Holidays in Ravenscar, things to do in Ravenscar UK

Situated in the North York Moors National Park, holidays to Ravenscar (once known as Peak) sits dramatically atop the rugged Yorkshire Coastline, with stunning views towards the intriguingly named Boggle Hole and Robin Hood’s Bay.

Located on the Cleveland Way National Trail, and the old Scarborough to Whitby Railway line, known as the cinder track, you can see why Ravenscar is a hit with ramblers, cyclists and holiday makers who treasure this hidden gem on the Yorkshire Coast.

One a stop off on the railway line, the village boasts a luxury hotel, Raven Hall, the perfect place to take in the panoramic views over lunch or afternoon tea. A nearby National Trust Centre guides you further to discover more about this fascinating place.

The first building on the site of the present day Raven Hall (once known as Peak House) was a small Roman fort or signal station (one of a chain along the Yorkshire Coast). Several houses later occupied the site.

Nearby, off the Cleveland Way you can get a glimpse in to the Yorkshire Coasts industrial past at the National Trust site, Peak Alum Works. It’s quite remarkable that this now tranquil setting was once a thriving chemical works up until 1871 - alum was essential in the cloth, leather and dyeing trades.

Did you know that the process required the use of human urine, and at its height around 200 tons of urine was used per year and came from as far away as London and Newcastle!

Like its neighbour at Robin Hoods Bay, smuggling was a popular occupation with the string of farms along the rugged coast perfectly placed for aiding the trade in the 18^th century.  The railway brought more change when the Scarborough and Whitby Railway (now disused) opened in 1885 with a station at Peak (renamed Ravenscar in 1895).          

The name change was aimed at a new business venture aimed at turning Peak in to a new seaside resort to rival nearby Scarborough and Whitby. Streets were laid out, some amenities provided and hundreds of building plots offered for sale. The hotel was expanded and a new golf course built, but the new venture failed to attract enough interest and declared itself bankrupt in 1911, and thankfully we can all escape and explore the beautiful and unspoilt place it is today.