ones they liked the best. There is a tea room and gift shop on sight, as well as a miniature train. We had lunch in the tea room which was delicious and I bought a couple of lavender scones to take home with us, they were absolutely delicious with honey or lemon curd. I can’t wait to visit here again and would recommend it to anyone wanting a trip that is a bit off the beaten track.
Whitby
Whitby was the one thing I really wanted to do this trip. It is a fantastic seaside town, with ruins, an arcade, and a brilliant range of interesting shops and cafes. The highlight for me this visit was a cream tea in Sherlock’s Coffee House – where all the decor and menu was inspired by the legendary detective. I also really enjoyed walking by the water and looking at the ships. It was a really foggy day when we went but that only added to the otherworldly ambiance of the historic town.
I always love a sea life centre and this was an excellent one. We spent a morning in here, utterly mesmerized by all the creatures, from ethereal jellyfish to the cheeky seals, there was so much to see. Sea Life Scarborough also had lots of interactive features which was great for Orla, there were the rock pools where she could hold shells and coral pieces, and the turtle rescue centre was excellent. We got to take a toy turtle through six stages of rehabilitation, weighing it, feeding it and eventually releasing it back in to the sea! It was a really fun way to learn about conservation. Afterwards we walked just around the corner to have lunch at the Old Scalby Mill a pub on the cliff side that served excellent food with sea side view. It was a lot less chaotic than the sea life cafe so I can recommend it for a great lunch stop.
Cayton Bay Beach
Our one day of sunshine was spent at Cayton Bay Beach. A beautiful uncluttered sandy beach with free road side parking just a five minute walk away. The facilities are basic – toilet block and one shack selling food and drink, but that was more than what we needed as we walked down with bags full of buckets spades and a picnic. We had a brilliant day at the seaside and made the most of the sun, and to say it was a sunny Sunday the beach never got really busy. I think this isn’t one that is on many people’s radars so I would recommend this beach if you want to avoid the crowds.
Robin Hood’s Bay
This little town is so gorgeous, but again we hit it on a day of drizzle, fog and we arrived at high tide. Ooops! We lasted five minutes on the beach before we felt absolutely soaked. We scampered to the nearest pub to dry off and warm up with some food and ended up at the Bay Hotel. Our day improved the moment we entered through the door. We chose a table by a big window that looked right out on to the stormy waves outside, we ate a delicious lunch with the fluffiest chips you can imagine, and all of our moods were soon lifted. When we set out again we browsed the shops. We picked up a new pair of wellies for Orla and had a great time looking around a rock and fossil shop that had loads of cool bits and pieces in. One thing that is worth doing in Robin Hood’s Bay is having a wander around the back streets that wind up he hill. A lot of the residents put a lot of effort in to growing flowers and plants outside their doors, and there are many hidden beauty spots that are found up and down the steep narrow streets.
And those are my most recent recommendations. Feel free to tell me your favourite Yorkshire days out in the comments.
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