Around twenty miles of coastland separates Scarborough from Whitby to the north. There are few settlements along this rocky cliff land coast, including Ravenscar - 'The rock or scar inhabited by ravens' which lies half way between, but most notably is Robin Hood's Bay about five miles south of Whitby. It is a place full of character, with pretty little houses clinging to the rocks and protected from the sea and elements by a sea wall and rock armour sea defences.
One of the most intriguing things about Robin Hood's Bay is how it got it’s name. Nobody really seems to be sure, indeed the resident population refer to it affectionately as ‘Bay’. Legendary theories abound, some suggesting that Robin Hood kept boats here to make a quick getaway or that the abbot of Whitby asked Robin to fight off Danish pirates - Robin throwing huge bolders down the cliffs to crush the invaders. Other stories indicate that the town itself was built by Robin after he shot an arrow to the site from Stoupe Brow, clean across the Bay. Perhaps Robin Hood himself even retired in this tranquil and away from it all spot. One thing is certain is that there is a definite charm and one which will be certain to bring you back many times more.
Its history began long before any association with the mythical figure from Sherwood Forest. There is written record, dating back from 1536, of a "fishing townlet of 20 boats". For many years smuggling was an organised activity in the bay. Any visitor to the village today can well imagine the difficulties the excise men and dragoons from Whitby would have had in tracking down smugglers in the warren of tiny streets. In fact there is a local legend regarding the tunnels and passage that once linked many of the houses in the village. It has been said that a bail of silk (or barrel of rum!) could pass from the bottom of the village to the top without seeing daylight.
The village also depended on more legitimate activities. Fishing remained the main livelihood and in the late 1820’s there were 130 fishermen working here. The shipping activities of Robin Hood’s Bay declined in the late 19th century, but the completion of a massive sea wall in 1975 ensures the preservation of this particularly atmospheric and idiosyncratic coastal village.
Around twenty miles of coastland separates Scarborough from Whitby to the north. There are few settlements along this rocky cliff land coast, including Ravenscar - 'The rock or scar inhabited by ravens' which lies half way between, but most notably is Robin Hood's Bay about five miles south of Whitby. It is a place full of character, with pretty little houses clinging to the rocks and protected from the sea and elements by a sea wall and rock armour sea defences. 
One of the most intriguing things about Robin Hood's Bay is how it got it’s name. Nobody really seems to be sure, indeed the resident population refer to it affectionately as ‘Bay’. Legendary theories abound, some suggesting that Robin Hood kept boats here to make a quick getaway or that the abbot of Whitby asked Robin to fight off Danish pirates - Robin throwing huge bolders down the cliffs to crush the invaders. Other stories indicate that the town itself was built by Robin after he shot an arrow to the site from Stoupe Brow, clean across the Bay. Perhaps Robin Hood himself even retired in this tranquil and away from it all spot. One thing is certain is that there is a definite charm and one which will be certain to bring you back many times more. 
Its history began long before any association with the mythical figure from Sherwood Forest. There is written record, dating back from 1536, of a "fishing townlet of 20 boats". For many years smuggling was an organised activity in the bay. Any visitor to the village today can well imagine the difficulties the excise men and dragoons from Whitby would have had in tracking down smugglers in the warren of tiny streets. In fact there is a local legend regarding the tunnels and passage that once linked many of the houses in the village. It has been said that a bail of silk (or barrel of rum!) could pass from the bottom of the village to the top without seeing daylight. 
The village also depended on more legitimate activities. Fishing remained the main livelihood and in the late 1820’s there were 130 fishermen working here. The shipping activities of Robin Hood’s Bay declined in the late 19th century, but the completion of a massive sea wall in 1975 ensures the preservation of this particularly atmospheric and idiosyncratic coastal village. 
