Bay View Cottage

If you’re looking for a coastal retreat in a romantic setting, then enchanting Bay View is hard to beat with its simply stunning horizon-stretching views over Robin Hood’s Bay and beyond. Situated high on the cliffs close to the seaside town of Whitby with only seabirds and the sound of the sea to break the silence, this quaint one-bedroom cottage for two is made for slow living where stillness, mesmerising sea views, and, after nightfall, brilliant star-filled skies can be appreciated.

Soothing yet cosy, Bay View is a charming stone cottage with a stylish open-plan kitchen and living room, a spacious ground-floor bathroom with a generous tub and a walk-in shower, and a snug mezzanine-level bedroom tucked away in the eaves. Gently reminiscent of a ship, the white-washed interiors feature warming wooden floorboards, chunky supporting beams, sloping ceilings and solid oak furniture, while a small rectangular window next to the king-sized bed – which offers yet more spectacular sea views – completes the cottage’s chic coastal vibe.

Benefitting from such a spectacular outlook, there are plenty of cosy nooks throughout where you can hunker down and read a book, listen to music on the record player and enjoy the uninterrupted sea views. A squishy L-shaped sofa strewn in blankets and placed next to the wood burning stove promises to be a favoured spot to enjoy the scenery in winter, though you may prefer to enjoy the view over a crumbly morning croissant and a cup of coffee from the dark slate kitchen table.

Made for easy indoor-outdoor living, the cottage opens onto a rolling lawned garden which houses four separate outside areas: a wisteria-bestrewn terrace for long al fresco lunches, a sheltered patio with a charcoal barbecue, a romantic ‘secret garden’ – an ideal spot for sundowners on a breezy day – and a decked terrace where you can sit side by side and watch the waves roll in, catch a few rays, or stargaze beside the firepit snuggled under a heap of blankets.

Colourful borders abundant with flowers, a well-tended vegetable patch, a herb garden and a fruitful orchard – which guests are encouraged to make use of – all come together to make the garden at Bay View a veritable Eden.

For those looking to soak up the local sights, a stroll along the coastal Cleveland Way, which you access direct from the garden, takes you to charming fishing villages where local shops and welcoming pubs await. Alternatively, you can while away the hours on the sunny terrace watching the local fishing boats sailing around the bay, the swoop of seabirds such as gannets and gulls or watching the grey seals on the rocky outcrop below and, maybe just maybe, you can catch a glimpse of whales and dolphins dancing in the distance…