Northerly Wind

This cottage not too far from the bank of the River Esk has a lot of the things we like to see in a rustic home – exposed brickwork, wooden ceiling beams and floorboards, and a fireplace to gather around after being out in the elements. However, much of the interior is actually pretty contemporary in style and credit must go to the designer for balancing these different styles in a tasteful manner.

The white walls found throughout feel fresh and bright, while there's a welcome sleekness to the subway-tiled bathroom and minimalist bedrooms. One thing we do have to concede is that the ground floor feels a little too compact for our liking, with not too much room to spread out on the sofas and a shortage of surface space in the kitchen for trying anything overly ambitious.

Still, that needn't necessarily be a problem if you're planning to spend as much time as possible out of the house exploring the delights of Whitby – of which, plenty lie within walking distance. Whitby Abbey can be reached by climbing the famous 199 steps in around ten minutes, as can the long beach that stretches all the way up to Sandsend.

Home truths:
*The home is spread over three floors with narrow staircases
*There's no private parking, but the host provides a parking scratch card for one vehicle that can be used in certain zones across Whitby – they can also provide a list of paid car parks if you're travelling with more than one vehicle