Arguably Yorkshire’s most exclusive coastal village, Sandsend is hugely popular for its seaside charm, cracking beach and lashings of great places to enjoy everything from a fish taco to coffee and cake with a view.
The sweeping bay, a couple of miles north of Whitby, is great for any of your favourite beach pursuits, be they shell-seeking, beach cricket, sandcastle architecture, the perfect paddle, or just reading a book in your deckchair.
The walk to Whitby is a gentle one on flat sand in one direction. Get your walking boots on and head in the opposite direction and you can climb the cliff to a pathway for fabulous views of the coast and follow a former railway trail that is part of the Cleveland Way and heads towards Kettleness.
READ MORE: Yorkshire coastal walk - Staithes to Whitby
You’ll encounter some other worldly landscapes from the days of the alum mining industry that was big business in these parts. Sandsend’s alum works was one of the most successful alum works on the coast. It was started by Sir Edmund Sheffield, 1st Earl of Mulgrave in 1605 and ran until 1871.
You can see how it still shapes the landscape at Sandsend Ness with its dramatic moon-like expanse – and brilliant views.
As part of 2023’s Year of the Coast events, there are two guided walks in Sandsend planned later this year by North York Moors National Parks.
Sands and Sandsend walk is a 3.5-mile stroll along the beach towards Whitby followed by a return to Sandsend via woodland, fields and lanes. This walk takes place on Sunday November 5, from 10.30am to 12.45pm. Raithwaite and the old village of Sandsend are on the route exploring this coastal district and some of its history.
There’s also an easy access 3.75m trail at Mulgrave Woods that is described as ‘a well managed deciduous sheltered woodland offering various tracks that can be explored in Class 2 and 3 scooters. The second circuit to the Old Castle is a climb but is on a good hard track.’ Details at outdooractive.com
