Staithes

What do you do when the sun comes out and temperature soars to a blistering 51˚F in February? Go to the beach, of course. Hoping to soak in some rays (and much needed vitamin D), we optimistically brought our sunglasses. We ended up using them too, more for the hazy glare than the brilliant sun.


Unknown to us, and for reasons we don't understand, people seemed to be setting controlled fires all over the moors. This means that thick smoke was blowing toward the coastal cities, settling in valleys, and lingering in the somewhat hazy air. Together, this gave us the impression of approaching Los Angeles vs. the, rural seaside city of Whitby on the edge of the North York Moors National Park. From Whitby we headed north to Staithes, a small fishing village stuck in the crook of a river gorge. Luckily, we were able to avoid the thicker smoke, but only had filtered sun at best.


Staithes has a long history in both fishing and mining. In its heyday, it was one of the "...largest fishing ports on the north east coast of England" with 300 men actively fishing and the train coming through 3 times a week to disperse the catch. Like many other cities along this part of the coast, they claim Captain James Cook since he lived here a short time. Fishermen can no longer make a real living here because the port is too small for modern boats.


Staithes is, and has been, rich in minerals and still has an active Potash mine. As you walk along the shore at low-tide, it's easy to appreciate their geological heritage. The huge eroded cliffs and big variety of exposed bedrock are probably a geologist's dream, exposing lots of different layers and types of rock. You regularly hear the eerie sound of gravel slides off the cliffs too. As we explored the bedrock, I stopped to pick up some of the cliff debris, which had been polished by the sea, before we got chased back to the village by the rapidly rising tide. The last thing either of us wanted was to be caught between actively eroding cliffs and the cold North Sea in February—sun or not.




After exploring the coast, we headed up Cleveland Way, a footpath out of town. We walked by some pretty foul-smelling pig barns and emerged into peaceful sheep pastures whose inhabitants were less skittish than normal. They weren't the prettiest sheep, with their wool turning into little dreadlocks that eventually became yarn hanging from their skin, but you've gotta love them anyway.


At the crest of the hill, we were able to see the dramatic coastline from above and the pasture land below. This is definitely one of the things we love and will miss about England.




As a village, we didn't find Staithes to be that impressive. If I was limited in my time on the coast, Robin Hood's Bay wins out. It's more picturesque and polished, with more attention to detail and good views all around. We still had a good time exploring Staithes as there's something new to see wherever you go.