If you've been visiting with me for any length of time, you will no doubt be very familiar with my love of the sea and all things coastal. I grew up on the south west coast of Dorset and ever since I left home in my late teenage years and moved to the north of the country, I've really missed being by the sea. I think this feeling has actually intensified as I've gotten older, and at times the call of the coast positively bellows at full volume.
North Yorkshire has some fantastic coastline which I'd say is roughly 90 miles away from where I live, making it just a weeny bit too far for a quick day trip. So of course I frequently attempt to engineer short breaks by the sea whenever I think I can make it work for us as a family - we made it to the coast for the new year, and again in February - and sometimes I'm lucky enough to go away with friends. I also try and visit Dorset to stay with my Dad when I can, but I've never ventured to the coast to holiday completely by myself. That is until last month - oh yes indeedy!!
I can't tell you how strongly I felt the need to get myself to the sea, it was like the most insane itch that I absolutely had to give a good scratchin'! I think it was fuelled by a strong desire for breathing space, for peace, and for something of a personal reset of sorts, a need to simply spend some long hours quietly by myself with my own thoughts. I had a chat with J about how I was feeling, and he told me to just book something and take myself off for a few days - honestly, you should have seen how fast I acted on that, I had something nailed down and paid for within the hour haha! It was all very spontaneous I guess, I booked it on the Sunday and set off two days later, staying Tuesday to Thursday in early July.
As is usual for me I travelled by train, and it felt really exciting to be setting off on a little mini solo adventure with just a few things packed into a rucksack.
And this is where I ended up after three hours of gentle jigging along the tracks - one of my all time favourite seaside destinations : Saltburn-by-the-Sea. I wish I'd taken a photo of the little train station in Saltburn to show you, it's ever so cute. There are only two platforms at the end of a short branch line and it's right in the middle of the small town centre. You literally step off the platform, out onto the street and a short walk later you're gazing at a sea view.
↑↑ This was where I called home for two nights, a small but perfectly formed little house that has been very beautifully renovated and decorated. I'll show you a bit more of the house in a while and show you the stunning views, it really is one of the loveliest holiday rentals I've ever stayed in. I found it online at the start of the year and could not get it out of my mind, it was love at first sight.
It was quite the experience arriving all by myself and settling in, and the first thing I did was make a trip to the local supermarket to buy some essential groceries for my short stay. I took a photo of my shopping because I was chatting with J about it at the time, and I thought you might like to see......
....there you go! Halloumi (which I sliced and pan fried), ham, cherry tomatoes and salty snacks for my dinner, with yoghurt, grapes and bananas to snack on. Dark chocolate and slices of cake to take care of any sweet cravings, with coffee and a mini bottle of prosecco to drink. This kept me going (more or less) for two days, although I did buy a few extra items on my second day. I ate breakfast out at a café on my first morning but other than that I had all my meals at the house, sitting on the little outside terrace at the front with a glorious sea view.
When I arrived in Saltburn it was around 3pm on a bright and breezy afternoon, and once the grocery shopping was taken care of I couldn't wait to get down to the beach.
The house where I stayed had easy access down the cliffs to sea level via various stepped pathways (see here to get an idea). Of course it's easy-peasy going down and you arrive on the sands with a spring in your step....
....and the wide open beach spread out to explore.
The hike back up again isn't quite so springy and leaves your legs feeling a weeny bit on the wobbly side. During the few days when I was staying in Saltburn, the amazing water powered lift wasn't in action but when it's running it provides a really amazing alternative to the hard slog of the steps.
The views from the top promenade are stunning though, and there are loads of benches to gently slump on while you recover your breathing and regain use of your legs.
This elevated promenade is beautifully designed and well kept, and in July the beds were absolutely bursting with flowers. I remember being utterly charmed by this part of the town when we visited for the first time back in 2010. We were staying nearby in our caravan and I really fell in love with Saltburn back then and have been drawn to it ever since.
I mean, any town with giant ammonites set into the pavement is going to get my vote.
The sea views and fresh air are quite intoxicating (in a good way, a very good way) and I found myself breathing deeply and really taking in the scent of the place. At this time of year it smells of sundried grasses, sweet scented flowers and the salty tang of seaweed and is a little bit heavenly if you ask me.
