25 September 2023 , 09:13
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A seaside village named one of the ‘most picturesque in the world’ has been described as falling into “rack and ruin” after an onslaught of second home purchases and holiday lets.
Just last week, the fishing village of Staithes, North Yorkshire, was named as one of England’s most picturesque spots in the world - among destinations like dazzling hotspots on the Italian Riviera. While the reportedly idyllic village has been listed as the perfect spot for a staycation, locals have a very different view on life in between the rugged cliffs. Visiting the “hidden gem”, reporter Samuel Port, from , found locals furious about how village life had been “eroded” by the influx of outsiders buying second homes and holiday lets - with some of the coveted cottages left to ruin.
Locals say Staithes isn't the village it once was (Jasmine Norden)Coming in at number 17 on the Faraway Furniture list, who selected the world's most picturesque spots, Staithes was lauded for it’s stunning cliffside walks and winding cobbled streets among the once-largest UK fishing port. It was even the home of famous Royal Navy captain and explorer, Captain James Cook - who was thought to have first fallen in love with the ocean while looking out from Staithes across the North Sea.
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However on the ground, Staithes represents just a memory of what it once was, with locals yearning for the days when those cobbled streets were filled with children playing hopscotch and riding bikes outside. Instead, dark, empty homes have taken over the streets, with paint fading on their front doors and they say many of the once-quaint cottages have gone to “rack and ruin”. That once thriving community full of local families is gone now, locals say.
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The historic village of Staithes on the coast of North east England (Getty)Lifelong resident Vanessa Ditchburn, 53, said most Staithes families have moved away from the epicentre of the village at the bottom of the hills, towards the coast. The families who have remained in Staithes have moved to newer estates in the outskirts of the village, she explained.
“If people are just staying here on holiday, it’s not the same as people living here, is it?" Vanessa said. "There’s still a community but now it’s further out of the village, in the new houses at the top. It makes me feel really sad, really sad. Growing up in the village, we were all used to playing together down in the village. There were lots of children down there.”
The mum-of-one explained that the old school all the village children used to attend was knocked down to make way for a new school on the edge of the village by the Co-Op - another memory of the past left to history. She admits it’s not easy living in a village “where you don’t have parking”. Vanessa adds: “We managed but it was a different time then. But there’s different expectations now. Modern families maybe don’t want to live down there.”
Fudge-maker and mum-of-two, Kerry Parkes, has only lived in Staithes for just over a year but says walking through the quiet streets can feel “surreal”. Kerry said: “There’s a lot of holiday lets, it is sad. The thing that is really sad is people who have got them as second homes, but they never ever come. So, they are left empty for the majority of the year, and they just go to wrack and ruin. That’s a shame.”
Kerry, originally from Sheffield, runs Reyt Good Fudge shop on High Street, where there used to be a traditional butchers. Kerry adds: “In winter, when you’re walking down, there’s not many lights on in the cottages and it is a bit surreal, really.”
Another local, chef Luke Gilmour, said while he thinks the outskirts of the village remain a great place to have a family, the centre has evolved more to suit tourism. The 42-year-old, who runs one of three pubs in the village, The Royal George, explained: “If you come on a cold or miserable day, it’s not very busy at all. You just see tourists, there’s no locals.”
He added: “It keeps me in a job, without a lot of visitors there wouldn’t be a need for a full-time chef all the time. I’ve worked in all three pubs in the village and it does bring custom. With the way the village is, there’s not a lot of ideal homes down the bottom. There’s no parking or gardens. It’s the ideal holiday cottage, it does suit it a lot better.”