-15 October 2009 – The International Tour Research Trip!

Yesterday I returned from a week of crazy trekking across the North of England, in search of the very best places to take our campers next summer. The first stop was the quaint Yorkshire Village of Hutton-le-Hole, where we hope to stop for a few hours next August, en route to the writing retreat. I haven’t seen this village since the days of family holidays, back when I was a teenager – but it looks just the same. In fact, I’m guessing it hasn’t changed much in more than a century. Set in a valley among the wild moors of Yorkshire, Hutton-le-Hole is about as picturesque as England can be. There are numerous walks in the area, as well as locally-made ice cream, tons of sheep, and a fanstastic new museum-village that consists of original cottages and industries that go back hundreds of years. In fact, the further you walk through the extensive grounds of the museum, the further you go back in time – until the last stop is an Iron Age Round-House.

From Hutton-le-Hole I moved on to Whitby, which also hasn’t changed much since I last saw it, at 12 years old! It’s not hard to see why this place inspired Bram Stoker when he was writing Dracula. The town is steeped in history and myth. It was the home of Captain James Cook, the famous explorer, and many world-transforming voyages have set off from here. The ancient Abbey towers over the harbour, and the long, sandy beach. You can climb up to the abbey – 199 steps. I could lie and say I did it. But no. I drove up in the car. I’l be walking it with our campers next summer, and once is enough! I bought tons of research material in Whitby. With a place as evocative as this to inspire us, there will be no shortage of storytelling material for me next summer.

Lastly, I visited the most important location of all – Robin Hood’s Bay. Located on the East Coast of England, just 6 miles from the ruins of Whitby Abbey, this is the old fishing village where our writing retreat will be held. You have to park in the new part of the village – and then walk down a steep, cobbled hill – which is a bit like walking back into the past. The old village is completely unspoilt. Old stone houses tilt at odd angles down winding alleys. One moment you feel like you’re in a tunnel, and the next you have a stunning view out over the cliffs and the sea. This village was infamous as a centre for smuggling hundreds of years ago, and locals confirmed that many of the old houses are still linked by underground tunnels. There are few places in the world as evocative as this – how can our writers and artists fail to be inspired? At the base of the long, cobbled hill, the road opens up to the small harbour, and the beach of Jurassic stone, where fossils are found daily. The beach is perfect for exploring rock pools, too. This will be a great spot for painting and photography.

Our writing retreat is an old, converted school house, located in the heart of the ancient village. I had Aislyn with me, and while she chased the chickens, I met with Kate, one of the owners of the retreat. From her doorstep, you have a view down over the entire old village with its grey slate roofs, across the cliffs and out to sea. She told me about cliff walks we can do – in one direction, to an abandoned Victorian village. In the other direction, to Whitby Abbey itself. She showed me the bedrooms, with their bunk beds and little desks. Some even have a view over the sea. And she showed me the kitchen where we’ll prepare our meals. I guess we’ll also enjoy eggs still warm from the hens! The retreat is perfect. This will be a very different tour from last year’s. Moniack Mhor, in Scotland, was very isolated. This is, too, in the sense that you seem miles away from the modern world. But Kate spoke of ghosts. Of smuggling history, and folk tales. Of a local woman who gives dramatic presentations as the wife of a smuggler. Of press-gangers, fough off by an army of local women. Of intriguing gravestone inscriptions, and other mysteries. I can already see our writers noseying around for inspiration. And picture our campers sketching on the wide grass bank, looking down to the village.

I didn’t bother visiting York or Haworth, because I already know these places well. But having experienced Hutton-le-Hole, Whitby and Robin Hood’s Bay, I can’t wait to share it with our campers next summer!