Helena Fairfax

This summer I’m planning a series of posts on books set in Yorkshire, in a sort of literary tour of the county. It’s coming up to the time for going on holiday, and the county of Yorkshire is one of the most varied in the UK, stretching from the Peak District in the South, to the Pennines in the West, to the North Yorkshire moors, with cities as diverse as York, Bradford, Ripon and Wakefield, and with many old mill and farming towns.

Since the sun is out, and summer is almost upon us, I thought a day at the seaside on the east coast would be a great place to start!

So many lovely Yorkshire seaside settings to choose from, but I’ve gone with a delightful town in the far north of the county…

Saltburn-by-the-Sea

I’ve chosen the quaint little town of Saltburn (not to be confused with the Saltburn of the film, which is something else entirely!) because when I first heard its history, to me it sounded just like the story in Jane Austen’s unfinished novel Sanditon.

Saltburn was once a small hamlet  renowned for smuggling. I love how the present-day crafters of Saltburn have celebrated its history with this postbox topper 😊

In the eighteenth century Saltburn had few outside visitors, but one of them was the novelist Laurence Sterne, whose great friend John Hall-Stevenson owned nearby Skelton Hall. (Hall-Stevenson appears as Eugenius in Sterne’s novel Tristram Shandy.)

The two men used to race their chariots across the sands here. I can imagine how wild and thrilling that must have been in the days when the beaches were empty for miles.

Once the railways came in the nineteenth century, they brought with them more visitors to this wild spot, including Henry Pease, who was a rich businessman.  It’s said he was walking along the beautiful coastal path on his way to visit his brother when, just like Mr Parker in Sanditon, he had a vision of a seaside town.

Apparently Austen based her story on the town of Worthing on the south coast, but Henry Pease’s vision is strikingly similar. He realised his dream in building the charming town of Saltburn, whose houses have views of the sea, and where he created a lovely formal garden, and an area of ‘Jewel Streets’ along the seafront with names like Coral, Garnet, Ruby and Amber.

Henry Pease built himself a house on one of the steep roads down to the sea. Later in the nineteenth century, Lillie Langtry stayed some time at this house.

The Prince of Wales (Edward VII) used to visit her there, and so the locals called the house ‘Teddy’s Nook’ – a name the house still goes by today.

The Prince of Wales used to stay at the magnificent Zetland Hotel, one of the first purpose-built railway hotels in the world. With the number of people staying at the seaside falling, the hotel has now been turned into flats, but to stay there in its heyday must have been fabulous.

Saltburn is probably most famous for its water-powered funicular. I expect Henry Pease built it after realising it was a steep walk for many visitors down to the sea. The lift links the pier and the lower promenade with the upper promenade and the town.

What better way to end a day at the seaside than to sit in the sun with some fish and chips, a glass of wine…and a good book!

Here are some novels set in Saltburn-by-the-Sea:

Secrets, by Freya North

Joe has a beautiful house, a great job, no commitments – and he likes it like that. All he needs is a quiet house-sitter for his rambling old place by the sea. When Tess turns up on his doorstep, he’s not sure she’s right for the job. Where has she come from in such a hurry? Her past is a blank and she’s a bit of an enigma. But there’s something about her – even though sparks fly every time they meet.
And it looks like she’s here to stay…

The Winter’s Sleep, by Monica Cafferky

A fast-paced thriller with a supernatural twist, The Winter’s Sleep takes the reader on a breathtaking ride from Leeds to the Yorkshire coast in a tale of ghosts, betrayal and fraud.

Funicular, by T.F. Lince

After his life is threatened, DI Bob Dixon leaves London hoping for the quiet life in the northern village of Saltburn-by-the-Sea. But when he takes on the case of young Lizzy Scraggs, missing since a huge tide hit Saltburn six years earlier, he embarks on an investigation that will push him to the very edge of reason.

The Gentlemen Go By, by Elizabeth Barnard Black, is a historical novel set in Saltburn. It’s subtitled A Tale of Smuggling Days on the North Yorkshire Coast. It sounds like a cracking read, but seems to be long out of print and editions are rare. (If anyone has one, please let me know. I’d love to read it!)

For a historical novel featuring smugglers, you could try Jiddy Vardy, by Ruth Estévez. This novel is set in Robin Hood’s Bay, which is further down the east coast, but could give you a flavour of the time.

I’d also love to mention The Offing, by Benjamin Myers. Although it’s also set in Robin Hood’s Bay, it’s the perfect read for a summer on the Yorkshire coast.

*

I hope you’ve enjoyed my literary trip to the seaside. Next month I’ll be visiting somewhere else in Yorkshire – a completely different location, but with lots of literary connections.

If you have any recommendations for novels set in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, or if there are any locations you’d like me to feature in my literary tour of Yorkshire this summer, please do let me know. I’d love to hear from you!