Latest news with #Saltmoore
Telegraph
24-06-2025
- Telegraph
The weird and wonderful Yorkshire seaside town that kept its identity
All summer we are taking the pulse of our most famous traditional seaside towns, examining the efforts being made to regenerate them, and opining on whether they are still worth visiting. This week, Helen Pickles visits Whitby. Don't panic when you arrive in Whitby and think: 'Where's the beach?!' Follow the west side of the river (the harbour, uniquely on this coast, faces due north), down the slope, turn left and there it is: three glorious miles stretching all the way (tides permitting) to Sandsend. Whitby is compact (people-jams on the streets are not unusual) so seaside-y things – promenades, benches, beaches – are outside the centre. It came late to the seaside game, compared with Scarborough 20 miles south. Fishing, whaling, ship-building plus a lucrative line in jet-mining (the gemstone is found in the local cliffs) were its mainstays. But it cast envious eyes at Scarborough's growing success and by the late 19th century property developers were building grand terraces of hotels on the west cliff, capitalising on the views across the River Esk to Whitby Abbey on the east cliff headland. Despite competition from cheap overseas sunshine, Whitby has held its own, albeit with a few pubs and hotels that have seen better days. It has worked its assets to appeal to a broader crowd while not losing the more nostalgic holidaymaker. Saltmoore, for example, just outside town and styling itself a 'wellness sanctuary', opened last November to shake up the seaside hotel scene. A distillery behind the abbey is also due to open next year. But it's probably Bram Stoker's legacy (the author was inspired to write the Gothic horror, Dracula, while staying in the town in 1890) that kick-started new life in the town with the twice-yearly Goth Weekend. This has led to a stream of festivals and 'weekenders' from Fish and Ships to Northern Soul. The newest, Whitby Lit Fest, debuts this November. What's it really like? Ridiculously appealing. Houses tumble down to the harbour; a skeleton of a medieval abbey rears up on one headland, handsome Victorian terraces on the other; boats putter in and out; narrow lanes bulge with shops offering jewellery, fudge, soaps and catch-your-eye knick-knacks. Despite the relentless need to climb up or down steps and steep lanes, the town pulls you in. 'It's a special little place,' muses Helen Calam who, with her husband Rob Watson, runs the quirky La Rosa B&B. 'It's locked in by the [North York] Moors. You can be anything you want to be here. There are a lot of small independent businesses like us.' True, alongside the historic charm, there's a gaudy, harbourside drag of amusement arcades, tacky shops and food shacks. But it's light-hearted. In Pleasureland, a mum and her goth daughter are feeding two-pence pieces into a machine. 'We always come, and get £5 in change,' explains mum. 'If we win something, fine, and if we don't – it's just a bit of fun.' Across the road, the black-masted Bark Endeavour – a smaller-scale replica of Captain James Cook's ship (both ships were built in Whitby, where Cook was an apprentice) – is departing, sea shanties on the speakers, for a 20-minute coastal trip. A sign reads: 'Under 2 yr olds, Dogs & Ferrets Free!' The Captain Cook Museum, in the wharfside house where the apprentice Cook lodged, has absorbing displays including a mind-boggling world map plotting the circuitous routes of his three voyages, lists of ships' stores (19,337 lbs of pickled cabbage, 397 gallons of spirit on 'Resolution') and the ship's surgeon's instruments – including a carving knife for amputations. Working my way up Church Street towards the abbey is not a speedy process. It's narrow, cobbled, criss-crossed with slow-moving people – and every other shop (so it seems) has glittering displays of Whitby jet jewellery. Only found in an eight-mile stretch of cliffs around Whitby, jet production's hey-day was in Victorian times when there were around 200 factories. 'Now there are only seven manufacturers,' says Sarah Caldwell-Steele of Ebor Jetworks, an atmospheric 17th-century shop, whose jet knowledge is inexhaustible. 'I came here on holiday from York when I was seven, found a piece on the beach, and it became an obsession.' Only 199 steps and, finally, I'm at the abbey that has hovered in my peripheral vision all day. The ruins of the abbey church are all that remains of the Benedictine monastery (built on an Anglo-Saxon monastery), but they are gloriously Gothic with their soaring pointed arches. By now, I'm yearning to get near the sea and head across town for a walk along the sea wall, lined with beach chalets. The tide is in and waves are flinging themselves against the wall but that doesn't deter a few chalet owners sitting outside with a flask of tea and book. Michelle, who runs a B&B with her husband, comes down several times a week to get her fix. 