There has been a village here since mediaeval times. Aldbrough lies around 1 mile from the coast which you can access directly out of the door of the cottage and walking or driving along Seaside Road.
The Double Dutch pub (recently renamed to the Sellwood Arms) is situated on the cliff top and offers reasonably priced drinks and lively Karaoke nights on a weekend.
St Bartholomew’s church opposite the cottage is a grade 2 listed building and dates to the 11th century and was built by Ulf which is described on a sun dial within the church.
The village itself has 2 local shops one of which is around a minute walk from the cottage. The other is situated on the main Hornsea rd and both pretty much stock everything you need. The McColls store also has a post office inside.
Next to the shop is a doctors surgery should you need access to medical services while you are here.
There is a second pub in the village on the corner of Hornsea Rd and High St. The George and Dragon. Unfortunately, this closed last week, and we don’t know when it will be reopening.
Further afield we can recommend the Cross Keys at Cowden which is a 2 mile or 4-minute drive away. The Falcon at Withernwick, 3 miles or 6-minute drive and does tasty food or the Stag at Lelley which is a little bit further at 4 miles or 10 minutes by car and again does excellent food. Booking is advisable.
There are many cafes, bars and restaurants in Hornsea and wider area which are best checked out in person, but our favourites are-
- Café 10. Market place, Hornsea. Great for breakfasts and lunch.
- The Floral hall café. Great views over Bridlington bay and excellent value. Breakfast and snacks.
- The Marine for a drink overlooking the sea. Dog friendly in the bar.
- Stack house bar, Newbiggin. Hornsea. A quirky pub serving craft beers and real ale. You can grab a takeaway from one of the local spots and eat it in the pub!
- Luciens wine Bar. Modern bar with live music on weekends.
- Whiteheads Fish & Chips (The Greenway, Hornsea) offer eat in or takeaway as well as Gluten Free fish and chips. (Just been awarded the UK best chip shop of the year!)
- Bert’s at Brandesburton for Pizza overlooking a lake. Please book ahead. 01964 541809
- Mr Moo’s. Great locally made Ice Cream and home cooked food.
- Riviera, Newbegin, Five bites, Pizza House in Hornsea for takeaways. All deliver to Aldbrough.
- The Spotted Duck café at Fitling. Great cream teas and cakes.
- Sonali Spice, Hornsea. Great Indian restaurant and takeaway.
- The Pipe & Glass, South Dalton. Michelin starred restaurant. Booking is essential but well worth it. 01430 810246
Things to do
There are many fine walks up the coast. Many local pubs and cafes are dog friendly.
The Mere at Hornsea is the largest natural lake in Yorkshire and is an RSPB reserve. There is a lovely café, rowing boats, boat trips and fishing for Perch, Pike and roach. Access and parking is free.
If fishing is of interest, there is beach fishing all along the coast as well as boat trips from Bridlington. Coarse fishing is very well catered for in the area in ex gravel ponds. The nearest is Lambwath Lakes along Seaside road. Day tickets for pegs are available during the fishing season.
Hornsea leisure centre underwent a multi million pound refurbishment recently and is open for swimming, gym, fitness classes and there is also a great café within the centre. It also houses the local information centre and library.
Along the sea front in Hornsea there are some good walks both along the beach and the prom. There are amusement arcades and shops to visit and numerous cafes and chip shops.
Hornsea is built around Hall Garth Park, which is dog friendly and has a lovely feel to enjoy the open space, there is also a new skate park. There are also 3 other smaller parks in Hornsea, Mere side has new playground equipment and great views of the Mere. Memorial gardens have a memorial to the fallen in the 2 World Wars.
Also in memorial gardens there are 2 large stone lions which were originally guarding the General hospital in Hull as well as the last part of Hornsea pier which was destroyed in a storm.
The last of the parks is hidden away just behind the Floral hall.
Around 3.5 miles away from the cottage is the stately home of Burton Constable. Home to the Constable family for many centuries and a lovely home to explore and the grounds are fantastic. Close by is the pretty village of Sproatley with two pubs, bridleways and footpaths to explore, The church and surrounds there are particularly picturesque.
Around 3 miles from the cottage is the excellent beach at Mappleton. This offers miles of walks tide times dependant and is a haven for dog walkers. There is also the post office café which is extremely popular but please bear in mind the area can be very busy especially for parking at peak times.
