New look for cottage with some of the best sea views in Robin Hood's Bay

Robin Hood’s Bay is one of the Yorkshire coast’s best-loved villages, though many of the characterful properties in the oldest part of the village don’t have sea views.

That’s why Primrose Cottage is a rare gem. It has its own clifftop garden that overlooks the beach and enjoys a panoramic outlook over the bay and out to sea. It is one of only two gardens in the village with 360-degree views.

Little wonder then that Beth Thornton snapped it up two-and-a-half years ago in a move motivated by both head and heart. “I want to increase my portfolio of holiday lets but it was much more than a commercial venture. I also wanted it to be somewhere me and my children could enjoy. That’s why it’s very much a home from home,” says Beth, who also has two holiday properties in York.

The Grade II-listed former fisherman’s cottage, which has three double bedrooms and sleeps up to four adults and three children plus one well-behaved dog, was built in 1668. It is a less than a minute’s stroll to the beach.

The previous owners had also let the property to holidaymakers and had left it in good order, which was a bonus for Beth, though she has spared no expense in adding some of her own stylish touches. “The cottage is lovely, rustic and also hard-wearing and there are a lot of historic features, such as the old floorboards reclaimed from old ships and the cast-iron fireplaces in the bedrooms. The people who sold it to me also left me the old anchor that is padlocked to the outside and the oars that are used as quirky handrails on the stairs,” says Beth, who was keen to put her own stamp on the property.

She began by having a new patio installed. It is surrounded by a picket fence and has a barbecue, along with a table and seating that overlook the wooded hillside and the red pantile roofs of neighbouring homes. Inside, she has redecorated and added new blinds, along with some fresh furniture and soft furnishings, all showcasing her attention to detail.

The kitchen has a cosy dining area with an antique pine table and chairs and a space-saving pew offering more seating, all left by the previous owners. Beth added new champagne glasses, which correlate with the message on the wall, which states: “It’s time to drink champagne and dance on the tables”.

In the sitting room, dark grey walls create a contrast with the white ones and Beth has added a peg rail for coats and a pine box for storing wellies, boots and shoes. A gas stove adds a warm glow and the hard-wearing leather sofas are softened with cushions and throws.

“I replace cushions and throws regularly and I tend to shop for them from places like Ikea, the Range and TK Maxx. I also like to have lots of nautical accessories in the cottage to give it a coastal look,” she says.

On the landing, there are nautical maps, prints of fish plus mobiles made by Beth’s children from driftwood and shells they collect from the beach. On the spacious first floor, the main bedroom has been repainted in Farrow & Ball’s Pointing and the second double room has handmade oak wardrobes and a new oak bed.

All the bedrooms feature handmade mattresses from Whitby bed specialist Beevers, along with feather duvets and pillows and Egyptian cotton bed linen. The children’s bedroom has also been well thought out. “I’ve put a TV in there with a DVD player and plenty of DVDs so they can watch films without parents cramping their style. It’s like their own little den,” adds Beth.

The period prints of nautical scenes and marine life that feature throughout the house, along with the mirror made specially for the main bedroom, are from the Copper and Grain gallery on Skinner Street in Whitby.

“We also have driftwood and fossils dotted around the cottage and I am also planning to get artist Ali Watson to do some original paintings for me,” says Beth, who has also ensured that Primrose Cottage is well connected, with wi-fi and a Bluetooth speaker, along with a Smart TV with complimentary Netflix.

The location, decor and amenities are all selling points when marketing the cottage for holidays, though what should have been a bumper year has been adversely affected by the two national lockdowns.

However, there is a silver lining for many of those in the UK holiday business as people opt to stay in Britain rather than go abroad. “We effectively lost the spring trade but summer was absolutely crazy,” says Beth. “I think people are realising and really appreciating what we have here in this country. I believe that there will be a three-year long tourism boom in the UK, including this year, because of Covid.”

She, her partner Rob and children Teddy and George certainly appreciate staycations thanks to the cottage in Robin Hood’s Bay. “It’s just wonderful at any time of year,” she says. “We feel very lucky to have it.”

Primrose Cottage can be found at www.primrosecottage.org.uk or email [email protected] for details and availability.

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