All Saints Church Hawsker and Stainsacre

Walk up from Whitby and you'll find All Saints Church perched above the village of Hawsker, a proper old building that rewards the climb with views across the North Yorkshire coast. The church itself is modest - no soaring Gothic drama here - but there's real character in the stonework and the quiet churchyard that feels genuinely removed from the holiday bustle down in town.

What makes it worth the detour is the walk itself. The path from Whitby cuts through coastal farmland and gives you a sense of what this stretch of the Yorkshire coast actually feels like away from the seafront attractions. You're looking at perhaps half an hour on foot, depending on your pace and how many times you stop to look back at the view.

History buffs will find the church interesting enough - it's been here centuries - but this isn't a major tourist draw like Whitby Abbey. Walkers, though, will find it a genuine pleasure, especially if you're based at Whitby Cliff Top Touring Park or one of the other nearby sites. The whole outing takes two hours if you're leisurely about it.

Go on a clear day when you can actually see something from the top. On a grey afternoon with drizzle rolling in, it's less compelling - just a moorland church that could be anywhere. Free to visit, naturally, and worth combining with a longer coastal walk rather than treating as a standalone stop. It's the kind of place that justifies staying in the Whitby area for a few days rather than a quick afternoon visit.