The Area

Staithes – a North Yorkshire fishing village with a special character and atmosphere all of its own

You meet the old part of the village of Staithes as the road plunges steeply down from Bank Top – cottages start to line the road, you turn a corner and there before you is the cobbled High Street with its collection of cottages, old inns and fascinating little shops. As you pass down the street, you catch glimpses along alleys and pathways to the cottages, houses, chapels and workshops that are packed in chaotically on either side of the steep valley running down to the sea between the dramatic cliffs. Further along, just before you reach the famous Cod and Lobster pub, you get a sudden burst of sea view – and you quickly realise why Staithes has attracted so many artists for the last hundred years or so. A few yards further on and you are on the front with the full view of the beach and harbour there before you, framed between the sheltering cliffs.