# A little break from Sheffield



## miss direct (Mar 11, 2021)

I am going a bit nuts in the room of my shared house and I'd like to get away for a day or two once I'm allowed (can't quite work out whether that's April or May). Does anyone have any suggestions of somewhere I can get to without a car, preferably just one train or coach? Somewhere nice to potter around on my own and with B&Bs? Seaside would be good. I haven't seen the sea since I left Istanbul.  I don't know this part of the UK at all.


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## Pickman's model (Mar 11, 2021)




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## hitmouse (Mar 11, 2021)

Sheffield's not great for seaside, I'd say your best bet would be somewhere in the peak district if you like countryside. Or like Leeds/Notts/Manchester all have their charms if you're looking for cities. Or maybe Chesterfield or Wakefield for smallish towns you could visit?


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## neonwilderness (Mar 11, 2021)

You could probably get to Scarborough in a couple of hours, but you'd need to change trains at York. York itself is nice too, but not at the coast


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## miss direct (Mar 11, 2021)

Is Scarborough nice, or run-down? 

I've been thinking about York. 

Peak District is out as I am right on the edge of it and can get there easily enough on my bike or the bus for a day trip.


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## tim (Mar 11, 2021)

Matlock bath has that slightly gaudy English seaside vibe despite being 50 miles from the coast.



About an hour and twenty minutes on an X17.


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## Pickman's model (Mar 11, 2021)

miss direct said:


> Is Scarborough nice, or run-down?
> 
> I've been thinking about York.
> 
> Peak District is out as I am right on the edge of it and can get there easily enough on my bike or the bus for a day trip.


Filey is on the coast and a couple of hours by train. Cleethorpes again on the coast and 1h40m by train. It also boasts a very fine Indian, o/s Cleethorpes library on the front. Also numerous fine fish restaurants


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## miss direct (Mar 11, 2021)

Someone else mentioned Filey. Looks nice and single tickets from £11. Doesn't seem to be any cheaper B&Bs there but perhaps I could stay in York and visit Filey from there.

Matlock looks good too!


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## neonwilderness (Mar 11, 2021)

miss direct said:


> Is Scarborough nice, or run-down?


It's been a few years since I was last there, but I think it's a bit of both. I prefer Whitby, but I think that'd be a bit of a slog to get to from Sheffield.


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## miss direct (Mar 11, 2021)

neonwilderness said:


> It's been a few years since I was last there, but I think it's a bit of both. I prefer Whitby, but I think that'd be a bit of a slog to get to from Sheffield.


I really want to go there! Considering joining an OAP day trip!


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## tim (Mar 11, 2021)

Whitby is fun if you like Vampires, Captain Cook, synodical debates about the date of Easter or kippers and don't want to leave Yorkshire.


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## Edie (Mar 11, 2021)

miss direct said:


> Someone else mentioned Filey. Looks nice and single tickets from £11. Doesn't seem to be any cheaper B&Bs there but perhaps I could stay in York and visit Filey from there.
> 
> Matlock looks good too!


Whitby is good, whaling, castle, fish n chips. For little fishing villages Robin Hoods Bay, Staithes, and my favourite is Runswick Bay. Good coast path too. Filey is okay. Flamborough has big cliffs and puffins. Would recommend any of those on the Yorkshire Coast, especially if you like walking and old pubs.


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## tim (Mar 11, 2021)

Jung said Liverpool is the pool of life and you can combine it with a side trip to see the red squirrels and the Gormley statues on the beach at Formby. About two hours on the train with tickets starting at around £9.00 one way


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## belboid (Mar 11, 2021)

You can get a train to Edale, or indeed a bus, from the 29th , it aint the seaside but it is also very not a big city and has some lovely vistas.

Cleethorpes is, I think, the only direct train,  And while it certainly isn't as grand as Whitby or even Scarborough it has a definite charm.  Plus Whitby will be absolutely rammed as soon as anyone is allowed to go there.

(actually, you can go direct to Bridlington too, which is rather nicer than Cleethorpes.)


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## miss direct (Mar 11, 2021)

Puffins?! 😲 🙌 

Don't fancy Liverpool..been there a few times and had some good nights out but not what I'm after by myself.


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## belboid (Mar 11, 2021)

Edie said:


> Whitby is good, whaling, castle, fish n chips. For little fishing villages Robin Hoods Bay, Staithes, and my favourite is Runswick Bay. Good coast path too. Filey is okay. Flamborough has big cliffs and puffins. Would recommend any of those on the Yorkshire Coast, especially if you like walking and old pubs.


I would agree in general, but for a day trip maybe not as they would be at least two and a half hours each way.  A fair bit of that is a nice journey though.


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## kebabking (Mar 11, 2021)

Another vote for Whitby...

I'm pretty sure you can go on holiday from Monday 12th of April. 

North Norfolk is pretty cool, in a big skies, not a lot else way. Kings Lynn is an interesting, proper town, Heacham has very little - couple of pubs and a few shops, and Hunstanton is an old fashioned seaside town. Fantastic countryside all around.

The hotspots - Whitby, York etc... Could be rammed. It's the Easter holidays, and folk are desperate. North Norfolk never seems to get busy.


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## stethoscope (Mar 11, 2021)

Ordinarily I'd say being in Sheffield you're on the Yorkshire Coast Line to Bridlington, Filey, and Scarborough - a route I do regularly (or did before the pandemic) since moving up here. Scarborough is I suppose the 'nicer' resort, although I've always had a thing for Brid myself. At the moment, however, due to the fall in passenger numbers during lockdown, I don't think there are any direct trains running and so you'd have to change at Hull (which despite 'popular belief' by dicks who have never been there, isn't bad at all, however, very little is going to be open), and more pertinently it's going to add quite a bit to the journey (2.30 each way?). Whitby is certainly the loveliest of the lot, but via York isn't going to be very quick either.


