Sandsend: What to See and How to Get There from Whitby

Sandsend is a small fishing village on the coast immediately north-west of Whitby, where two becks — Sandsend Beck and East Row Beck — cross the sand into the North Sea. Most people come out from Whitby for the beach: a long flat stretch of sand reached without a cliff staircase, which you can walk back along into town when the tide allows.

What is actually on the beach

The sand runs back towards Whitby with Whitby and its abbey on the skyline behind you, and the becks are what separates Sandsend from the rest of it. A visitor in June 2021 described “the added bonus of having a small river flowing out to sea in Sandsend which creates a small lagoon for a warmer paddlung experience than that of the North sea”; a visitor in August 2019 described the same pool as somewhere “the kids can play” around the ducks.

Access is the other recurring theme. A visitor in April 2022 noted that “The added bonus is that access to the beaches are not down steep cliff paths”. The shore is stony as well as sandy: a visitor in March 2020 found “lots of interesting stones and if you’re lucky you could find a fossil inside one”, and a visitor in May 2025 called the cove “perfect for the novice surfers”.

The beach is split, with dogs permitted on one side of the inlet by the car park and restricted on the village side at certain times of the year. Reviewers describe it differently depending on when they went, so read the signs on arrival. On walking back to Whitby along the sand, a visitor in October 2020 put it plainly: “Great to walk the dog all the way to Whitby and back. Check the tides first.”

Beyond the beach the village is small: cafés and shops along the front, a pub, public toilets by the car park, a children’s play café in Birstly Dale Yard. A visitor in September 2019 put the scale at “little here apart from a beach shop and a pub and a couple of cafes”.

Alum workers, a cement mill and a railway on viaducts

Sandsend and East Row began as two separate villages and were joined when extra cottages were built for workers in the alum industry. The former Roman Cement Mill and its lime kiln both survive.

The railway reshaped the place next. The Whitby, Redcar and Middlesbrough Union Railway ran through Sandsend from 1855 to 1958, with a station here from 1883, crossing both becks on high viaducts over the village. The opening shots of the 1947 British comedy drama Holiday Camp — a train arriving at a cliff-top station, passengers boarding buses outside the station — were filmed at Sandsend. Sandsend is also the birthplace of shipping magnate George Pyman (1822–1900).

A large part of the western side of the village, The Valley, is still owned by the Mulgrave Estate and is one of the most expensive areas to buy property on the Yorkshire Coast. Mulgrave Castle and the estate garden lie inland on Low Lane, and both becks flow through Mulgrave Woods before reaching the sea here.

Parking, and when it fills up

The main car park sits on the seafront, with public toilets and a café adjoining it. Two things come up constantly in recent reviews. First, the entrance. A visitor in October 2025 warned that it is “not suitable for wider vehicles such as campers”, the entry and exit being narrow gaps in a stone wall. A visitor in February 2026 added that “The entry and exit points are a bit tight and be aware that there is a one way system around the car park.”

Second, timing. A visitor in July 2026 wrote that “the park fills up early so getting a space can be a lottery later in the day”; a visitor in October 2025 was blunter: “Fills very very quickly in season so get there early!” There is roadside parking along the front as well. On rough days, a visitor in February 2026 advised parking “near the wall closest to the sea as the waves do come over the top which will rust your car.” On the beach itself, a visitor in July 2023 left one line on accessibility: “Just wish there was disabled access”.

Walking on from the village

Sandsend is on the coastal section of the 110-mile (180 km) Cleveland Way, which leaves northwards along the course of the old railway line. A visitor in April 2024 noted that “Steps lead to the Cleveland Way at the back of the carpark.” Heading north is not uniformly easy: a walker in April 2017, coming the other way from Runswick Bay, described “Challenging steep steps and rocks to negotiate” on the “Very steep decent down to the old, disused railway line that runs down t Sandsend car park”, and said they would look for another route with young children.

Getting there from Whitby

Sandsend is 4.1 km from Whitby in a straight line, north-west along the coast; the road distance will be longer. The road through the village is the A174, which runs from Whitby up to Thornaby-on-Tees. The principal public transport is the Arriva North East 4 and X4 bus, which runs from Whitby up the coast to Middlesbrough. There is no station any more; the line closed in 1958.

You can also walk it, on the Cleveland Way or along the shore — a visitor in June 2021 called the latter “an enjoyable 2.5mile walk from Whitby along the promenade and beach”. The beach route depends entirely on the tide, so check it first: a walk out along the sand does not guarantee a walk back a few hours later.