Attractions and Heritage, Ravenscar

Ravenscar

Historic village with walks and history.

Ravenscar is one of the most intriguing coastal villages on the Yorkshire Coast with its dramatic cliff top views and rocky beach coves. It is the perfect place for hikers and fossil hunters to explore.

It is also a fascinating place for history buffs. The Romans once used it as one of their signalling stations along this part of the Yorkshire Coast. Up on the clifftop, you will also find the popular Raven Hall Hotel, which was once the home of King George III’s physician, Dr Francis Willis; it is rumoured that the king may have stayed there during his treatments. A stone’s throw away from the cliffs, is the famous alum works, once an important part of this country’s fabric dyeing industry, and now a fascinating National Trust site.

Back in the late Victorian period big plans were made for Ravenscar to become a holiday resort to rival Scarborough and Whitby. Roads were laid out, a handful of houses were built and sewers were laid. But ‘Peak’, as it would have been named, didn’t really catch on , perhaps because of the steep path down to the beach, and the development company went bankrupt.