A sheltered curve of a bay on the North Yorkshire coast, backed by a tumble of red-roofed cottages and good for fossils
Runswick Bay is a proper suntrap when the wind is in the right quarter, a wide curve of sand and shingle tucked under the cliffs on the North Yorkshire coast. The old fishing village sits at the north end, a jumble of red-roofed cottages stacked up the slope on narrow lanes, with the beach spread out below. The shore here is a mix of rock and shingle rather than pure sand, and the bathing water is rated Good.
This stretch of coast is well known for fossils. The cliffs and the rocks scattered along the beach are Jurassic in age, and you can find ammonites and other fossils among the loose stones, especially after rough weather brings fresh material down. Take what is loose on the beach rather than hammering at the cliffs, which are unstable, and check the tide before you set off so you are not cut off at the far end.
The Cleveland Way runs along the cliff top here, sharing the line of the England Coast Path, so Runswick makes an easy stop on a coastal walk. Follow it north-west and you come to Staithes, another old fishing village wedged into a gap in the cliffs, which is well worth the walk. There is parking up at the top of the village and a steep road down to the bay.