North from Aldbrough in addition to Hornsea there is Bridlington with all its traditional seaside attractions, further along is Flamborough Head and Bempton cliffs which is an RSPB reserve where you can see puffins and to the South is Spurn point nature reserve.
If you fancy a break from your rural retreat Hull (UK city of culture 2017) is only 12 miles or 25 minutes by car and there are some very interesting free museums including the Fishing & Street life museums and one of the most important the William Wilberforce Museum.
There are numerous bars and restaurants to visit with the old Town, Trinity Market and Humber St being the ones to head for. The marina is great in all weathers but particularly nice in the summer months.
We would also strongly recommend a visit to Ferens art gallery. Free entry to all.
The Deep in Hull is widely regarded as one of the best marine experiences in the country. Plan for at least half a day.
Beverley is about 30 minutes from the cottage to the West. On a Saturday there is a large market in the town centre.
Beverley which is a traditional bustling old market town has many pubs, quality restaurants and small shops and is a very nice town for a stroll and a coffee on the pedestrian shopping area. Also very much worth a visit is Beverley Minster which dominates the skyline. Beverley Minster is one of the most important churches in the Anglican religion.
The Westwood is also well worth a visit for a walk and is situated just outside the town. It’s a large expanse of common land popular with horse riders, dog walkers, walkers and runners. There is a park run there each Saturday morning if you fancy something more energetic and the racecourse with regular meets is situated just off the Westwood.
Skirlington holiday park is 10 miles to the North on the Bridlington road and there is a large market and car boot there every Sunday.
Next to Skirlington there is Far Grange park where there are extensive leisure facilities which can be used for a reasonable fee.
For a full day out, York is an hour's drive away and if you have never been before there are many sights which are very much worth a visit, including the National Railway Museum.
45 Minutes' drive to the North there are the North Yorkshire Moors and the picturesque villages of Pickering and Goathland (home of TV’s Heartbeat) as well as the lovely Dalby Forest.
Golf
There are a number of excellent golf courses in the local area with the nearest being Hornsea which has an 18-hole course set in stunning parkland. Tel 01964 534989 to book.
There are also courses at Ganstead, Bridlington, Sutton (Hull), Burstwick, Brandesburton, Beverley, Hull, Driffield & Withernsea.
Cycling
The village lies at the heart of a network of quiet country lanes which make it an ideal base for road cycling or touring. We are also very close to the national cycle network routes and the final stages of the trans Pennine way and the Hull to Hornsea rail trail.
Sports
The local area is blessed with great sporting facilities with Rugby Union, Cricket, Football, Tennis all played to a good standard and if you are looking for a fun Saturday afternoon then a visit to Hollis Recreation ground on Atwick road, Hornsea is worth a look.
The quiet lanes around the village are brilliant for walking (head to Carlton Lane) cycling and running.
Around 6 miles from the cottage is the village of New Ellerby where you can pick up the old Hull to Hornsea railway which has been set out for walkers, runners and cyclists and is a very peaceful way to spend a couple of hours. There is also the excellent Railway Inn at New Ellerby serving quality home cooked food and Sunday lunches.
Surfing
There is a strong surfing community in Hornsea and although it may seem unbelievable to me people really do surf year round off Hornsea! If you don’t fancy taking part its great to watch!
Shopping
As well as the village shops Hornsea has a large Tescos and a smaller CO-OP for grocery shopping. There are many smaller shops which sell a wide variety of goods.
Hornsea Freeport on Rolston Road is a large outlet village with a changing selection of shops.
There is an Asda at Bilton which is around 6 miles away along Hull Rd.
In Hull the 2 main shopping areas are Kingswood and St Stephens.
Attractions
Hornsea museum is a locally run museum showing the town in years gone by. A very good, charity supported small museum.
Honeysuckle farm is just outside Hornsea and is a great hit with anyone who loves animals. It is a real labour of love for the family who run it. A lovely way to spend a day. Open seasonally so give them a call to check on opening times. Tel 01964 533873
The golden beaches!
Dogs are allowed to the North & South beaches at Hornsea and also on Mappleton beach where you will find a large car park with public toilets as well as a concrete ramp down to the beach.
We really hope you have a wonderful stay and really enjoy everything the village and local area have to offer.