Boggle Hole

Before you go: the practical facts

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Address

YHA Boggle Hole, Mill Beck, Fylingthorpe, Whitby YO22 4UQ. Telephone 0345 371 9504. Grid reference NZ 954 040.

Who runs it

the hostel and its café are run by YHA.

By car

from the A171, follow the road signposted to Bogglehole; the car park is on the right after about 3.5 miles. The lane down to the hostel is unsuitable for vehicles, so park at the top and walk about 500m down. There are no streetlights, so carry a torch after dark.

Starting from Robin Hood's Bay instead

use the council's Station car park (YO22 4RE), then walk down through the village and follow the beach or the cliff path south. See /plan/parking.

Café and toilets

the Quarterdeck Café and Bar at the hostel is open to non-residents, listed as 11am to 8.30pm daily. There are toilets at the hostel and public toilets in Robin Hood's Bay.

Dogs

pets are not allowed in the hostel; assistance dogs are welcome.

Accessibility

access is on foot only, down a steep lane or by the beach or cliff path. YHA's walk guide says the route is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs.

Public transport

the nearest bus stop is in Robin Hood's Bay, served by Arriva's X93 between Whitby and Scarborough.

The walk from Robin Hood's Bay

YHA's own route between Robin Hood's Bay and Boggle Hole is 1.3 miles (2.1km) with 50m of climbing; allow 30 minutes to an hour. Walk one way on the beach and the other on the cliff, or use the beach both ways if the tide allows.

From the slipway at the bottom of Robin Hood's Bay, head south along the shore below the cliffs. The going is sand, stones, rock and seaweed: uneven, slippery in places, with streams and deep rock pools. Look for fossils and the wave-cut platform on the way. You reach the stony beach beside Mill Beck, and the hostel is just up the valley.

The clifftop return follows the Cleveland Way, which passes the hostel. It is signposted but narrow, uneven and sometimes muddy, with eroded edges, and the steps down to Boggle Hole are steep, mostly without handrails.

Tide warning. check tide times before you set off (see /plan/whitby-tide-times). The beach section is cut off at high tide. If the tide is coming in, take the cliff path instead and keep well away from the base of the cliffs, where rock falls happen.

A short history

1666: Sir Hugh Cholmley's marriage settlement mentions two mills in the parish; the "low mill" is almost certainly Bay Mill, the building that is now the hostel. A lease of 1712 also refers to it.

1839: an inscription over the dining room door records that the mill was rebuilt with new machinery at the cost of G. W. Farsyde.

6 August 1857: a severe rainstorm flooded the beck and washed away the miller's house and outbuildings, and the housekeeper drowned. The house was rebuilt at right angles to the mill and is now the hostel kitchen.

The millpond dam was built on a natural waterfall, and water once ran through an underground passage to turn the wheel.

Tips and timing

• Plan your visit around low tide and give yourself a margin for the walk back.
• Wear proper footwear; the seaweed is slippery.
• A drink at the Quarterdeck makes a good halfway stop on a longer walk to Ravenscar.

Nearby

• Robin Hood's Bay
• Ravenscar
• Whitby to Robin Hood's Bay walk

Boggle Hole FAQs

Can you walk from Robin Hood's Bay to Boggle Hole?

Yes. It is 1.3 miles on YHA's route, along the beach at low tide or on the Cleveland Way cliff path at any state of the tide.

Where do you park for Boggle Hole?

In the car park at the top of the lane, about 500m above the hostel, or in Robin Hood's Bay and walk.

Can you drive down to Boggle Hole?

No, the lane to the hostel is unsuitable for vehicles.

Is the Boggle Hole café open to the public?

Yes, the YHA's Quarterdeck Café and Bar welcomes non-residents.

Is Boggle Hole cut off at high tide?

The beach route from Robin Hood's Bay is. Always check tide times.

Sources checked 29 October 2026: YHA Boggle Hole, hostel page and directions; YHA walk guide 184; North Yorkshire Council, Station car park Robin Hood's Bay; Arriva X93.