The White Horse

This is a classy place, decked in pine with seaside stripes and boaty nicknacks with a wilderness of salt marshes stretching from the back door to the shore. The pubby front bar keeps it real with wood-burner and bar billiards, while the sunset-soaked conservatory restaurant serves a very grown-up menu, including mussels and oysters fattened in creeks just yards away.

You sleep above the inn or in a curved annexe, knapped in brick and flint. Rooms have big beds, digital mod cons and fresh bathrooms, one is a split-level space high in the eaves with a balcony and telescope. Handy tide tables make sure you know when it’s safe to ramble on the beach.

Enjoy a full English or kippers from the on-site Staithes Smokehouse while gazing at the view – all the way to Scolt Head Island and the sea beyond. Spend your days on glorious beaches or visiting stately homes and gardens, return to a pint of something local while you choose what to eat.