Beachcrest

The view catches you before you've put the bags down. From the kitchen, three windows frame the golf course's fifth green, Sandsend beach, and the sea beyond in a wide panorama that shifts with the weather. One morning, it's flat calm with dog walkers on the sand. The next, you're watching snow sweep off the hills and down to the waterline. It's the kind of kitchen where cooking becomes an excuse to stand at the window a bit longer.

The dining table sits in the same room, with a Smart TV on the wall for mealtimes that stretch into the evening. Through to the sitting room, there's deep seating and another screen for when everyone wants to spread out. Both floors catch the sea views, and on a clear day, the light fills the house.

Five bedrooms are split across two levels. Two doubles on the ground floor share a shower room with walk-in shower. Handy for beach returns and anyone who would rather skip the stairs. Upstairs, two more doubles and a bunk room share a bathroom with bath and handheld shower. The bunk room is for children only; the ceilings are low, and the space is compact. One of the upstairs doubles has a zip-link bed that can split into twins on request. The beds throughout are comfortable, the rooms have enough storage to unpack for a full week, and the ground-floor double has its own Smart TV.

Below the kitchen, steep steps lead down to a walk-out basement, and this is where the house earns its stripes with a bigger group. A games room opens onto the rear garden with a table tennis table and a dartboard. Next door, a cinema room with a screen and seating turns a rainy afternoon into something everyone actually looks forward to. A utility room with a washing machine is down here, too. The whole basement has its own outside door at the bottom of the garden steps, so muddy boots and sandy feet come and go without touching the main house.

Out in the rear courtyard, a private hot tub sits in its own sheltered spot with a shed, a fridge, and surrounding seating. The planting and layout give it a tucked-away, almost beach-bar feel. Both front and rear gardens are fully enclosed and secure for dogs. Two well-behaved pets are welcome, and the outdoor space means they can roam freely while you eat outside at the garden furniture or fire up the gas barbecue.

Walk out the front door, and Sandsend beach is right there. A twenty-minute stroll along the seafront takes you into Whitby, passing pitch and putt, footgolf, crazy golf, and an ice cream stop along the way. Best walk of the holiday if the sun is out. The pub directly across the road does proper food with sea views and takes dogs, which on a lazy evening saves you the cooking entirely. A bus stop at the top of the road runs straight to Whitby bus station, handy for leaving the car behind.

Once you're in Whitby, the 199 steps climb to the Abbey ruins with views along the coast in both directions. The harbour, the fish and chips, the narrow streets full of independent shops. Robin Hood's Bay is a short drive south for rock pools and a steep, cobbled village worth an afternoon. Runswick Bay sits in the other direction with red-roofed cottages and a quieter stretch of sand. The North York Moors start just inland if you want open moorland and long walks. Come evening, get back, settle the dogs in the garden, and let the hot tub and that sea view do the rest.