7 Things You Might Forget to Pack for a Yorkshire Coast Holiday

The Packing List You Didn't Know You Needed

After welcoming hundreds of families to Castle View, we've noticed some patterns in what people forget to bring. The obvious things — clothes, toiletries, phone chargers — almost everyone remembers. It's the less obvious things that tend to get left behind, and some of them can make a real difference to your holiday.

Here are the seven things our guests most commonly wish they'd packed.

1. A Waterproof Jacket (Even in Summer)

This might seem obvious if you're a Yorkshire native, but visitors from further south are sometimes caught out by the North Sea weather. Even in July and August, a shower can blow in from the sea with very little warning. A good waterproof jacket — not just a light rain mac, but something that will actually keep you dry — is essential. The good news is that Yorkshire showers tend to be brief, and if you're dressed for them, they're part of the experience rather than a disaster.

2. Beach Shoes or Water Shoes

Cayton Bay has a beautiful sandy beach, but the rock pools and the approach to the water can be rocky and slippery. Water shoes — the kind with rubber soles that you can wear in the sea — make a huge difference, especially for children who want to explore the rock pools. They're inexpensive and take up very little space in a bag.

3. A Good Torch

Castle View is set in a beautiful coastal location, but that means it's genuinely dark at night — properly dark, in a way that urban visitors sometimes find surprising. If you're planning any evening walks on the beach or coastal path, a decent torch (or a head torch, which keeps your hands free) is invaluable. Your phone torch will do in a pinch, but a proper torch is much better.

4. Tide Times

This isn't something you pack, exactly, but it's something you need to know before you arrive. The tides at Cayton Bay can be dramatic — at low tide the beach extends for hundreds of metres, while at high tide the sea comes right up to the dunes. Knowing the tide times means you can plan your beach time to coincide with low tide for rock pooling and sandcastle building, and avoid the disappointment of arriving to find the beach largely underwater.

We include tide times in our welcome pack, and they're also available on the BBC Weather website and the Tide Times app. We recommend checking them the evening before each beach day.

5. A Crabbing Line and Bucket

If you're visiting with children, a crabbing line — a simple piece of string with a weight and a piece of bacon attached — will provide hours of entertainment at the harbour in Scarborough. Children (and many adults) can spend an entire afternoon lowering lines into the harbour water and pulling up small crabs, which are then admired and returned to the sea. It's one of those simple, timeless pleasures that costs almost nothing and creates memories that last for years. You can buy crabbing lines at the harbour, but they're cheaper to bring from home.

6. A Reusable Coffee Cup

There are some excellent independent coffee shops in Scarborough and along the coast, and many of them offer a discount if you bring your own cup. More importantly, it means you can make coffee at Castle View and take it with you on a morning walk along the coastal path — which is one of the great pleasures of staying here.

7. Cash

Most places in Scarborough accept cards, but not all. The harbour fishmongers, some of the smaller beach stalls, and a few of the traditional amusements are cash-only. The town has plenty of ATMs, but having a small amount of cash in your wallet means you won't miss out on the best fresh crab of your life because you didn't have a fiver on you.

What Castle View Provides

To save you packing space, Castle View comes fully equipped with everything you need for a comfortable stay: bed linen and towels, a fully equipped kitchen, a selection of board games and books, basic condiments and a welcome hamper of local treats. We also provide beach towels, a selection of children's toys, and a high chair and travel cot on request. Full details are in the property listing — and if you have any questions about what's provided, just ask.