High Hawsker

Hotels are limited within High Hawsker itself, which remains a small, quiet village rather than a resort, but its location makes it a sensible base for exploring this stretch of the North Yorkshire coast without the crowds of Whitby or Robin Hood's Bay proper. A scattering of guesthouses and bed and breakfasts in and around the village offer straightforward, comfortable rooms, often run by local families who know the surrounding footpaths well, and many make a point of catering to walkers and cyclists using the Cleveland Way and the Cinder Track. For a wider choice of hotels, Whitby is only a few miles north and has everything from harbourside inns to larger seafront hotels with sea views, while Robin Hood's Bay itself has a handful of characterful small hotels squeezed into its steep, narrow streets. Staying in or near Hawsker suits anyone who wants easy access to the coast path in both directions, quick reach of the moors inland, and a quieter base than the more visited villages either side of it. Booking ahead is worthwhile in summer months and around the Whitby Goth Weekend and other regional events, when accommodation across the whole coast fills up quickly. Self-catering cottages, converted from old farm buildings, are also a feature of the area, giving families and larger groups more space and flexibility than a single hotel room, often with gardens or views out towards the moors or the sea.

Hawsker is a base for exploring rather than a destination crammed with sights of its own, but that is exactly its appeal. Within a short walk or drive there is a genuinely excellent spread of coast, moor and heritage to get through.

• Cleveland Way to Robin Hood's Bay — a clifftop walk of around six miles that leads through fields and along dramatic sea cliffs down into the huddled, smugglers' village of Robin Hood's Bay, with its steep cobbled streets and tidal shoreline.
• The Cinder Track — the disused Whitby to Scarborough railway line, now a flat, traffic-free path for walking and cycling that runs right past the village, taking in old station buildings and viaducts along its 21-mile length.
• Whitby — just a few miles north, with its abbey ruins, working harbour, Captain Cook connections and the winding streets that inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula.
• Robin Hood's Bay rock pools and shoreline — at low tide the wide, flat scars below the village expose rock pools rich in fossils and marine life, a favourite with families and geology enthusiasts alike.
• North York Moors National Park — inland from the village, open heather moorland rolls away towards Goathland and Grosmont, with waymarked walks, red grouse and, in late summer, purple moorland in full bloom.
• North Yorkshire Moors Railway — a short drive inland, this heritage steam railway runs between Whitby, Grosmont, Goathland and Pickering, a favourite day out for families and rail enthusiasts.
• Maw Wyke Hole and Ravenscar — further south along the coast path, this stretch of coastline offers some of the most spectacular views on the whole route, with the old Peak Alum Works nearby telling the story of the area's industrial past.

The Hare & Hounds sits at the heart of the village on Main Street, a traditional pub with a beer garden that makes a natural stopping point for walkers and cyclists coming off the Cinder Track, serving pub food and local ales through the week. For a wider choice, Whitby is only a few minutes away by car and offers everything from classic fish and chip shops down by the harbour to more contemporary seafood restaurants, while Robin Hood's Bay has its own smattering of pubs and cafes tucked into the steep streets running down to the sea.

High Hawsker's clifftop position and easy access to both moor and coast make it a popular spot for camping and caravanning, with several established touring parks in and around the village, including Grouse Hill Caravan Park with its tiered pitches and sweeping views. As with anywhere in England, wild camping is not permitted without the express permission of the landowner, so pitching up on open moorland or clifftop fields, however tempting the view, is not an option here; stick to licensed sites, of which this stretch of coast has a good number, many geared specifically towards walkers on the Cleveland Way and cyclists using the Cinder Track. The terrain around Hawsker is a mix of gently rolling farmland and dramatic coastal cliff edge, so most campsites sit a short walk back from the sea itself, trading a sea view for shelter from the wind that can whip in off the North Sea. Facilities vary from simple, low-key touring pitches to fuller family sites with shops, play areas and static caravans for hire. The most comfortable camping and caravanning weather runs from late spring through to early autumn, roughly May to September, when the moors above the village turn shades of purple with flowering heather and the coast path is at its most rewarding, though the shoulder months either side often bring quieter sites and lower prices. For those who want the outdoor feel without the tent, a growing number of glamping options, from safari tents to shepherd's huts, have appeared on farms around the village and further along the coast towards Robin Hood's Bay, offering a comfortable middle ground between hotel and canvas.