In recent years, coastal villages have been experiencing a phenomenon of second-home owners driving up the prices of property, leaving locals with the short end of the stick. It is an especially prominent issue in the Yorkshire coast where some villages are seeing houses sell for as high as £1m.
One area specifically in Yorkshire that has been experiencing this is Runswick Bay, a small residence of 14 people which has recently been named as one of the best places to live in the UK due to its gorgeous views and peaceful environment. A reporter from Yorkshire Live visited the small village to explore the village and find out what makes it such a recommended place to live.
Runswick was described as a beautiful place decorated with red-roofed cottages along the cliff while narrow alleyways skirted between the houses. The peaceful atmosphere of the village was accentuated by the calming waves crashing against the rocks.
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Helen and Richard Foster, from Lincolnshire, were visiting the nearby village of Hinderwell. "This is our first time visiting Runswick Bay," they said. "We were able to walk here from where we were staying - it's so beautiful here. We'd seen pictures before so we knew it would be nice. It feels quite similar to Robin Hood's Bay.
"We just love this area, even though it's quite touristy. Even though it's grey today, we've had a lovely time walking along the whole beach."
Their friends Alving, from Ripponden, and Judith, from Huddersfield, were also visiting the village. "I come here often and have been for about 50 years," Alvin said. "I think there's only about three or four permanent residents - pretty much all of it is holiday lets.
"It has been very busy over the bank holiday weekend, which can be so much, but it's so nice when it's really quiet like this. I do like that they haven't bowed to putting in loads of touristy things like in other coastal towns.
"It's so beautiful - the water and the light change all the time. There's less pollution - you definitely can't smell the traffic here like you can in West Yorkshire. My brother-in-law inherited the house from his father, and that seems to be the case for a lot of people here. Lots of the houses are owned by multiple owners."
The narrow streets and steep hills of Runswick have made it comparable in beauty to many Mediterranean villages. Couple Graham and Lane, who were visiting the village for the first time, said: "It's a lovely place, but I'm not sure these 'best places to live' rankings often consider a lot of the actual practicalities,
"It's beautiful, but I can't imagine raising teenagers or anything here or trying to find a job. You'd have to work remotely or commute somewhere else. There isn't any shops in the village either and there isn't a train station close either."
Rhianna, from Redcar, and Kate, from Hinderwell, both work at the Cliffemount, which sits at the top of the village. "It's quite nice here," Rhianna, who has been working in Runswick for a month, said. "We do mostly get people on holiday though from what I've seen rather than locals. As soon as the weather is nice we get very busy while today is much quieter."
Kate added: "We're always fully booked for rooms - there's someone in all 18 at the moment. Runswick has always been a popular place - it's a lovely place to come into though since I grew up just down the road it doesn't feel very special to me."
The reporter visited the Royal Hotel which has been managed by Tom Rose for two years. "In the winter it's so quiet here and the view is amazing. You won't get many better views in Yorkshire," Tom said.
"Runswick definitely has a certain charm to it that people fall in love with. Most of the cottage owners don't live in them but they're often here throughout the year. As soon as a holiday starts we become extremely busy.
"It has its drawbacks but you're always able to plan, which is nice. The village is really small but the amount of people that come down to visit make it feel much bigger - it almost defies its own size.
"Obviously you can never guarantee the weather in the UK, but personally I love it here whatever the weather, it's a fantastic place to work. Everyone who comes in is lovely, probably because they're all in holiday mode! We do get some locals who come in and they're lovely too. A lot of them have family, like grandchildren, who will come and stay and work here for the summer.
"All the houses have probably come down through generations. I do think Runswick is a bit of a hidden gem, but once you find it you know the whole thing. It appeals to everyone I think, it's surprising how many people enjoy coming here regularly with how little there is to actually do!"
Eventually, the reporter managed to speak to a resident at Runswick's Sandside Cafe. The owner of the Cafe, who didn't want to be named, was born in Runswick and has lived there his whole life. "It's really peaceful here on days like this, and there's no traffic. It used to never get too busy, but after the first lockdown there were lots of people flocking here," he said.
The resident added: "Limited parking does generally ensure the village doesn't get too busy even in the summer months. This café is a seasonal business though - we don't open in the winter and I've always liked having that time off. We have our summer holiday in the winter.
"I think there are 14 permanent residents here. In my lifetime though, it's always been holiday accommodation in the majority. A lot of the owners remain the same and the demographic has always been quite stable.
"There's no shopping here but it's not frustrating for us. I do wish the village was a bit more lived in, but a lot of the cottages here are actually very small and not suitable for modern residents. I think most families would struggle to actually live here.
"There are only three houses with their own parking - everyone else uses the dedicated residents' car park. It's also just very expensive to buy around here. There's generally only one cottage on the market at a time and they're very desirable for buyers.
"We do all know each other and we put on well-attended community events and organise volunteering and funds for the Runswick Bay Rescue Boat, but we're not doing community game nights every night or anything. But you would always stop and speak to your neighbours here.
"We've had too much publicity in the last two years though - it makes us too busy. When it's too heaving, everyone's experience is degraded."
Another couple, who didn't want to be named, were visiting the village for a day from Egton which isn't far away. The woman had live in Runswick as a child and referred to it as her "spiritual home". She added: "It's lovely but I prefer it out of season. I do wonder if it will quieten down again now overseas travel is completely back up and running, but it was so busy on good weather days during the pandemic.
"Runswick has changed so much over the years - I remember there being way more permanent residents. I also remember there used to be a busy local's bar and that's quite sad that it's gone. Like anywhere, the locals have been priced out.
"But a lot of the cottages you couldn't live in full-time now anyway. But obviously, we love it here - you get the sea air and there's a lovely community spirit from locals and second home owners. Everyone does get together for things.
"Houses don't come to market very often and when they do they're very expensive. Luckily we bought ours a very long time ago."
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