A Long Weekend in Scarborough
A Long Weekend in Scarborough – Walking, Exploring and Mapping Our Next Mystery Walk
Lyn and I recently spent a long weekend in Scarborough, and it turned into exactly the sort of break we enjoy most — plenty of walking, exploring places we had not properly looked around before, a bit of research for The White Shire and, naturally, a few stops for food and drink along the way.
We stayed close to Scarborough Castle at Castle by the Sea, which proved to be a brilliant base because we could leave the car alone and explore most of Scarborough on foot.
Over the weekend we mapped out a new Scarborough Mystery Walk, wandered through the old town, explored Scarborough Market Hall and The Vaults underneath it, and walked a cracking circular route along the coast, through Peasholm Park and back through the town.
It reminded us why Scarborough works so well for an Out & About weekend. There is far more to it than simply heading for the beach.
For places to visit, cafés, pubs and practical information, explore our Scarborough Town Hub.
Staying Near Scarborough Castle
Our location near Scarborough Castle made a huge difference to the weekend.
We could step outside and immediately start exploring on foot, with the castle headland, old town and coast all within easy reach.
We have written separately about our stay at Castle by the Sea, but for this particular weekend it was the location that really worked for us.
Instead of getting into the car every morning, we simply decided which direction we fancied walking and set off.
Scarborough is quite hilly in places, but that also means you regularly get some lovely views across the bays and coastline.
Mapping Our Scarborough Mystery Walk
One of the main reasons for the weekend was to start putting together our Scarborough Mystery Walk.
You can now try our Scarborough Mystery Walk for yourself: a free 1.3-mile trail through the Old Town, starting at St Helen’s Square. Allow 1–2 hours; there are plenty of steps along the way.
These walks have to be worked out on the ground. Lyn and I need to physically walk the streets, find suitable clues, check signs and plaques, make sure the route flows properly and find things people can genuinely discover as they go.
Scarborough's old town gave us plenty to work with.
We started around Market Hall and worked our way through some of the older streets and passages, including places such as St Sepulchre Street, Dog & Duck Lane, Salmon Steps and The Bolts.
That is one of the things we enjoy about creating the Mystery Walks — you begin noticing details that you might normally walk straight past.
Scarborough has plenty of them.
Scarborough Market Hall
We also spent some time inside Scarborough's beautiful indoor market.
It is one of those places where you can easily wander around without any real plan, looking at the different stalls and independent businesses.
The present Market Hall dates back to 1853, when it replaced the more congested street markets in the town.
It fitted perfectly into the Mystery Walk too, because it gives you a genuine piece of Scarborough history right in the middle of the route.
But our favourite discovery was underneath it.
Down into The Vaults
Below the main market are The Vaults.
We headed downstairs for a look and really liked them.
It feels completely different from the bright market above, with smaller independent traders tucked away underneath the building.
Places like this are exactly why we like exploring towns properly rather than simply visiting the obvious attractions.
You can walk through Scarborough dozens of times and still find somewhere you have never noticed before.
The Market Hall and Vaults were one of those discoveries for us.
Our Scarborough Circular Walk
We also had a lovely walk around Scarborough during the weekend.
We started close to the castle, dropped down towards the coast and followed the seafront around North Bay before heading into Peasholm Park.
From there, we walked back through the town and eventually climbed back towards where we were staying.
You can see the full route in our Scarborough Circular Walk – Castle, North Bay & Peasholm Park.
The route is approximately 4.43 miles and gives you a really good mixture of Scarborough in a relatively short walk.
You get the coast, North Bay, parkland and town streets rather than simply walking out and back along the promenade.
Walking Along North Bay
The coastal section was probably one of our favourite parts.
Once you have dropped down from the higher ground around the castle, the walking becomes very easy and you can simply follow the coastline.
North Bay feels more open than some of the busier parts around South Bay and the harbour.
With the sea beside you and the castle headland behind, it is a lovely stretch of walking.
It also shows just how much of Scarborough you can see without needing the car.
Through Peasholm Park
From North Bay we headed into Peasholm Park.
It is a complete change of atmosphere.
One minute you are walking beside the North Sea and shortly afterwards you are among trees, water, gardens and winding paths.
Peasholm Park opened in 1912 and is known for its oriental-inspired design, lake and landscaped gardens. Visit Scarborough
We really enjoyed walking through it, and it is somewhere we would happily visit again even without doing the full circular walk.
A Little Scarborough History
We are not going to turn this into a history lesson, but you cannot spend much time walking around Scarborough without bumping into its past.
The castle headland has been occupied for thousands of years, and the ruins of Scarborough Castle still dominate the coastline between North and South Bays. English Heritage
Scarborough also lays claim to being Britain's first seaside resort. Visitors began coming after mineral-rich spa water was discovered in the 17th century, helping establish the tradition of travelling to the coast for health and leisure. Visit Scarborough
That mixture of old streets, castle, harbour, Victorian resort and modern seaside town is part of what makes Scarborough so interesting to explore on foot.
Back Through Scarborough Town
After Peasholm Park, we worked our way back through Scarborough.
We like routes that include towns as well as countryside because you get a completely different feel.
There is always something going on, somewhere to stop and usually something you did not expect to find.
In our case, that weekend included the market, The Vaults, old streets, coastal paths, Peasholm Park and quite a lot of walking while trying to decide where the next Mystery Walk clue ought to go.
Would We Go Back?
Definitely.
Scarborough is one of those places where a weekend gives you enough time to enjoy yourself but still leaves plenty for another visit.
Staying near the castle meant we could explore largely on foot, and that is probably the way we would do it again.
Our Scarborough Circular Walk is a good starting point if you fancy seeing a mixture of the coast, North Bay, Peasholm Park and town.
You can also browse all our personally walked routes on the Yorkshire Walks page.
And if you are planning a Scarborough break yourself, have a look at our stay at Castle by the Sea.
For us, the weekend summed up what The White Shire is really about: getting out, walking somewhere properly, finding the places that are easy to miss and coming home with another list of things we want to go back and explore.
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