Find out everything you need about St Hilda’s Cottage in Hinderwell, Runswick Bay and whether this holiday rental is right for you.
Behind the chocolate box exterior of this stone cottage lies a contemporary indoor space with a designer kitchen and cutting-edge décor throughout.
Sleeping four, the cottage has a wrought iron staircase leading upstairs from the living area with exposed rafters and a rear door that leads out onto a stunning patio with a hot tub.
Sandwiched between the Yorkshire Moors and the North Yorkshire Coast, Hinderwell is ideally placed for an action-packed holiday. Do the 4.3-mile circular walk from Hinderwell to picture postcard Staithes, taking in fossil-rich Port Mulgrave. Whitby is a 19-minute drive where you can have fish and chips at an award-winning harbour café.
This delightful detached stone holiday home sleeps four and comes with the option of booking its sister cottage to accommodate up to eight guests. Upstairs there is a super-king-sized main and a double, as well as a bathroom with a shower over the tub.
The kitchen has a washing machine, dishwasher and a breakfast bar the overlooks the seating area. The stylish dining table for four is under the spiral wrought-iron staircase.
Outdoors there is an enclosed decked garden with a rattan swing chair, picnic bench, and a wood burning pizza oven. There is off-road parking for two cars.
When you are not cooking alfresco in the woodburning oven, then take advantage of Hinderwell’s Fish and Chip Shop’s order and collect facility. For freshly cooked haddock and cod with vinegar-drenched chips, you can call early in the day to place your order. There are three pubs in the village too. The Brown Cow sells comfort food such as braised steak and onions with creamy mash and Badger Hounds has delectable dishes such as the mixed seafood and toasted almond tagine with steamed samphire. A quaint quintessential North Yorkshire boozer, the Fox and Hounds on Dalehouse Bank has a good selection of real ales such as Theakston’s Best Bitter and John Smith’s Extra Smooth. All three pubs are family and dog friendly.
Walks taking in clifftops, countryside and coast are right outside the door and the one to Staithes via Runswick Bay and taking in Port Mulgrave, is only 1.7 miles. Be prepared to be blown away by the beauty of everything from woodland and waves to babbling becks and beacons.
Runswick, only a mile from the cottage, topped the Sunday Times’ Britain’s Best Beaches list last year. Described as being “close to perfection” by the national newspaper, it is an unspoilt beauty spot offering spectacular views. It is easy enough to walk there and this is advised because there are only 80 car parking spaces, meaning that it will never become too crowded. The beach is popular with kayakers and canoeists and you can hire equipment from Barefoot Kayak situated in the village. Runswick is delightful seaside village with its winding streets and picturesque houses.
This is a cottage that has clearly been refurbished to a high standard is in demand all year round. Although summer months are booked out well in advance, it is also a delightful retreat at any time of the year, be it a pre-Christmas chill-out or an autumn mid-term break. In other words, you don’t have to go over the top stocking up on sunscreen or including your cossies when you pack. Instead, a windbreaker, wellies and all-weather hiking boots will ensure that you see the best of the area in comfort. Most of the pubs in Hinderwell, Runswick and Staithes have open fires, and the rugged coastline and clifftops are somehow more romantic when the wind blows in from the east.
If you want to venture a little further beyond the nearby beaches and harbour villages then the Victorian seaside town of Saltburn-by-Sea, one of North Yorkshire’s best kept secrets, id only a 20-minute drive from St Hilda’s Cottage. Directly behind the pier is the cliff tramway that has been taking visitors down the 120ft cliffside onto the single and sand beach for more than 150 years and the promenade and Italian gardens gives it a distinct Victorian feel.
Whitby is just short of a 20-minte drive too and here you can take the 199-step challenge up to the abbey ruins and treat yourself to a sea-facing table where you could catch sight of whales and dolphins while tucking into the best fish and chips in the country.
