Yorkshire Coast

The Yorkshire Coast runs from the Humber estuary in the south to the boundary with County Durham in the north, but its most characterful stretch is the section between Scarborough and Saltburn where the North York Moors reach the sea. Whitby, Robin Hood’s Bay, and Staithes are three of the finest coastal villages in England, each built into the steep cliff faces in a way that makes no concession to modern traffic or convenience.

Van travel along the Yorkshire Coast requires a certain approach. The roads into the cliff-top villages are steep and often very narrow, and larger vans are better off walking down from a nearby layby or car park rather than attempting the descent. But the coastline viewed from above on the clifftop roads is magnificent – dramatic ironstone cliffs, hidden bays, and the sea in every shade of grey depending on the weather.

Scarborough is the largest resort on the coast and has the facilities to match, with practical van parking and a working harbour alongside the Victorian seafront. The drive north from Scarborough through Ravenscar and Robin Hood’s Bay to Whitby is one of the best coastal drives in northern England.

Posts in this tag cover van travel on the Yorkshire Coast – village stops, cliff-top drives, and what the coast looks like in different seasons.