Chance to make a new life by the sea near Robin Hood's Bay

If you are one of the many now longing for a life-changing move to the coast, then Jason and Jane Brine’s story is compelling. They have lived that dream and can highly recommend living and working by the sea.

The couple left their home in the market town of Thirsk, quit their jobs and turned their tiny holiday cottage in Robin Hood’s Bay into their permanent dwelling before upsizing into Rockcliffe House, a six-bedroom detached property in nearby Fylingthorpe.

Even more adventurous, they converted a semi-derelict chapel at the bottom of the bay into Swell, a cafe-bar and wedding venue. Running it for more than a decade provided them with an income and enabled them to integrate easily in the community.

The couple relocated 16 years ago and have only one regret, which is that they now have to move closer to Harrogate and Leeds to care for elderly relatives. Their loss will be someone else’s gain as they are selling Rockcliffe House, which is on the market with Hendersons for £597,500.

“We will desperately miss this house and this area. We have loved our time here and we would not be selling if we didn’t have to,” says Jason. “We moved here permanently because we decided we wanted a better quality of life. I was working as a solicitor in the North East and Jane was an accountant in Leeds so we spent a lot of time driving in opposite directions.

“We chose to move to Robin Hood’s Bay because we had the second home there and, although we initially lived in it full-time for a year, we wanted more space and a view of the sea, which is why we bought the house in Fylingthorpe in 2005.”

Many of those who hunt on property portals for a home in Robin Hood’s Bay fail to realise that Fylingthorpe has much, if not more, to offer than the famous fishing village next door. In fact, many won’t even realise that Fylingthorpe exists as it does not come up when Robin Hood’s Bay is typed into a portal’s search box.

Only a beck separates the two villages but while the best known is a tourist hotspot, its neighbour is quieter and is still in walking distance of the bay’s beach, pubs and shops. Fylingthorpe also has its own general store, a butcher’s with bakery shop and a church. “The two villages are really one community and they share a village hall,” says Jason.

Rockliffe House is one of the best homes in Fylingthorpe and is a rarity. It is a sturdy detached house s built in 1888 as a gentleman’s residence and it comes with uninterrupted sea views from all its front windows.

It is telling that there have been only four owners since it was built and all of them have been careful to preserve the property’s period features, which include the deep skirtings, covings, ceiling roses, doors, windows and fireplaces. “They were untouched because no-one had done too much modernising over the decades,” says Jason.

Since buying the property, he and Jane have carried out a comprehensive update while retaining all of the features from the Arts and Crafts era and adding more. The house was structurally sound but the Brines have made it airtight, updated the central heating, added secondary glazing and redecorated.

They also turned the abandoned attic rooms into a self-contained apartment for friends and relatives who wanted to visit. The top floor now has a bedroom with en-suite and a sitting room/sixth bedroom with a kitchenette.

The kitchen was completely overhauled and the 1970s gas fire and green tiles were removed to make way for a timeless, Shaker-style cabinetry and a traditional pine table and chairs.

“Our taste in furniture is quite traditional so a lot of what we already had fitted in here and the colours and wallpapers were chosen to fit with the Arts and Crafts aesthetic,” says Jason.

Leveling the reception area meant new tiles from Porcelanosa were required but the stairs remain as they have always been with their Victorian woodwork untouched by paint.

While some things last, others do not and the property needed a new front door. A stunning new replica was crafted by artisan joiner Mark Laycock and is dressed with the original lock, which was discovered in one of the outhouses.

A new use has been found for the old outdoor coal shed and toilet. They have been converted into a boot room and connected to the main house with a corridor and a glazed roof. A personal touch has also been applied as Jason and Jane have filled the house with work by Yorkshire coast artists. Scarborough based Tracy Savage is a favourite, as is Whitby’s Bridget Wilkinson.

Those paintings and prints will be going with the Brines when they say a final goodbye to the place where they have spent some of the best years of their lives.

Rockcliffe House is set over three floors. The ground floor has a vestibule, entrance hall, a living room, dining room, kitchen/diner, study, boot room and utility.

On the first floor are four double bedrooms, a wc and a family bathroom. The attic has two large rooms, an ensuite bathroom and kitchenette Outside, gardens surround the house and a raised paved terrace allows views over Ravenscar cliffs and Robin Hood’s Bay. To the rear of the property, there is a driveway with parking for up to three vehicles.

Estate agent Nick Henderson says; “This is an ideal family home that would also appeal to those looking to create a guesthouse or bed and breakfast.”

For details contact Hendersons estate agency, Whitby, www.myhendersons.co.uk

Coastal Hotspot Alternatives

*Estate agent Nick Henderson reports that buyer interest in Whitby and its surrounding villages is as strong as ever.However, if you can’t find what you want in the hotspots, he suggests looking at alternatives. Fylingthorpe next to Robin Hood’s Bay is a good example and he also suggests Lythe as an alternative to Sandsend.

“Lythe is a beautiful village. It’s only a short walk from Sandsend but property there is a lot less expensive.”

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