It's six o'clock now, and I'm back at the house having a bite to eat and a few glasses of chilled fizz. The front garden is decked out with built in seating, providing an amazing place to relax and enjoy a drink with a sea view. Cheers!
It's a bit later now and I've made myself a milky coffee and crossed over the road to sit on the bench there. It's a great spot for people watching and taking in the sun as it descends down towards the horizon. I'm feeling beautifully relaxed and a little weary after the excitements of the day, but I decide that I'll find the energy to walk down to the beach a bit later to watch the sun set....
....I mean, how could I let this ↑↑ slip by?? It's around 9:20pm in the above photo and there are only a few souls on the beach at that time.
Isn't it glorious? I experienced a moment on the beach there of absolute profound gratitude for this life of mine, and for the fact that I was standing there all alone with such an insanely beautiful view to enjoy. How very, very lucky I am.
9.45pm now and the sun has slipped quietly beyond the horizon. Time to face the steps again and climb back up to the house to fall into bed. What a day.
Good morning! I'm sat in bed drinking a hot cup of tea and looking out at the grey of a sky which tells me rain might be on its way. Can you imagine how ridiculously happy I was with this view from my bed in the morning? Isn't it fabulous? Here, let me show you the bed (as it looked when I first arrived), so you can fully appreciate the luxury I was enjoying.....
.....oooooooo, isn't it something?? And to think I had that whoooooole big bed ALL TO MYSELF!!!!! How incredibly indulgent to have all. That. SpAcE.
I took my time getting up and getting ready for the day, because after all there was only me and myself to please. I had no plans at all, preferring to see how I felt from hour to hour and deciding on the spur of the moment how to fill the day. First up, the shoreline was calling, so down to the beach I went.....
....to walk along the sands and breathe in that gorgeous salty morning air. The tide was high at this time of day so I crunched over the pebbles up by the sea wall, admiring the colourful beach huts.
Time to climb back up those steps and go for a wander around the town....
....oh, look!! Just look at those flowers!
This old church was completely surrounded on all sides by the most glorious, exuberant planting of Hollyhocks. So, so pretty!
I later learnt that the church isn't in fact a church any more, but home to a community centre and small theatre. Well whatever goes on within those old brick walls, the flowers really did have the wow factor, they were an absolute delight.
I ended up in a small deli in the town for a late breakfast of buttered toast, bacon and eggs, sat at a little wooden table in the window watching the locals coming and going. It's a unique experience being away from home by yourself, choosing where to go, what to eat, and how long to take over each thing you decide to do. I found my pace was deliciously slow and I really enjoyed just sitting in various places (Saltburn has a great many benches, and I absolutely LoVe a bit of bench sitting), or slowly pottering around observing all the little details of the town.
Saltburn is a great place to take in the wide skies too, and you can really see the weather playing out along the coastline as you walk.
I have to be honest with you and tell you that my breakfast and coffee was only just about OK, and not somewhere I would especially recommend. So once I'd finished up I found my feet taking me back down to the beach where I knew for a fact that good coffee could be found. I walked slowly down through the Valley Gardens (I forgot to take photos, but you can see a bit of what it's like here) - it's an interesting mixture of woodland, formal gardens, riverside, playground and park all leading down to the sea. Camfields is down at the very bottom of the gardens where the river flows out to the sea, and is the place to go for great takeout coffee. I really enjoyed sipping as I strolled along the beach....
...parking my butt down on the pebbles with my back leaning against the sea wall. As you can see, the rain did indeed arrive but it was only a very light summer shower, a few minutes of drip-drops landing and then it was gone as quickly as it came.
Eventually I arrived back at the house and it was just after midday. Hmmm....what do I feel like doing with my afternoon? Yes, of course I had packed my crochet, because in early July I was properly falling madly in love with this blanket after being very unsure of it for a few months.
I took the above photo so you can see a little more of the house - it's small but oh-so-lovely and completely open plan downstairs with a beautiful clear light streaming in. What you can't see is to the right of the picture out of view there are huge bi-fold doors leading onto the front decking, so I could sit and crochet with the doors open and the sea breeze wafting in.
