02/10/2026
Boggle Hole then and now… 1951 and 2023. 🌊📸
These two photographs, taken 72 years apart, show just how timeless this little corner of the North Yorkshire coast feels.
YHA Boggle Hole first opened in 1937, when the York, Scarborough and Hull Region of the Youth Hostels Association leased a small and fairly basic hostel in an old corn mill beside the sea.
Nearly 90 years later, the hostel is still welcoming visitors to one of the most secluded spots on the coast.
Tucked away about a mile south of Robin Hood’s Bay, Boggle Hole feels wonderfully hidden. Visitors reach it on foot through the woodland before crossing the little bridge towards the former mill, with the beach and North Sea just a few steps away.
The cove itself is packed with character too, with dramatic cliffs, rock pools, caves and a fossil-rich shoreline. At low tide, it’s possible to walk along the beach to Robin Hood’s Bay — although checking the tide times is essential.
And then there’s the name…
According to local folklore, “boggles” were mischievous creatures said to inhabit caves and lonely places along the Yorkshire coast. Some tales even claimed they possessed strange magical or healing powers.
Today, YHA Boggle Hole embraces that folklore, while the Quarterdeck Café makes it a popular stop for walkers and families exploring the coast.
A lot has changed between 1951 and 2023… but Boggle Hole somehow still looks and feels like one of the North Yorkshire coast’s great hidden gems. ❤️
