I've been thinking the past few days that it has seemed strange not preparing for a Friday blanket post, like there's been something missing from my week. The past six Fridays have been filled with such a lot of colour and coastal feel-good, and I've really enjoyed creating the weekly CAL instalments for you all. So I figured that if I'm not filling your screens with blankety stripes today, then perhaps you would like some coastal views instead? I've been meaning to share this little jolly with you for ages and now seems like just the right time to do it.
At the very, very start of January, on the very first day of a brand new year, we left our little town and drove seventy five miles north east to one of my favourite coastal places : Saltburn-by-the-Sea. I'd discussed the idea with the family a few weeks before Christmas and we all agreed that it would be a lovely, gentle way to see in the New Year. I managed to find a very homely terraced house to rent through Airbnb for two nights, and the Big Teen agreed that he would happily stay home and take care of the kitty for us, so we were all set.
We arrived around lunchtime on New Year's day and I have to tell you this quiet little seaside town was absolutely heaving with people. So. Many. People! And dogs, and cars and hustle and bustle everywhere you cast your eyes, I've never seen it so busy, not even in peak summer holiday season. It was a little bit of a shock to be honest, but luckily we had arrived well prepared with a packed lunch in our bags and a familiar walk to do which quickly took us away from the crowds.
We've been visiting Saltburn since 2010 when Little B was just a weeny baby, and we fell instantly in love with this charming, rather old fashioned seaside town. It's fascinating to read about the history of Saltburn which was established as a holiday resort in Victorian times specifically as a destination for "health, leisure and pleasure". I am totally onboard with the idea of leisure and pleasure seeking, and I think taking in the sea air for health benefits is absolutely spot on.
The walk we set out on was familiar and easy going, a steep climb at the start which took us up onto the clifftops to join the Cleveland Way. I really love the huge iron charm bracelet sculpture which stands about seven foot high on the edge of the cliff overlooking the north sea. There's a bench here which made for a lovely resting point for us to eat our lunch - winter picnics are just brilliant I think, although the Little People probably wouldn't agree with me. It was a bit on the chilly side.
You can see from the above photo how bloomin' glorious the weather was on New Years Day at the coast, we were so, so lucky and it really made me feel like we were beginning a brand new year in the best way possible.
It was around 3.30 in the afternoon when our walk brought us back down from the clifftops to sea level at Saltburn, and at the start of January the light was already beginning to fade.
We walked for a short way along this small stony beach....
...listening to the waves roll in and breathing in all that fresh salty sea air.
The holiday home that we rented was in the heart of Saltburn town, an old Victorian terraced house that's been in the same family for more than half a century. It had masses of character - huge rooms with old wooden floors and lots of vintage furniture.
It also had a huge collection of books and dvd's so there was quite a bit of film watching in the evenings which we enjoyed (although I did fall asleep on the sofa quite a lot). It was cold when we were there in January, but the house had the most fabulous radiators in every room - they were the huge cast iron Victorian style ones and my goodness they were efficient. The house was super-toasty warm and felt ever so homely, it reminded me a bit of the Youth Hostels we used to stay in when the Little People were small. Kind of old fashioned and a bit worn out but charming nevertheless.
The following day we set off on another walk which is a firm favourite of ours, although we realised that it's a walk J and I have done together many, many times over the years but never with the Little People. It's a circular ten mile route which begins and ends in Robin Hoods Bay, and as the weather was once again looking stunning I was really excited for a day of coastal walking.
This is a walk of two halves - the first five miles or so follow an old disused railway (called a cinder track) and it's pretty flat and easy going if a little muddy in places. The beginning part is quite enclosed with tall trees and steep banks on either side....
....but after a few miles it opens out and you begin to get tantalising glimpses of the sea.
The long distance coastal views are absolutely spectacular, especially on a gloriously clear-blue-sky day. We ate a picnic lunch with the above view, all four of us sat together on an old bench chatting and munching and viewing the view. It's the kind of thing that makes me so indescribably happy right into the depths of my soul - sunshine, fresh air and sea views, and a simple meal enjoyed with my family.
After our lunch stop, the footpath meandered right down to the cliff edge to join up with the Cleveland Way back to Robin Hoods Bay.
It's quite tough walking with some steep ups and downs in places, and on this day it was also incredibly muddy underfoot. It made the going slow and a bit arduous to be honest, but the constant sea views really did keep me feeling on top of the world.
I think it's safe to say we all felt very weary by the time we arrived back into Robin Hoods Bay.
We decided to stroll down the steep hill into the heart of the village in search of a café where we could have coffee and cake, and honestly, the very thought of that refreshment kept my feet moving.
Robins Hoods Bay is such a charming little place and I've enjoyed it (and photographed it) on many, many occasions over the years.
The streets are narrow and atmospheric, the cottages leaning into each other as if they are tumbling down the hill towards the sea.
