Saltwick is located in the quaint village of Briggswath on the edge of the North York Moors National Park. Lying in the Esk Valley, the village is just three miles from the centre of Whitby so you can reach the bustling seaside town easily. You can also enjoy a relaxing afternoon on the river by hiring a rowing boat or canoe just a short walk away from the property in the village of Ruswarp. If you’d prefer a delicious pub lunch, head to the village of Sleights and visit the Plough Inn which is a short 5-minute drive from the property.

You’ll find narrow, medieval streets dotted with boutiques, pubs and fish restaurants in Whitby. There is also a beautiful, blue flag West Cliff Beach which is lined with idyllic beach huts and seaside arcades. Climb the famous 199 steps up to the Church of Saint Mary. You can also discover the renowned ruined Whitby Abbey, which was the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s gothic novel ‘Dracula’.

Getting around

Saltwick is within a short driving distance of all that Whitby and the surrounding area has to offer.

Sleights train station is a 5 minute walk from the property, where the Esk Valley line travels between Middlesbrough and Whitby with stops in Danby, Lealholm, Glaisdale and Grosmont along the way.

You can visit other areas surrounding Briggswath easily via bus. Hop on the Arriva 95 bus route which has stops in Lealholm and Whitby

Whitby

Whitby is a popular and iconic seaside location for all seasons, ideal for both short breaks and longer stays. With its rich history, pretty harbour, vast beaches and unspoiled charm, it has a wealth of attractions and an unrivalled selection of award-winning restaurants, fish and chip cafes and pubs.

Whitby is constantly being voted as one of the UK’s top seaside destinations for holidaymakers. This magical fishing port perched on the edge of the North York Moors attracts tourists from all over the World.

Whitby is a charming town that rests along the North Yorkshire coast at the mouth of the River Esk. Visitors will find that Whitby possesses uniquely diverse claims to fame. The well-known explorer Captain James Cook began his famous sailing adventures here. Legendary writer Bram Stoker experienced a stroke of genius in Whitby when he first conceived the idea for his classic novel Dracula. The town also has continued fame for its reputation as one of the UK’s primary fishing ports.

One visit to Whitby is never enough, and you’ll want to return to this beautiful town time and time again.

Things to do in Whitby

There are so many things to do in Whitby during your visit. Whitby is a lovely seaside community rich in history and set against a stunning backdrop. We hope you find the information through this website useful when planning your trip. Here are a few of our favourites.

Visit Whitby Abbey

Included in Whitby’s historical features is St. Hilda’s Abbey. Overlooking the town, settled on the East Cliff, the abbey was originally founded during the seventh century. It was attacked several times but different regimes until it was finally abandoned and left to ruins. Located in the same part of town are the famous 199 Steps carved into the side of the cliff. The steps lead to the old churchyard that originally spawned the idea for Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Try Crabbing

Crabbing in Whitby has long been considered a pastime for the young people of the town and they enjoy visitors joining them and experiencing it for the first time. Crabbing is not an overly difficult thing to do and once you get the hang of it, you will probably find it a lot of fun. Take a look at this article on how to catch the Whitby crabs from the harbour. Adults are also allowed to join in!

Explore Whitby’s connections to Dracula

Literary buffs will be tickled to discover Whitby’s rich literary tradition. In fact, the earliest English literature has been said to come from Whitby. Caedmon, the first recorded Anglo-Saxon poet served as a monk at Whitby Abbey during the St. Hilda abbacy. Bram Stoker’s Dracula, partially set in Whitby incorporated bits and pieces of the town’s folklore. Stoker even discovered the name Dracula at the public library. The novel Sylvia’s Lovers by Elizabeth Gaskell was set partially in Whitby after a visit from the author. Lewis Carroll’s first publications were in the Whitby Gazette written during his stay in 1854. Even Charles Dickens was known to frequently visit Whitby.

Try the Dracula Experience, one of Whitby’s premier entertainment attractions, the Dracula Experience combines animated scenes, electronic special effects, and live actors to create a spooky interpretation of the original Bram Stoker novel. 

Places to eat and drink in Whitby

There is a fantastic selection of restaurants in Whitby. Whether you’re looking for a seafood feast or simple fish and chips in the paper on the pier. Restaurants that we recommend are Harry’s Bar on Pier Road and for friendly service and fantastic food try Ditto.

Whitby has more than its fair share of pubs, from traditional real ale pubs to cocktail bars. After a long day of sightseeing check out Abbey Wharf and enjoy a drink on the terrace with stunning harbour views. Did you know? You can get ‘Yapas’ which is Yorkshire tapas from the Black Horse on Church Street. This is also one of Whitby’s oldest pubs and is dog friendly.

Saltwick Bay

Fossils, shipwrecks and shale, galore. Saltwick Bay is located along the North Yorkshire Coast, just a short drive or walk from Whitby.

North-East facing, Saltwick Bay looks out over the rugged North Sea whose coastline encompasses some of the UK’s most charming and raw countryside. Tiny fishing villages, rocky cliffs, hidden bays, and stretches of golden sand are all part of its innate and sublime charm, and Saltwick Bay is no different.

At first glance, Saltwick Bay appears to be a beautifully sculpted bay that offers glorious views out to sea but little more. However, this could not be further from the truth. Saltwick Bay is actually packed with history and astounding geological features that make it a place you must visit and see for yourself.

