Date of Visit: April 2023
Overall View
This is an independent touring caravan, motorhomes and camping site situated in the village of Lythe a few miles from the seaside town of Whitby. The North York’s National Park is on your doorstep. www.northyorkmoors.org.uk The site is open in 2023 from February 2023 to January 2024. The pitch fee which averaged £38/night was for up to 4 people.
Please see arrival video HERE. Having visited before I would not recommend towing the caravan through Whitby, around the tight bends at Sandsend and up Lythe bank to the site. Turn left off the A169 onto the A171 Guisborough Road, turning right on to the B1266 then on to the A174. It’s about seven minutes more but is considerably easier on your engine and transmission – and you.
Facilities
There is a toilet block – showers are of the push button type, fixed temperature. The water was warm, but the block was not heated when I used it, utility costs being very expensive. Hot water is available several hours a day. There is also a separate accessible room.
There is a wash up area and a laundry room containing a washing machine and dryer. You’ll find a selection of leaflets here too. There is a separate CDP emptying facility and there are water points throughout the site. No pitch is that far from these facilities. There is no dedicated motorhome wastewater emptying point.
Review of Site Pitch
There is 16amp hook-up to the pitch and there are a mixture of hardstanding and grass pitches. Levelling blocks may well be required.
If an awning is required, you have to park your caravan to the side of the pitch and put the awning on the grass, the car goes alongside the caravan on the hardstanding.
The park is lined by trees on one side, sea views to the front. Seaview pitches incur an additional charge and if you wish to park ‘nose in,’ then those with a caravan will need a mover, or a very light caravan!
Getting connected
Perched quite high up both TV and radio reception was good. There is no Wi-Fi offering but I found the mobile signal from ‘3’ to be adequate, just about managing streaming, although the upload speed is slow. The other three major networks reported good coverage up to 4G. No 5G was available.
Around and about
There is an excellent community shop close by, just past the pub which sells the essential foodstuffs. Fresh bread, teas and coffees, cakes, groceries, and some regional ales.
https://lythe-community-shop.business.site/
The main shopping area can be found in Whitby with supermarkets and fuel, to the south and east of the town.
The Stiddy pub, owned by the site and a short walk away, (3 minutes) is open for food and drink and is dog friendly. Check opening hours as they vary out of the main season.
There is a bus stop is outside the pub with buses into Whitby via Sandsend, (half hourly) in one direction and to Runswick Bay and Staithes in the other. You can change at Loftus for Middlesborough. It’s approximately 12 minutes to Whitby, terminating near the railway station. Arriva runs the buses, and I used their app to buy tickets, but you can also buy on board.
The nearest railway station is Whitby. Trains go to Middlesborough via the Esk Valley which on a clear day is a lovely run to make, taking about an hour and a half. Get off at Marton – the birthplace of Captain James Cook – for a walk to the Ormesby National Trust property. Trains from the North Yorkshire Moors Heritage Railway also run into Whitby – please check website as this is not a scheduled service. You can then travel to Pickering through the North York’s Moor National Park. www.nymr.co.uk
For a comprehensive view of Whitby, its famous Abbey, and steps plus it links with the fabled Dracula – please see www.visitwhitby.com in the first instance.
The town is also famous for its fish and chips and there are any number for you to choose from, many claiming to be the best fish and chips in town! A number of boat tours are available in season.
Whitby Abbey is infamous for ghost stories, Dracula, and many other spooky tales.
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/whitby-abbey/ In addition there is the stairway to climb if you are feeling fit and well! As you walk to the bottom of the steps, have a look at the fisherman’s cottages lining the road – it is clear that people from years ago were very much smaller than we are today.
Near the abbey is the Whitby Brewery and tap room and shop. Well worth a visit if you like your real ale.
The delightful Robin Hoods Bay is well worth a visit, though it’s a steep climb back up from the sea. It’s roughly a 25-minute drive or you can take a bus from the site, changing in Whitby. The bus continues on to Scarborough too.
Summary
One of the main attractions of this site is that it is not as big as some of the main sites on the coast nearer Whitby. As a result, it has a much cosier and more informal feel to the site. The views, weather permitting, are very pleasant and access is straightforward if you avoid Lythe Bank and arrive from the North. In addition the regular bus service, nearby pub and community shop greatly assist in making your stay pleasant and relaxing.