I spent the afternoon listening to music and crocheting - I landed on a Spotify soundtrack called "Easy 70's" or something like that and it was absolutely perfect for the occasion. Kind of mellow and nostalgic and summertime-ish. I did manage to get a lot of crochet completed and only stopped when I realised my hands were feeling a bit stiff and achey. I was stunned to discover it was almost 5 o'clock, my goodness, how speedy the time passes when you are living your best life!
I noticed that as the afternoon had passed the grey skies had given way to blues, so on the spur of the moment I decided to take a quick walk down on the beach, my third visit of the day.
Bloomin' heck, it was sooooooo windy!! The tide was at its lowest point so there was a huge expanse of beach exposed and the wind was whipping it up into a sand storm! It was absolutely mesmerising to watch but not at all pleasant to be in, I felt like any exposed skin was being exfoliated and my trainers were literally filling up with sand as I walked.
So I quite quickly came up off the beach and walked back to the house via a wooded lane where I picked a few wild flowers from the verges.
It's six o'clock now and I'm suddenly very hungry so I made myself a simple meal to enjoy - pan fried halloumi, chorizo slices, tomatoes and grapes, with some smoky paprika crisps and a gorgeous chilled drink of Sauvignon Blanc. I have a soft spot for those dinky little miniature bottles of wine you can buy in the supermarket, they feel like a treat and are just right for enjoying a solo drink with dinner.
Here I am look, back to my hooky as the evening rolls in, loving the hell out of my yarny squares and the sea views right outside the door. Happy, happy me.
It's 8.30pm now, but the sky is too cloudy for a good sunset which is a shame. Shall I go for a walk anyways? Oh, go on then, it would be a shame to be inside when there are such beautiful coastal views to be had.
I decided not to head down to the beach this time, but instead stayed up on the top promenade, strolling and bench sitting, breathing in those glorious sea views.
I'm tucked up in bed by 9.45 with a mug of tea and a slice of cake (who knew eating cake in bed would feel so naughty, but SO good?!), and look it's still light outside. What a wonderful, wonderful day I've had.
I slept for a solid nine hours that night (I'd actually done a lot of walking during the full day I spent in Saltburn, over 25,000 steps) and woke up feeling happy, refreshed and energised. I decided to get busy packing up my things and tidying up the house so that I could head out for one last walk and a coffee before needing to leave and catch my train home.
One final stroll along the top promenade to drink in those views.
The famous water powered lift was getting ready to open later that morning and I was sorry that I wouldn't be there to take a ride. One last walk down the steps......
.....down to Camfields to get my morning coffee. I can highly recommend the Illy coffee, it really hits the spot first thing in the morning.
With my coffee in hand I took a slow stroll along the whole length of the pier....
....stopping to sit on a bench to drink my coffee and watch the waves roll in under my feet. I'm pretty certain that bench-sitting is now my new best thing, in fact I think I could train to become a professional bencher because I do seem to have a talent for it.
I wonder how many benches there are in Saltburn? Can you see them all on the pier in the above photo? I can tell you there are loooooads of benches in Saltburn, benches with a plethora of differing views and vantage points.
Sigh....how I adore this place.
I've got a little bit of time before my train leaves so I can stroll on the beach for a while....
....and pop a pebble in my pocket to remind me of a very memorable trip.
It's hard to find the words to describe just how good this trip was for my soul, but hopefully through my photos you can get an impression of it. I think I've mentioned before how important it is for my wellbeing to carve out regular alone time to recalibrate and process my thoughts. Usually I am attempting to do this in small snatches of time during the course of a busy day spent at home with the family - short walks to the meadow, a solo takeout coffee by the canal perhaps. It never occurred to me that I could give myself permission to have an extended break away, and with J's blessing it was absolutely the greatest gift and a real privilege.
Time, breathing space, quiet, stillness. But also flying sparks of energy, inspiration and creativity, a huge recharge that I didn't know I needed quite so much. This solo trip gave me way more than I could have hoped, and I am so, so grateful for the whole experience.
There's just one niggling little problem now though........when do I get to do it all over again?!
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ps I would love to know in the comments whether you've ever taken a trip away all by yourself somewhere? If not, would you like to? Do tell me your thoughts! x
