We went on a boat trip from Yorkshire's most beautiful village - here's what happened

From the bustling and busy resorts of Scarborough and Bridlington to the historic and scenic splendour of Whitby, plus numerous pretty, picturesque villages nestling inbetween like Robin Hood’s Bay and Runswick Bay, there’s something to suit all tastes, whether you just want to get away from it all or throw yourself into the world of fish and chips, amusement arcades and ice cream.

Our go to place on the East Coast is the picture postcard village of Staithes.

Nestled right on the border of North Yorkshire and Cleveland (in fact the village is actually split in half between the two counties) its a quaint little former fishing port with simply stunning scenery.

My partner Giulia and I first made a brief visit a few years back on a whistle-stop tour of the East Coast – and instantly fell in love with the place, its winding little cobbled streets, its higgledy-piggledy cottages and houses which look like they have been dropped at random on the side of the cliffs and of course the fantastic and breathtaking views.

We recently returned for our fourth visit, stopping in a cottage right in the heart of Staithes and a stone’s throw from the centre of village life, the always busy Cod and Lobster, a welcoming and historic pub right on the front that serves up the very best seafood around (there’s also another pub, the Royal George that does the best pub grub ever as well – but more of that later).

Anyway, Staithes offers a whole array of fantastically beautiful viewpoints. Every time you go there’s always a fresh opportunity to capture a panorama of the village never seen before.

We’ve hiked up all the hills, walked all the paths, taken all the pictures – but we’ve never seen Staithes from the very place that helped it achieve its fame and fortune in the first place.

And that is of course the North Sea.

Brooding, dark and swirling, the sea off Staithes is a popular spot for surfers hurling themselves into the crashing waves, as well as wildlife watchers keen to catch a glimpse of a vast array of sea birds, whales, seals and dolphins.

Having never encountered Staithes on anything other than dry land, we got in touch with local fisherman Sean Baxter and fixed up a wildlife watching trip to give us the chance to see the beautiful village from a different viewpoint – and of course, go in search of some amazing British wildlife.

We’d booked up months in advance and after Storm Lilian brought chaos and destruction across Yorkshire and hearing my eldest son’s horror reports of clinging onto his tent at the gale-battered Leeds Festival while others took off around him, we’d feared the worst.

And despite a stiff breeze and the waters still being a bit choppy, we gathered on the quayside armed with little more than a packet of seasickness tablets and a pair of binoculars wondering if we’d still be heading out to conquer the seas, much like Captain James Cook, who briefly lived in the village, did many years ago.

Sean, who has welcomed comedians Paul Whitehouse and Bob Mortimer for their successful for their hugely popular Gone Fishing instantly calmed any nerves either of us or any of the others who had signed up for the two hour trip may have had.

Looking every bit the stereotypical fisherman (straggly grey beard, woollen hat, battered jumper) he safely guided us aboard All My Sons, the small craft he uses to take not only wildlife enthusiasts and bird watchers out onto the waves, but also angling parties.

Enthusiastic and knowledgeable, right from the off, as we chugged out of the small harbour nestled between two towering rock faces (known locally as nabs), we knew were in the good hands of an experienced Staithes seafarer.

As we hit the open water and larger waves began to splash spray over the sides, Sean urged us all to take our seats and get our binoculars at the ready on the hunt for minke whales, dolphins and porpoises.

He warned us that the recent poor weather and rough seas might hamper our search, but promised that we’d still see plenty of other treats along the way.

And he wasn’t wrong.

It wasn’t long before a huge array of sea birds were hovering above us at close quarters. Gulls, gannets and terns all swooped and soared, some just inches away from our spray-soaked and wind-battered faces as we rolled across the waves.

As we buffeted around, chased by a flock of seagulls (not the 1980s new wave, synth pop band) the infamous quote by footballer Eric Cantona sprung into my head: “When the seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.”

And while Sean showed us how easy it was to catch mackerel, plucking one out of the sea with consumate ease, the birds themselves were more than capable of sorting out their own tea – and we watched in awe as one swooped down from the skies and plucked a fish straight out of the water just yards in front of us and headed away from the boat for its feast.

Sailing southwards towards Whitby, we passed the historic village of Port Mulgrave – blown up during World War Two to prevent a Nazi attack – and now a fisherman’s village that can pretty much only be accessed from the sea or by abseiling down ropes from the towering cliffs above if you feel brave.

We also witnessed a stunning rock formation jutting out into the sea resembling the head of a dragon – which truly delighted the younsgters aboard.

With Giulia and myself huddling closer as the cool winds of the North Sea began to pick up, we were still on the hunt for those elusive whales and dolphins – although plenty of curious seals popped their heads above the surface as we bobbed past.

It was a real joy to see these glorious creatures up close and personal – and again, the squeals of delight from the children on board meant that whatever happened from here on in, memories had certainly been made.

Despite the best attempts by Sean to track down the creatures of the sea, sadly, our whale-watching trip failed to throw up any whales or dolphins. “They aren’t keen when the weather’s like this,” explained Sean, and as darkness fell, we headed back to the bright twinkling lights of Staithes with a result which read “Darren and Giulia – soaked and windswept but happy 1, number of whales spotted 0.”

Having thanked Sean and clambered back onto dry land, there was only one place to head and that was the Cod and Lobster.

The historic pub truly is the beating heart of Staithes and a superb menu offers up a great selection of fish and seafood dishes – and a huge bowl of mussels in a tomato and chilli sauce was just the job after the chills of the waters.

Giulia meanwhile opted for a tasty seafood linguine (she’s Italian, natch) – and washed down with a few drinks, it made for full bellies and empty plates as our cheeks took on a rosy red glow as we warmed up after our exploits.

Perched on the Cleveland Way, its a much-favoured stopping off point for hikers, along with the Royal George, another pub in the village where on another night we sampled huge plates of traditional pub grub – a hearty steak and ale pie with a mountain of chips while Giulia opted for a vegetable lasagne (told you she was Italian).

There’s really not much else to do in Staithes - apart from a handful of shops and galleries - other than to wander the quaint streets and admire the views.

That said, Betsy and Bo is a great old skool delicatessen and sweet shop packed with all manner of tasty and tempting treats, while The Kessen Bowl is stacked high with absolutely everything you need for your stay, from essentials like tea and coffee to toys, games, gifts, sweets and souvenirs – as well as everything you need for a roaring log fire.

And that’s exactly what we did as we headed home to our lodgings, Lahney Cottage, one of those higgledy-piggledy cottages I mentioned earlier – the kind of place with sloping floors, beams and wonky windows – a building steeped in history and rustic charm.

Armed with kindling and logs and a box of matches, we sat in front of the warming glow of the log burner as the flames crackled, a truly satisfying end to a day on the high seas.

If you’ve never been to Staithes, you really do need to pay it a visit and fall in love with the place.

You really won’t be disappointed.

For more details about boat trips from Staithes aboard All My Sons, please visit Real Staithes, which you can find HERE

For more about the Cod and Lobster, click HERE

For more details about Lahney Cottage click HERE

You can find out more about Staithes HERE