Woke up to thick fog and the sound of the lighthouse in Whitby Bay blaring out it's fog warning every 30 seconds, and realised it was only 3.30 in the morning. So two hours of not being able to get back to sleep later, when it was time to get up for sunrise, I was more than ready to go even though the fog was as thick as ever.
After carefully navigating through the soupy conditions I got to Staithes, and thanks to the patchiness of the fog, I found that it was pretty clear there. I carried on to Cowbar, a little hamlet that sits on a headland on the other side of the Roxby Beck, a small river that runs through Staithes, and has a great view down onto the village and harbour.
I parked outside Cowbar and after walking part way into the hamlet I took the path onto the National Trust owned headland. As I started along the path I immediately regretted not wearing my wellington boots, as the waist high grasses were covered in morning dew and it wasn't long before my lower regions were thoroughly soaked.
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| A panoramic image of Staithes village at sunrise |
Reaching the end of the path, and the end of the headland, I set up the gear on a small patch of bare ground to get the best shot of the village below. At first the sky was clear, but after a while some clouds did start to appear and catch the morning sunlight.
I thought I would hang around to see if I could get some sunshine on the village itself, but as quick as the sun rose, clouds on the horizon kept gathering up to keep it obscured. I could see the top edge of the disc and I was sure it was going to break through at any minute, so I was loathe to leave, as I knew in my heart that as soon as I did, then the little bugger would come beaming out.
After a couple of hours stood on that cliff top in the sharp, cold morning breeze, and with soaking wet legs, I was beginning to lose my resolve somewhat. In the end I had to admit defeat as the clouds were obviously getting the better of the situation, and I had other things to do that day.
I thought I would hang around to see if I could get some sunshine on the village itself, but as quick as the sun rose, clouds on the horizon kept gathering up to keep it obscured. I could see the top edge of the disc and I was sure it was going to break through at any minute, so I was loathe to leave, as I knew in my heart that as soon as I did, then the little bugger would come beaming out.
After a couple of hours stood on that cliff top in the sharp, cold morning breeze, and with soaking wet legs, I was beginning to lose my resolve somewhat. In the end I had to admit defeat as the clouds were obviously getting the better of the situation, and I had other things to do that day.
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| A view of the houses on the Staithes coastline |
Headed back to get some breakfast and to warm up, before returning to and venturing into Staithes village itself. By now the clouds had disappeared and the sun was shining like beacon onto the little houses. I got a few shots of the village but there wasn't much else to keep the attention, the tide was completely out and the sludgy harbour looked a bit grim.
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| Looking towards the boat shed and colourful canoes. |
After that it was a quick trip to Runswick Bay which was more of the same really, a tide far out, leaving behind a muddy, sticky shoreline and pretty little white and orange cottages climbing up the coast, all under a clear, blue sky.
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| Runswick Bay houses with the ancient thatched coastguard's cottage on the right. |
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