Runswick Bay

Runswick Bay is a perfect crescent of sand facing south-east, sheltered from the north wind by the headland on which the old village perches. The cottages, one of them the last thatched cottage on the Yorkshire coast, are reached by footpaths rather than roads and climb the cliff above a slipway where the independent Runswick Bay Rescue Boat is kept; the original village slid into the sea in 1682.

The beach is safe for swimming and paddling in calm weather, good for rock pools and fossils at the northern end, and the walk along the sand to the caves at Kettleness is a favourite at low tide. There is a pub, a café and a sailing club by the beach.

Buses along the coast from Whitby stop at the top of the bank; the walk down is steep.