'Even if it's raining, I sit in the door with a blanket and just watch the sea,' she says, adding: 'It's so true, the sea does cure.' What's not to like It lacks a decent promenade – somewhere to saunter, with the beach and sea on one side, benches at convenient intervals and attractive gardens. Do this Visit the oft-overlooked Whitby Museum, tucked away in tranquil Pannett Park. A Victorian 'cabinet of curiosities' with old-fashioned display cases, it's delightfully idiosyncratic from its 175-million-year-old dinosaur fossil skeletons, ships in bottles and stuffed birds to Matchbox toy cars and Victorian tooth-extractor (not dissimilar to a corkscrew). Eat this In a town brimming with fish and chip shops, standards are high. But the black-and-white-fronted Magpie Cafe is an institution. Spread over two creaky floors, its selection is fresh and fulsome. Leave room for the fruit crumble (one feeds two). Mains average £18. At Hetty & Betty, a cosy cafe, fish and chips is served up on a three-tier cake-stand; afternoon tea, but not as you know it. Above the main event (bottom tier) sits bread and butter and mushy peas, with home-made scones, cream and jam on the top tier. Doggy bags are usually required for the latter (£21 per person). But don't do this Don't search the graveyard of St Mary's parish church, on the headland next to the abbey, in the hope of finding Dracula's tomb. Yes, it's gloriously atmospheric with the wind-buffeted tombstones sitting at curious angles, and it does appear in Stoker's Gothic novel. But, remember, it is a novel… From a local 'Other resorts get commercialised. But here, there are a lot of long-established family businesses,' says Barry Brown, fifth-generation co-owner of Fortune's traditional kipper smokehouse. 'It hasn't gone glitzy and noisy. People take pride in their product.' 'Something pulls you back to Whitby, it's the atmosphere, it's a very accepting place,' says Ellie Farrell, a goth celebrant who, with her graphic designer husband, Rob, moved here from the West Midlands eight years ago. 'There's a real sense of old-school community, a rare thing to find. Everybody looks out for each other.' From a visitor 'My mum comes to the Goth Weekends and I got interested in goth culture,' explains 18-year-old Anya Olsson from Liverpool, wearing a red and black dress and black veil. Together with boyfriend Dylan Fairs, 23, she creates videos for TikTok, 'usually in cathedrals and cemeteries. Whitby is beautiful, we'll go up to the abbey later.' 'I've never been before, though I'd sailed past many times and thought it looked absolutely spectacular,' says Mark Weston, retired from the Royal Navy, now living in Cornwall. 'I like to soak up history.' Partner Kathy Cullingworth, retired from the NHS, visited when a child. 'It's changed but there's still a lot of old quaint stuff, which we like. It's like stepping back in time.'
Telegraph
26-05-2025
- Telegraph
This secluded North Yorkshire fishing village is perfect for a summer break
Back in the 80s, when the great British holiday was at its peak, I would spend my summers on Sandsend Beach with my sunburnt, trunk-clad father – who looked, then, like a young George Harrison (complete with prolific sideburns) – and mother, more charismatic than Sophia Loren. We were the cool, working-class family, camped out on the golden sand, with warm sarnies, half-melted ice-creams and a Thermos. We'd competitively build sandcastles, bury each other in the sand and chase the waves. As we were in Yorkshire, the sea was always 'refreshing'; there was a steady supply of blankets at hand; and raincoats were as obligatory as salty fish and chips wrapped in newspaper. Now, my children are the ones writing their names in this sand. But this year – as a full-time working mum in need of some peace and quiet – I decided to go it alone, checking into Sandsend's new luxury wellness retreat, Saltmoore, where I walked, spa-ed, ate well, and slept like a baby on crisp Egyptian cotton sheets. There's something a bit magical about this sleepy, romantically named coastal spot – and visiting feels a bit like walking into a Hayao Miyazaki animation. Here are all the reasons I think you'll like it too. It's easy to relax Why do I love Sandsend? For the most part – and despite its many attributes – it's for its chilled-out, family-friendly energy. There's not a lot to do apart from relaxing at the beachside, which makes it easy to switch off. There are cottage rentals, a couple of beachside cafés (one aptly named for modern times: Wits End Café), a fish and chip shop, and a pub. It's a place to tune out to the soundtrack of the sea. The petite, three-mile-long sweep of sand sits between tourist favourites Whitby and the tiny village of Lythe, in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire and the civil parish of Lythe. The latter, set atop a steep hill, is not for the vertically challenged – but it does have a nice array of endearing little village characteristics: a grocery shop, a pub, a school and rows of pretty