Our house has such a great location. You could call your order across to Richard and Marianne in the butcher's shop opposite. They offer locally sourced meat, poultry, game, eggs, veg, local honeys, jams and other groceries. We are bookended by 2 pubs; each serving reliable pub fare and a range of beers on tap. It's hard to beat the view from the Cod & Lobster, with a ring side seat of the towering cliffs, harbour and out to sea. You can warm by its fire in the winter or hang outside in warmer months. There are 3 galleries run by friendly and welcoming owners, showing works of local and international artists; they reflect the renaissance of art and heritage in our village fired by the annual festival now in its 6th year. There's a privately owned museum dedicated to local hero Captain Cook. A quirky vintage shop and tea room run by Trudy. Great teas here and on the harbourfront. Head up to the top units for fresh fish, crab and lobster. If you take the Cleveland Way over the cliff for half an hour you will find yourself in Port Mulgrave and having the best afternoon tea for miles around at the delightful Ship Inn, run by Tom and Jane. Everything is home made with gf options. Weekends only.
The walk takes you to the stunning Runswick Bay. Try crab sandwiches at the Royal Hotel. Hunt for fossils on the beach then take the path up through the waterfall and beyond to Sandsend following what was once the railway, to Whitby. Regular buses back for tired legs. In the other direction head to the surf school at Saltburn or take the water powered funicular up the cliff to some excellent eateries and delis. Horesriding on the beach from a local stable. Back in the village you can take a boat trip with pro fisherman Sean to fish, birdwatch, wreck spot or even whale watch. He might take you to his beach shack for some freshly caught lobster. Just out of our back door, there's an Illusion Trail (free leaflet guide) with 8 tricky images to spot around the village and 3 bonus ones for visitors to our cottage.
New additions include; Betsy and Bo, high class deli, chocolates, pasta,olives, wine, spirits and freshly brewed coffee to go.
The food menu at the Cod now includes; rock oysters, mussels, locally shot venison, pheasant, duck and of course, huge portions of fish and chips. Beer lovers say the George (50 metres the other side of our cottage) has the best tap beer, so the choice is yours.
The Cleveland Way passes our front door, so leave the car in our space and walk the cliff tops, sandy beaches and waterfalls, south towards the sweeping bay at Runswick, the long, sandy beach at Sandsend and into historic Whitby, once the home of the whaling industry.
Visit the Abbey, find dinosaur footprints at Saltwick Bay, wander the streets and imagine "Dracula" coming ashore,as in the Gothic novel. Whitby has legendary fish and chips too. Queue at the Magpie with a huge appetite to match the portions. Or take a berth at Andrew Pern's fun Star Inn the Harbour.
You could seek out his original thatch roofed restaurant, The Star, across the Moors in Harome. Take the steam railway at various picturesque time slip stations at Goathland (TV series Heartbeat was filmed here), Pickering, Grosmont and imagine too,that you're on the way to Hogwarts, as some of the Harry Potter movie franchise was shot on this vintage railway.
It's an hour away to the magnificence and charm of York, a former capital of England and centre of the Viking conquest; a Roman HQ too, so multi layers of history. Quirky shopping in medieval streets, take tea at Betty's for current tradition and relax with a trip on the River Ouse, cruising past the ancient Bishop's Palace, or wander in the stunning, imposing York Minster with its fine Rose Window.
Other favourite day trips closer to home are to the secret cove at Boggle Hole, the Seaview Chapel at Robin Hood's Bay, hiring bikes or a tandem at Hawsker, just past Whitby to cycle in the safety of the former railway line.
Take tea at the cliff top hotel at Ravenscar for stunning views, walk from the pub at Hayburn Wike to the nearby beach where a waterfall tumbles onto the beach.
At Runswick take tea where oscar winning actor, Daniel Day-Lewis did in "Phantom Thread", his last movie?
North from Staithes, discover the wild dunes of Skinningrove, or at Saltburn, go to surf school and take the water-powered funicular up the cliff for the deli's and quirky shops of this former Victorian resort.