Port Mulgrave

I first saw these huts from high above when we walked the section of the Cleveland Way between Saltburn and our campsite at Runswick last summer ... rossofmoffat.com/albums/sal... ... and promised myself a wander down next time I met up with my dad and brother. Sitting off the beaten track between Runswick and Staithes in North Yorkshire, Port Mulgrave is a fascinating place for its industrial heritage and wealth of fossils. From the Cleveland Way footpath, the buildings give away none of the traits of the Bohemian village that you get close-up. The collection of makeshift beach huts supposedly belong to local fishermen who use the bay to harvest the sea for crabs and lobsters. I'd love to come back another time to camp, fish and catch the sunrise :-)

Port Mulgrave cabins

A diverse collection of imaginatively constructed shanties overlooks the bay from beneath the cliff at Port Mulgrave.

By order of The Elder

An alternative to the direct route following the rope is a newly-constructed path that meanders via a few doglegs through the scrub to emerge at the same point.

Mugrave laddered path

Part of the rope-alternative route down to the bay.

Dawn Treader

A beautiful design, minding me of Narnia's Dawn Treader.

Chess set

I've no idea what else lies within, but the chess set caught my eye.

Fergal Sharky

Half a boat. This is clearly meant more as a sun deck rather than for overnight accommodation.

Old rope

Captured from a Scots raiding party ?

Anchor house

This one might even pass building regulations. The driftwood anchor is pleasingly placed.

Deg Out

Integrating flotsam and jetsam into the build and fascia of the cabins was a naturally common theme.

It's all about the entrance

A passageway made from nets, ropes and flotsam greets the eye to the front of this shanty.

The Ark

You couldn't fit an entire menagerie inside but the hull looks seaworthy enough.

Sea shore at Port Mulgrave

I'd left my tripod adapter at the camp site in Runswick so the long exposures using a 10 stop ND filter weren't ideal, with no option but to just prop the camera as level as possible on any handy rock :-)

Rope up from the bay

The slope is no more than 40 degrees, and the rope was handy, but not really needed on my ascent. But I can imagine on a wet or muddy day, it'd have proved essential.

Port Mulgrave from above

A well-worn route descends directly from the better path above.