honey-stone cottages. Sandsend, meanwhile, is utterly unfussy – with traditional fishing village appeal, a secluded and peaceful sandy shoreline, sublime coastal walks, and a calm inlet perfectly designed for little ones who want to paddle. The food is unfussy, too. Just across the road, there's The Fish Cottage, a local fish and chip shop (well worth visiting for the terrace and the fish tacos), while a 12-minute drive brings you to the excellent Restaurant Number 20, in nearby Port Mulgrave. There's plenty to do outdoors Being on the coastal part of the Cleveland Way, there are various spectacular coastal hikes within easy reach. My family often goes to beautiful Runswick Bay, from where it's a ten-minute drive or just over two hours' to walk the incredible clifftop route from Sandsend to Runswick. Hop on the X4 bus back, or book The High Chapel for the night if you'd like to linger. You can also join part of The Cinder Track (21.7 miles) in Sandsend, a stunning coastal walking or cycling route from Scarborough to Whitby. It follows the old railway line, which closed in 1965. With Sandsend being on the fringe of the North York Moors National Park, allocate some days to go to the moors or forest – 8,000-acre Dalby Forest is a family favourite for walking, or cycling. In summer, the purple heather-draped moorland close to Sandsend is especially beautiful. …and convincing reasons to stay indoors, too If bolting about the wind-whipped countryside isn't your cup of tea, Sandsend offers plenty in the way of comfortable indoor options, too – not least at its newly opened wellness retreat, Saltmoore. Formerly the sprawling Raithwaite Estate, the hotel sits in 85 acres of woodland, sandwiched between the wild moors and the sea. Nature and wildlife are par for the course here; on arrival, I was greeted by a friendly deer, and woke to birdsong each morning. It's a soul-soothing place. It is, in fact, not one hotel but two – Saltmoore House and The Beach House, and The Sanctuary – a glassy spa and health suite with herbaceous Wildsmith treatments (which will soon include wild swimming), and three restaurants. At Saltmoore House, there are nods to the sea and moors throughout the design (the handiwork of Sapin Studio and its founder, Madeleine Sadler), while The Beach House is geared more towards families, with coastal design elements and outdoor tubs – great for when you've all just dashed back from the beach. The three restaurants (overseen by head chef, Adam Maddox, and chef consultant, Tommy Banks) make for another good reason to stay indoors (or reward yourself after one of the aforementioned hikes). There's the outstanding The Brasserie (where I had a superlative Whitby crab tart), a Wellness Café, and Calluna, an immersive fine-dining restaurant (which is not yet open, but I'm assured will be soon). The staff are all local (their knowledge of the area and wry Yorkshire humour made this immediately plain), and it's the sort of place you could happily book for a week without ever getting itchy feet. Essentials Rachel Everett was a guest of Saltmoore (01947 661 661), which has doubles from £300 per night, at both Saltmoore House and The Beach House, including breakfast. In late 2025, seven two- and three-bed lodges will also be opening.
Telegraph
19-02-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
This posh pocket of the North Yorkshire coast finally has a suitably ambitious hotel
The classic perception of the seaside settlements that dot Britain's North East coast is one of faded grandeur (Filey) or industrial-related decline. But one village, just north of Whitby, has proven immune to changing tides of fashion and economics. Sandsend has been the go-to holiday spot for the well-heeled Yorkshire set for generations. In the early 20th century, country solicitors and textile heirs bought up bay-windowed seafront properties and cottages in the Beatrix Potter-esque 'Valley' area, which remains one of most expensive places to buy property on the Yorkshire coast. Much of the village is still owned by the Mulgrave Estate – the family seat of the Marquis and Marchioness of Normanby – whose extensive woods provide a pastoral backdrop to Sandsend and are open to the public. Despite my own family's fading fortunes, childhood holidays always meant Sandsend, usually staying in the cottage of a distant cousin. One of my earliest memories of the place was watching a Range Rover being towed out of the sea; an absent-minded owner left the handbrake on and it had gently rolled into the waves. On the beach my father would inevitably bump into 'an old friend from prep school', while my brother and I would hide behind our stripey wind breaker or run to 'Dougie's shop' for hardened pick and mix. For all the battered Barbour-wearing poshos and punchy property prices, Sandsend is no Polzeath and the rate of change is glacial. So the arrival of an ambitious new 'wellness-led' hotel has had the whole county chattering. Saltmoore – no word on whether its allusion