Saltwick Bay is approximately a 6-minute drive from Whitby (1.8 miles). 

Walk to Saltwick Bay from Whitby

If you’re going to visit Saltwick Bay, it’s really lovely to forget driving and walk. It is only a short 1.5-mile walk away from Whitby and the rewards of doing so are magnificent. There are many picturesque views for you to take advantage of such as Whitby Abbey, the harbour entrance, and the remarkable North Yorkshire coastline.

Access to this breathtaking walk is via Whitby Holiday Park where there are steps leading down to the beach. You should, however, check tide times to ensure you don’t get cut off and be wary that the steps can get slippery in winter.

It is also good advice to be very careful at the base of the cliffs as rock falls are common, with loose fragments of shale falling regularly. However, if you look hard enough, you just might find some fossils amongst the scree and shingle.

Fossil hunting fun at Saltwick Bay

Saltwick Bay is a renowned site for the discovery of ammonites, reptiles, shells, and also jet, the gem which Whitby is most famous for. Most discoveries are made along the foreshore and it is here that you should be looking. Ammonites, for example, can often be found between rocks and boulders, whilst reptile fossils lurk in the cliff face about one metre above the beach level. Please note, however, that Saltwick Bay is a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) and therefore hammering the bedrock is not permitted.

Over the centuries Saltwick Bay has yielded many amazing finds such as in 1824 the almost complete skeleton of the Teleosaurus Stenosaurus Bollensis. This was in simple terms a Jurassic marine crocodilian that now resides in the Whitby Museum. Ichthyosaur, Plesiosaurus, and dinosaur footprints are also amongst the finds. Certainly not as ancient, but definitely as interesting, if not more so, was the discovery of a horse skeleton in 1764. This was found around 30 yards underground into the alum mines. Alum mines also play a huge part in the history of Saltwick Bay.

Saltwick Bay’s superior sunrise and sunset

Everyone can appreciate a really beautiful sunrise or sunset, and we have probably all witnessed one at some time or another. However, not all sunrises and sunsets are created equal and some really are more spectacular than others.

Saltwick Bay is one of the few places that can offer a really special sunset and sunrise experience. Mirror-like pools make for breathtaking reflections here, for example, and rock formations portray textures to perfection.

This is especially true during late May to late July when the ‘double sun’ effect occurs here, but experiences are good all year round. Sunset is especially good for picking out the whale-shaped silhouette of Saltwick Nab, whilst sunrise highlights the Black Nab rock stack and the tragic wreck of Admiral Von Tromp.

The wreck of the Admiral Von Tromp

Throughout history, the sea has proved to be a cruel mistress time after time claiming ships and lives in abundance. However, in the case of the trawler Admiral Von Tromp, this may not have been the case. You see, the sinking of this ship has proved to be a bit of a mystery that the sea herself may not have been responsible for.

On the 30th of June 1976, Admiral Von Tromp left Scarborough Harbour with a course set for Barnacle Bay. However, tragically this ship would never make its destination, instead, it would run aground on rocks at Saltwick Bay. 

The wreck of HMHS Rohilla

The HMHS Rohilla also made its final resting spot here in just as tragic, but altogether different circumstances to Admiral Von Tromp.

At 4 am on the 29th October 1914 the HMHS Rohilla struck rocks at Saltwick Nab with 229 people on board. It had been headed for Dunkirk on a route that would take her down the East Coast, a route that could be fraught with danger. German subs and mines were scattered along this coast, and to make things even more difficult the captain was new to navigating the rugged North sea.

As the HMHS Rohilla made its way along its route, a coast guard on duty in his shelter located on the cliffs noticed that she was heading for Whitby Rock. This was a treacherous section of the reef system that would be the end of the Rohilla.

Under normal conditions, this hazard would have been marked by a permanent bell buoy. But this was war, and the bell had been silenced and its light extinguished. Still, the coast guard tried to warn the ship for thirty minutes that they were headed into danger but to no avail. The HMHS Rohilla maintained its dangerous course and ran aground 600 metres from shore.

Although the HMHS Rohilla was fairly close to the shore, the horrendous weather conditions made any rescue attempt perilous. This did not, however, stop rescue attempts being made which in the end lasted several days. An amazing 149 passengers on board the HMHS Rohilla were saved, but tragically 80 perished.

Of those passengers saved, one, a stewardess named Mary Roberts had astonishingly also survived another disaster at sea. For she had also been a stewardess aboard the most famous sinking ship in history, the Titanic. When asked about both events subsequently, Mary Roberts stated that the sinking of the HMHS Rohilla had been far more traumatic.

Care should be taken when visiting the few fragments of the HMHS Rohilla to the west of Saltwick Nab as access is very much dependent on the tides. You can also see more of this wreck by diving as like another famous Saltwick Bay shipwreck, the SS Brentwood, much of it is under the waves.

The wreck of The SS Brentwood

The SS Brentwood was a trawler that was struck by a German mine on the 12th January 1917. It sank in just an astounding four minutes due to the amount of damage sustained by her fore. The Master and thirteen of her crew survived this sinking whilst just two people, the 2nd mate and fireman, who were on watch at the time went down with the ship. Those rescued were picked up by the SS Togston and taken to Sunderland. The SS Brentwood can only be reached by those able to dive competently. It is upright at the bottom of the sea but broken into two sections.