Coastal lookout

We decided to head for our favourite village on the Yorkshire coast, Robin Hood's Bay, partly because it's so picturesque and partly to take a look at the National Trust's latest venture: the restoration of a 19th century coastal lookout station in the heart of the village.

But before we got to the coast, there was no avoiding another great English summertime tradition. Yes, the PYO signs have appeared again on the roads of North and East Yorkshire, and we were soon turning off the A166 into some enticing strawberry fields at Gate Helmsley.

Armed with a basket each, we soon found delicious, succulent fruit among the straw. It made an exciting break in the journey for our eight-year-old, who rapidly filled her basket. I got carried away as well, and it was only when it came to getting the four baskets weighed that I realised just how much we had collected - more than £12's worth! We'll probably still be eating them when you're reading this.

We munched away on one basket-load all the way to Bay. The village was busy, but not unpleasantly so. We wandered down the steep road, past a jumble of quaint stone cottages with their pan-tiled roofs, dating back to the 16th century. Once the homes of fishermen, they now mostly seem to be holiday cottages.

We wandered through a network of alleyways and steps, where it is easy to imagine smugglers once thrived, (many of the houses are said to have been connected by cellar passages). We discovered a massive second-hand bookshop, attached to a vegetarian cafe, where the children both spotted books they wanted.

Down by the slipway, we found the Old Coastguard Station, which has been restored to its 19th century appearance by the National Trust in partnership with the North York Moors National Park. I remember the former Leeds University marine studies building that used to stand there, looking totally out of place. The replacement is a major improvement.

Inside, a hands-on exhibition shows how the waves, wind and tide have shaped the bay over the centuries. There's a tank re-creating a rock pool, and through the glass you can see crabs crawling around. And there's a telescope to see across the bay. Best of all, admission is free.

Our plans to explore the real rock pools of the bay were scuppered by high tide, and so we finished a pleasant afternoon out with chips and a drink from the local chippy before our steep climb back to the car.

Fact file

Old Coastguard Station. Robin Hood's Bay.

Open daily 10am- 5pm until end of September.

Suitable for disabled visitors.

For further information, tel 01947 885900.

Updated: 12:13 Saturday, June 29, 2002