Find out everything you need about Benjamin’s Cottage in Staithes, North York Moors and whether this holiday rental is right for you.
A mid-terrace cottage with sea and countryside views, renovated to a high standard and close to the historic harbourside of Staithes, it is ideally situated to explore the North Yorkshire coastline with Britain’s best beach in its midst.
The fireplace features a wood burning stove in the tastefully decorated sitting room and there is quality wooden flooring in this open plan living space that leads to a sun-drenched dining area. Here, with a selection of books and games, you can re-connect with family or your group of close friends, put on a Netflix blockbuster for a movie night and make plans for the next day.
Staithes is 10 miles from iconic Whitby with its looming priory ruins and it forms part of the scenic clifftop and country Cleveland Way.
An immaculately presented holiday cottage with both sea and country views it sleeps five in its three upstairs bedrooms.
The main is a king-size and there is a double and a twin on the same floor. The bathroom with its vintage cast iron radiator has a spacious tub with a handheld shower.
The sitting room has a wood burning stove, a Freeview TV, Netflix and a selection of books and games. The dining room leads off of it and there is a separate galley kitchen with a washing machine and the back door leads to an enclosed courtyard equipped for alfresco dining.
Just opposite the cottage is a fish and chips’ shop selling cod fresh from the boats and the nearby Captain Cook Inn’s pub is especially popular with real ale aficionados. The local Campaign for Real Ales (CAMRA) voted it the Winter Pub of the Season a few years’ back and it has a bespoke bitter, Northern Navigator, especially brewed for the inn 15 miles away in Redcar at the North Yorkshire Brewery.
On the subject of the great explorer, spend a fascinating rainy day at the Captain Cook and Staithes Heritage Museum on the High Street. A treasure trove over two floors, it has a 1745 life-size street scene of Cook’s time in Staithes where he was apprenticed to a greengrocer. It is an impressive collection of artefacts from Cook’s life. The collection has more than 200 books dating from 1773, 61 original Webber engravings from Cook’s third voyage, letters, glassware, porcelain, medals, coins and even a South Seas shilling. An added bonus is that admission is free, although few visitors leave without leaving a small donation at least.
When the sun is shining there is no better way to see this spectacular part of the world, especially the coastline that leads to Runswick Bay, voted the best beach in Britain by the Sunday Times in 2020. Besides the glorious golden sheltered sands and pristine waters the amount of history packed into such small area is astounding. The bay and nearby Kettleness boasts a Neolithic long barrow, medieval field patterns, the ruins of a Roman signal station, and, of course, the Jurassic cliffs that yielded a dinosaur skeleton now on display at the Natural History Museum. Barefoot Kayak offers not only lessons in the sport, it has also introduced kayaking fishing to its catalogue of activities. Barefoot also offers guided fossil tours of the area.
This beautifully put together cottage is what a luxury stayaway is all about. Not only does it have the peace and tranquillity that is often so important on a break from the hustle and bustle, its location also provides genuine quality must-dos and sees that come without all bells and whistles a lot of coastal destinations have.
Staithes, at the foot of three cliff faces, is in some ways a place where time’s stood still, yet its subtle development over the ages means that it has kept up with the times without losing any of its original charms.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that this sliver of the country on the coast is all about chilling out because once you’ve arrived you will be in for a surprise. It might be small, but it is perfectly formed to present you with a holiday providing a plethora of choices that will make you vow to book a return visit just to discover more.
