As summer approaches Yorkshire’s east coast suddenly gets very busy.
Those peaceful walks, whether it is at the cliffs of Flamborough, the sands of Bridlington or idyllic backdrop of Robin Hood’s Bay, suddenly become annoyingly crowded. But there is one part of the Yorkshire coast where you can still find a quiet walk.
Since everything opened up after the coronavirus lockdown, many of the best beaches in East Yorkshire have become flooded with visitors rediscovering our coastline. But few visit this beautiful spot just a short distance to the north, between Scarborough and Cayton.
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Residents have spoken out en masse about the huge increase in property prices and the issues with parking and noise that having waves of tourists head to the seaside brings. That includes Cayton Bay just south of Scarborough where residents said that they had experienced a huge increase in the number of visitors, which had been accelerated by the ceaseless building of static homes and campervans in the village.
The beach had become so busy that it had led one couple who had built their dream home by the edge of the beach during lockdown to sell up and find somewhere quieter. Most residents said despite their qualms though that they had no intention of leaving any time soon, such was the beauty of the location.
But there are still areas you can go to and avoid the crowds. One such place is Cornelian Bay just north of Cayton Bay. The bay is accessed through a steep lane leading from the Yorkshire Water pumping station, just off of the A165 Filey Road and leading down from The Cleveland Way footpath that runs along the clifftop for the length of the bay.
The path near the bottom needs to be negotiated carefully, especially when it’s wet. Once down at sea level, you will need to scramble across an area of uneven rocks to reach the main beach area.
Travel writer Michael Shannon writes : "The relative inaccessibility of the bay means that even on the busiest bank holiday, you can count the number of people on the beach on one hand.
"Cornelian Bay is a fantastic place for a peaceful walk. Like most beaches, it’s definitely best to visit at low tide."
The Bay is named after the dull red semi-precious stone carnelian, which occasionally washes up on the beach. There are also two old Second World War lookouts to discover towards the south of the beach.
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