Sneaton Castle Centre

The ruins sit on a windswept headland just outside Whitby, and you'll spot them from the coastal path before you even realise what you're looking at. Sneaton Castle Centre occupies what's left of a 18th-century fortification, built as a response to French naval raids during the Seven Years' War - though by the time it was finished, nobody much needed it anymore. Walk up and you get proper panoramic views across the Yorkshire coast, with the town sprawled below and moorland rolling away inland. The centre itself is more interpretive than monumental. There's information about the castle's brief military life and the geology of the headland, which matters if you're into that sort of thing. Most visitors spend 45 minutes here, tops. It's not the kind of place you'll lose an afternoon, but it's a solid addition to a Whitby coastal walk - the kind of stop that breaks up the route without derailing your plans. Families with younger kids might find it underwhelming unless you're keen on ramparts and tactical defence systems. Walkers, though, will appreciate the location and the sightlines. Free to access the grounds, which is just as well given there's not masses to do. Best visited on a clear day when you can actually see something. If you're staying at Whitby Holiday Park, it's barely two miles away - close enough for a morning excursion before heading into town proper.