Runswick Bay
North Yorkshire
The village was rebuilt a little further south of its original position after a disastrous landslip in 1664 caused its homes to slip into the sea. The present village is divided by steep wooded slopes between the buildings of the Bay and those of Bank Top at cliff-top level.
The beach at Runswick Bay has a Keep Britain Tidy Seaside Award and was named as Britain's Best Beach 2020 by the Sunday Times.
Find out more about the Runswick Bay Rescue Boat at its website.
Village features
Runswick Bay has a beach.
Runswick Bay is in the North York Moors National Park.
Runswick Bay is on the Cleveland Way long-distance trail, a 110-mile waymarked hiking path around the edges of the North York Moors and North Yorkshire coast with Helmsley and Filey at its end points.
Runswick Bay has pubs.
The village has a cafe.
There are public toilets in the village.
Locations of toilets and opening times can be found at this North Yorkshire Council - Public toilets web page.
Places to stay in Runswick Bay include hotel, guest house, holiday home, caravan, camping accommodation.
Travel
Bus travel
The village has buses to neighbouring towns and villages.Road travel
Runswick Bay is reached on minor roads off the nearby A174 .Places to visit
Heritage coast
A stretch of 36 miles of coastline makes up the North Yorkshire and Cleveland Heritage Coast. This is Yorkshire's Jurassic Coast, where ammonites can easily be found and occasionally bones from marine reptiles and dinosaurs have been discovered. For more see ourNorth York Moors National Park
More information and links on our
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
A heritage railway running for 18 miles through the beautiful scenery of the
For details see the
Whitby Abbey
More information at the
Emergency services
North Yorkshire PoliceNorth Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust
HM Coastguard
Local government
Civil parish council
Hinderwell Parish CouncilProvides some local services in the area.
Link to council website:
Unitary authority
The North Yorkshire Council is a new unitary authority formed from the previous County Council from April 1, 2023. It covers the existing county duties including highways, schools, libraries and transport planning over an area of 3,109 square miles while also taking over the responsibilities of the seven huge district authorities also created in 1974 — Craven, Hambleton, Harrogate, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough and Selby — these including local planning, waste collection, street cleaning, parks and car parks, housing and markets serving a population of around 615,500*.
Councillors were elected to the County Council in 2022 and continue as councillors of the new North Yorkshire Council unitary authority. There have been a few by-elections to fill councillor vacancies since then.
Places in North Yorkshire
Link to council website: North Yorkshire Council
Political composition:
CI = Conservative & Independent NY Ind = North Yorkshire Independents group LC = Labour & Cooperative
Composition and groupings - source North Yorkshire Council (February 2024)
Strategic authority
York and North Yorkshire Combined AuthorityThe York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority was created in December 2023 combining the unitary authority of York and the unitary authority of North Yorkshire — that created in April 2023 after the abolition of the county authority and its seven district authorities. The combined authority will run some functions under a mayor to be elected in May 2024 as part of the government's so-called "Devolution deal" which ties the availablity of funding to the new governance arrangements. As well as having powers over housing development, transport and boosting skills and education across the 3,214 square miles of York and North Yorkshire, the elected mayor will also take on the role and functions of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner across the area.
Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner
Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner North YorkshireCovers the county of