Parish in North Yorkshire, England
| Coordinates: | 54.428, -0.563 |
|---|---|
| OS grid ref: | NZ 93 04 |
| Dialling code: | 01947 (Whitby) |
The commons around Fylingdales and Hawsker-cum-Stainsacre sit on the lower slopes and coastal fringe of the North York Moors National Park in North Yorkshire, where open heather moorland falls away towards dramatic sandstone cliffs and the fishing coves near Robin Hood's Bay. The patchwork of rough grass, heather and bracken is crossed by ancient rights-of-way and drove routes, offering panoramic views out to the North Sea and attracting walkers on routes such as the Cleveland Way that skirt the coast towards Scarborough.
Locally the land has a mixed rural economy: seasonal sheep grazing and grouse management sit alongside tourism, holiday lets and coastal recreation. You can still see traces of earlier industry and long-settled field patterns on the commons, and the area’s history of small-scale fishing and smuggling adds a colourful layer to a close-knit rural community that values both landscape conservation and traditional commoning rights.