You can’t beat a bit of local knowledge to find little gems to visit instead of heading to the same places you’ve been before. In fact, it’s some of the lesser-known spots that hold the most beauty – with the secrecy around them making them so attractive to us. And on the topic of lesser-known wonders, we stumbled across this absolute prize, and couldn’t help but share it with the world. It’s a beautiful waterfall that pours right onto the beach, finishing its river journey with a flourish called Hayburn Wyke waterfall.
Not only is its name mystical – but to reach it, you have to wander through a sea of deep green woodland vegetation. The route keeps going until you’re greeted with the dramatic North Yorkshire cliffs that are embellished in vast trees that meet the ocean. On a quiet day, it feels like you’ve happened upon a scene from some dystopian novel, combining deep, dark forest sights, with iconic coastal views out towards the North Sea.
The extraordinary beach below is just screaming to be explored. Once you’ve had your fun plodding through the woodlands, you can enjoy traversing the millions of pebbles and rocks for fossils and enjoy the stunning variety of colours, shapes and sizes of the rocks. The woodlands are just as impressive, too, and offer peaceful walks and a chance to catch the sight of a timid deer, a cheeky fox or a badger.
The picturesque Hayburn Wyke waterfall is, of course, the highlight, though. Watching its waters cascade down onto the rocky beach is a pleasure in itself, creating a pool beneath before it makes its final journey to the sea. It creates a great sense of peace and harmony as the bay curves around. You get a beautiful view of the trees meeting the ocean behind, as the sea laps at the stones on the rocky beach. Honestly, it’s like something out of a storybook.
cc-by-sa/2.0 – © Phil Catterall – geograph.org.uk/p/563002
This little moment of pleasure can be found just off the Cleaveland Way coastal walk and can be also reached via the Cinder Track, which is a disused railway track between Scarborough and Whitby. Make sure you take a visit this summer as we are 100% sure it won’t disappoint.
[Featured image: Hayburn Wyke Waterfall, North Yorkshire/Flickr/Chris Melladay/CC BY-ND 2.0]
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