to the aristocracy-skewering 2023 film Saltburn was intentional – has taken over what was the tired Raithwaite Hall on the outskirts of the village, a property with no sea views but 85 acres of land and just a 10-minute walk from the beach. The hotel is aiming for a level of luxury not yet seen in Yorkshire (save for Grantley Hall). The branding is a triumph, which makes sense when you find out the owners are former reality TV contestant and influencer Montana Brown and her property developer partner. Rarely will you come across such a romantic website and the hotel largely lives up to its digital billing. The swirly Saltmoore typeface seen there is also emblazoned on the plates in the restaurant, there are dripping candles and velvet banquettes in the bar and dried heather draping from the ceiling in the orangery. Yorkshire's favourite foodie son Tommy Banks, of the Michelin-starred Black Swan and Roots, is on board as 'chef consultant' and the menu at the Saltmoore Brasserie reads and tastes like that of his gastropub, the Abbey Inn at Byland. My Whitby crab tart starter (£19) was piled high with white meat, bathed in caramelised cream and lifted with pickled cucumber. The chefs stuck the landing with the fish and chips (£25), served with a trio of little pots of curry sauce, tartare and peas à la Tom Kerridge. No mean feat when arguably the best battered fish in the country is served down the road at the Magpie Café in Whitby. Whimsical soft-serve sundaes for pudding are a must. Breakfast was more uneven, with cheap sliced toast served alongside a sumptuous omelette Arnold Bennett, in what felt like a hangover from the hotel's previous incarnation. A fine dining restaurant, Calluna, is due to open this spring and will no doubt have Banks' fingerprints all over it. The owners have said they were inspired by some of their favourite places to stay in Britain, including the Newt, Heckfield Place and Babington House, and plenty of design elements will feel familiar to country-house hotel fans. Roll top baths, velvet chaise longues and smart Grind coffee machines have been installed in the 43 main house bedrooms. The jumbo upholstered headboards are straight out of the Firmdale Group's play book but no less effective for it. It's all very bucolic in feel: suites are named Heather and Gorse in a tribute to the surrounding moors, with artfully stacked nature books and Banks' Roots cookbook on dressing tables. The more family-focused 'Beach House' has just opened next door, where the best of the 29 rooms have private outdoor terraces with metal bathtubs – Soho Farmhouse comes to Yorkshire? Downstairs, the spa aims to be a destination in its own right. It's a light-filled space, with a medium-sized pool flanked by a salt-lined sauna, steam room, hot tub, cold-water plunge and a handful of loungers draped with striped towels. The six treatment rooms, bone broth-serving wellness café and cryotherapy chamber (more exhilarating than a dip in the North Sea) flesh out the offering. However, it doesn't feel big enough to accommodate the 72 rooms, plus those coming for spa days. Currently guests have to book slots to ease congestion, but the layout means that even a few people padding around leaves the area feeling cramped. A promised family pool next to the Beach House should help, but the hotel will need to extend or add some outdoor thermal experiences if it wants to be classed as a top spa hotel. Despite Saltmoore's lofty ambitions, a warmth runs throughout. Welcome treats of homemade quince and heather honey cordial plus baking paper-wrapped soft white chocolate and rye cookies are left in rooms and even replenished each day. The largely local staff, many of whom worked at Raithwaite, seemed excited about the dramatic changes and spoke about days spent training and foraging with Banks' team. The overall feel embraces a new understanding of luxury, one that is based on being immersed in nature and local sourcing. Something, to give them their due, the land-owning upper classes have always been interested in. Moorland hikes, beach picnics and cold-water swimming experiences can all be arranged. And if a Saltmoore-branded sauna wagon could be installed on the beach I would sprint into that icy sea. Other things are shifting in Sandsend. Dougie's has been turned into Mary's Sandwich Shop, which, with its pillowy creations and craft beer, feels like it belongs in Margate. And at the southern end of the village a handmade ceramics shop has opened in a row of refurbished retail units. Reassuringly for those who seek solace in the past, at the obstinately retro Beach Hotel on the seafront it will forever be 1974. And the Hart is a pub with such an old-school local feel that last time I went in for a pint, we were all instructed to sing Happy Birthday to a celebrating punter. It's this mix of beauty and refinement, yet innate homeliness, that has always made Sandsend feel superior to its coastal cousins. And now it finally has a hotel worth its salt(moore).