Unfortunately for us, this day was a national bank holiday in the UK and most of the shops and cafés were closed. Deep, deep, sad sigh. I was ridiculously disappointed, especially since we had arrived at the very bottom of the hill with the realisation that we simply had to turn around and walk aaaaaaaaaalllllll the way back up again. Without coffee! Or cake!! And my feet were ten-miles weary and oh, I did feel like having a very small but significant toddler tantrum at this point in time.
The other three quarters of us were apparently fine about the sitch and it was only me having a melt down. So I pulled myself together and listened to J who was selling me the vision of a steaming hot cup of tea and some toasted crumpets back at our holiday home, with my feet up and a very warm cosy ambience to relax in. Sold, to the lady standing on the edge of reason.
Did I mention how cosy the house was, and how fabulous it felt to be back there after a day of muddy miles? And yes, I did indeed have my Harbour blanket with me, I never go away on holiday without at least one crochet blanket packed.
The next day was our final morning, so we spent some time tidying up and getting our bags all packed away in the car for the 10 o'clock exit deadline. We hadn't planned anything for the morning, thinking we would simply go for a wander and find somewhere to eat breakfast. Saltburn has some lovely woodland nestled along the steep banks of the narrow river valley, and although the paths were very muddy we enjoyed the stroll from the woods, through the valley gardens and down to the sea.
It was such a stunning morning without a single cloud in the sky - it's just after 10am in the above photo and we are on the seafront searching (once again) for coffee and some breakfast. Luckily there is a great little café right down on the front which sells Illy coffee (I am a big fan) and even better, they were doing a roaring trade in bacon and sausage breakfast rolls too. Yippeeee!!
We took our breakfast out onto the pier where we enjoyed a very, very windy time of it, my goodness it was bracing. But the coffee was superb, the expansive beachy views even more so. Happy, happy me.
Fully refuelled and full of energy, I desperately wanted to get down onto the beach and take myself to the water's edge. The tide was out and there was such a lot of breathing space, I couldn't wait to go and inhale it all.
Now here's a funny thing - all the men folk in my family really happen to dislike beaches and only set foot on them if absolutely necessary. My brother and my Dad are really not keen and neither are J or Little B, or my Big Teen Boy. So on this glorious sunny morning when the sea was calling my name, I could not persuade J or Little B to set foot on the sand, they just point blank refused. Luckily, I have Little Lady who is very much like me in so many ways and she was only too happy to be my sandy sidekick. J and Little B strolled slowly along the promenade, while Little Lady and I got swept along the sands by the gusty wild winds.....
....all the way to the waters edge.
It was so so so so beautiful, unbelievably so I think you'll agree. This is winter at it's absolute brilliant best - icy cold and fresh, and gloriously bright. I can't explain how happy I was in this moment, it was just the best feeling to be beside the sea drinking it all in.
Eventually it was time to leave, and after we'd reunited with the two sand-hating promenaders we made the slow, steep climb back up to the cliff top. Saltburn is a place of two halves - the lower half is down at sea level and is known as the old part of the town, and the upper half at the top of the cliff is where the houses, train station and shops are situated. There are various ways to get up and down between the two parts - there are steps (lots of them) as well as slightly easier to handle zig-zag pathways. And then there is the famous water powered cliff lift - sadly closed when we were there, but we have used it in the past. You can watch a little video about it on YouTube ((here)) - it's a very historic and well preserved bit of engineering.
You can probably tell that I have a real soft spot in my heart for Saltburn-by-the-Sea and I love spending time there. Its quirky charms and well preserved Victorian style really appeal to me, not to mention the fact that the waves here are legendary (it's a real surfer's destination these days, because of the aforementioned waves). It's only a small place (around six thousand residents) and has a wonderful down-to-earth feel about it - there is something very relaxing about the pace of life and the simplicity of what's on offer here that I love. Whenever we come to stay I always feel it doing me good, it brings me energy and peace and is a place that supercharges my inner battery.
We were away for exactly 50 hours, and it was everything that I'd hoped for when I booked the trip before Christmas. Time to rest and recharge, a change of scene, fresh air, scenic walking and top notch family time. And such a beautiful way to begin a new year too.
Tilly missed us of course, and actually I was glad to be home in the end. Fifty hours away was just right.
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Love your photos! that was one of the reasons I first started following you. I had seen your flower cushion on Pinterest and followed it back to attic 24 and got carried away with the photos. Then I turned it into a bit of a game to find out where you were located. I love anything English (I'm in Canada) so I got that you were in England right away and in the mean while fell back in love with crocheting. I have since made a trip to England and met you at Yarndale and feel we are old friends. I'm older of coarse but still really enjoy having a catch up at attic 24. Thank you
Posted by: Ruth Nicholson | February 18, 2022 at 08:35 PM
Finding Illy coffee (espresso) would have made me very happy. Looks like just the right amount of 'break' at a happy place.
Posted by: Helen | February 18, 2022 at 08:16 PM