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## miss direct (Mar 11, 2021)

I forgot about Easter holidays. Arent schools back by the 12th? I was thinking of a mid week getaway.


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## belboid (Mar 11, 2021)

back on the 19th.


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## kebabking (Mar 11, 2021)

Yeah, we're back on the 19th - I _think _there are some areas in that go back on the 12th, but I'd expect it to be busy that week.


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## miss direct (Mar 11, 2021)

Ah then that week will be very busy. I'll plan for the following week.


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## Edie (Mar 11, 2021)

belboid said:


> I would agree in general, but for a day trip maybe not as they would be at least two and a half hours each way.  A fair bit of that is a nice journey though.


Oh sorry thought B&B was mentioned! Yes too far for a day!


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## killer b (Mar 11, 2021)

go to Todmorden, which has the highest beach in England, Gadding's Dam. Probably still a bit cold for swimming in mind.


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## StoneRoad (Mar 11, 2021)

Whitby is smashing, but gets rammed very quickly, especially the "old town" on the south side. Social distancing would be impossible in Church St and the Market Place.
I haven't been to Scarborough, Brid or Filey for far longer, several years, in fact ...

My more recent East coastal experiences have been Northumberland (but that's mostly crap by rail, unless you try Whitley Bay - don't laugh)

Cumbria, on the other hand coast is [or should be] quite well served by rail, although Workington / Whitehaven are not tourist traps and still have "lack of industry" syndrome. I've not been to either for over a year, but used to visit Whitehaven more than twice a month ...
Further south, places like St Bees and Ravenglass (but before Barrow) are quite well worth a trip if you want some walking and so on. Although, I expect poor Ravenglass - a small village - to get quite busy. Getting accommodation in some areas may be difficult, as the area is dominated by the needs of visitors to & staff from the plant at Windscale.


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## killer b (Mar 11, 2021)

Any beach on the west coast north of Blackpool will have a nuclear power station looming somewhere in your field of vision, but if you're up that way Silverdale is pretty glorious


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## killer b (Mar 11, 2021)

(you also get to Silverdale via Carnforth, which is the station they filmed Brief Encounter at - the cafe is all done up like the Brief Encounter cafe and does very nice chips, and they have a tiny cinema showing the film on a loop in the gift shop)


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## two sheds (Mar 11, 2021)

York's a lovely place to wander round, city walls, lovely little streets, loads of history. Seem to remember a mock-up of middle ages street with authentic smells but that was 30 years ago and may even have been another city  

Did enjoy it though.


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## Puddy_Tat (Mar 11, 2021)

killer b said:


> Any beach on the west coast north of Blackpool will have a nuclear power station looming somewhere in your field of vision, but if you're up that way Silverdale is pretty glorious



does that count as a glowing report?


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## Cid (Mar 11, 2021)

Whitby is great, it is also not easy to get to from Sheffield without a car. Tbh in general I think people drive to go out to the coast, since the rail links aren't great. Scarborough is doable but er... Well actually it's not that bad. Will get a you a sea fix. Not been Cleethorpes. 

Could also look at the lake district... And the more northerly bits of Yorkshire like Harrogate etc. Not as much water though.


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## Puddy_Tat (Mar 11, 2021)

just a thought - my understanding is it's only self contained holiday accommodation, not B+B's that can (subject to future 'steps' not being postponed) open in April.  B+B places aren't until the May 17 phase of things.


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## miss direct (Mar 11, 2021)

Just the B bit then?


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## Cid (Mar 11, 2021)

Oh yeah, if you want an actual day trip and like art, Yorkshire Sculpture Park.


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## hitmouse (Mar 11, 2021)

Cid said:


> Oh yeah, if you want an actual day trip and like art, Yorkshire Sculpture Park.


Good call that, and easily combined with exploring the delights of scenic Wakey.


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## miss direct (Mar 11, 2021)

Cid said:


> Oh yeah, if you want an actual day trip and like art, Yorkshire Sculpture Park.


Went last Autumn. Was excellent. Not accessible without a car though.


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## Cid (Mar 11, 2021)

miss direct said:


> Went last Autumn. Was excellent. Not accessible without a car though.



I think you can get there via train then bus... not super convenient, but not terribly long.


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## Cid (Mar 11, 2021)

hitmouse said:


> Good call that, and easily combined with exploring the delights of scenic Wakey.



For full South Yorkshire art tourism there is also the Hepworth Wakefield of course. Whenever that’s able to reopen. For now I suppose it’s just a very nice building.


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## dessiato (Mar 12, 2021)

There are some wonderful urbanites from Cleethorpes. Fine people.

If I were there I'd have fish and chips in Ernie Beckett's in the market place. I'd walk along the prom towards the leisure centre, then further along towards Humberstone, where the very best of urbanites are from. 

I'd go back on the light railway, stopping at what is possibly the world's smallest pub, before completing the journey on the train. I'd then have to go to the Indian restaurant near the council offices for a meal.

Cleethorpes is very down at heal these days after many years of the council neglecting it. They are now trying to turn things round with some really odd ideas. But it is a "traditional" day out from Sheffield, so much so that at one time the Sheffield Star was as easy to find as the local rag.

And there's some amazing people from Cleethorpes.


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