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Sleights Tourist Information


Sleights (which rhymes with “nights”) is a small village four miles southwest of Whitby in North Yorkshire. It is on the steep-sided river valley bordering the River Esk on the A169 between Pickering and Whitby.

Sleights once had a small chapel inhabited by a monk. Legend has it that a boar was hidden by the monk during a hunt and the enraged hunters beat him to death.

The Abbot of Whitby suggested a penance, that on Ascension Day each year the men or their descandants must gather sticks to the value of a penny and plant the sticks in the harbour before nine o'clock in the morning. If the woven hedge did not survive three tides, the men or their survivors had to forfeit their lands to the Abbey.

The “Penny Hedge” as it became known, withstood the tides for 800 years but in 1981 a high tide covered the sticks in eight feet of water. The descendants were freed from their forfeit, but the annual ceremony continues.

Present Day Sleights

Sleights has a population of just under 2,000 residents, according to the 2001 census. The village is built on a steep incline with a 1 in 4 (25%) gradient at the end of the village. Known as Blue Bank, it has an escape lane of soft sand for vehicles with faulty brakes. Over the years it has been the scene of several accidents.

At the other end of the village, the Esk Valley Railway runs beneath the road which has a high bridge across the valley. Sleights has a local station with trains regularly running from Middlesbrough to Whitby.

The village has a pretty church dedicated to St John as well as the English Martyrs Catholic Church and the Briggswath and Sleights Methodist chapel. There are two local pubs, the Salmon Leap and the Lough Inn, both on Coach Road.

For its size it has a good number of local shops which include a post office, butchers, general store, fish and chip shop, antiques shop and some tearooms. There is a sports field which is well-maintained and is popular for games of cricket. A new pavilion has just been built after a massive local fundraising effort by the local committee and is now used as the focal point of village social life.

Sleights continued to grow in the 20th century and consequently has a mix of old and new housing.


Things to do in Sleights

The Esk Valley railway is a community rail line which follows the scenic River Esk through the valley from Middlesbrough to Whitby. On occasions the North Yorkshire Moors Railway runs steam trains between Whitby and Glaisdale.

Just south of Sleights is the small hamlet of Littlebeck. Every summer the Rose Queen is crowned and floated down the river on a raft.

Just north of Sleights is a memorial to the first German airplane short down in World War II. It was detected by the radar at RAF Danby Beacon and was brought down by a plane piloted by Peter Townsend.

 

Directions
Show map of Sleights...


Attractions near Sleights
Captain Cook Memorial Museum (3 Miles)*
In Whitby's narrow, winding Grape Lane close by the busy Harbour, stood the handsome house of 18th century Quaker shipowner John Walker and his family - and - in the attic, his 'other family' of seventeen apprentices, lodging there.
Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum (12 Miles)*
On the site visitors can enjoy an exciting and authentic underground experience and discover the special skills and customs of the Cleveland miners.
Scarborough Sea Life and Marine Sanctuary (14 Miles)*
Crabs and their many clawed cousins are like marvellous machines, the armoured division of the marine world.
more attractions in Sleights and things to do in Sleights ...
* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

What's near Sleights

Attractions:
  Captain Cook Memorial Museum  3 Miles
  Whitby Abbey  3 Miles
  Roseberry Topping  7 Miles
more attractions in Sleights...
 
Towns:
  Sneaton  2 Miles
  Ruswarp  2 Miles
  Grosmont  2 Miles
more towns near Sleights...
 
Estate Agents:
  Bairstow Eves North East  3 Miles
  Richardson and Smith  3 Miles
  Inglebys Estate Agents  14 Miles
Hotels:
  Cherry Blossom Guest House  2 Miles
  Mallyan Spout Hotel  2 Miles
  Dunsley Hall Country House Hotel  3 Miles
more hotels in Sleights area...
 
Bed and Breakfast:
  Sherwood Glen Guest House  1 Mile
  Beechlands  1 Mile
  Beechlands B&B  1 Mile
more bed and breakfasts near Sleights...
 
Self Catering:
  Rowan Cottage  <1 Mile
  Throstle Nest Cottage  1 Mile
  Manor House Farm Holiday Cottages  1 Mile
more self catering near Sleights...
 
Campsites:
  Abbots House Farm  4 Miles
  Serenity Caravan and Camping Park  7 Miles
  Spiers House Caravan and Camping Site  12 Miles
TIC: Whitby Tourist Information Centre     Tel: 01723 383637  3 Miles



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Towns near Sleights
Sneaton Tourist Information (2 Miles)*
Ruswarp Tourist Information (2 Miles)*
Ruswarp is a pretty village which lies in the scenic Esk Valley, one mile south Whitby, which is on the North Yorkshire coast.
Grosmont Tourist Information (2 Miles)*
more towns near Sleights...
* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

Hotels near Sleights
Mallyan Spout Hotel (2 Miles)*
The Mallyan Spout Hotel, Goathland is an ideal base to explore 'Heartbeat Country', nearby Whitby, the Moors and the surrounding countryside. The station for the North Yorkshire Moors Railway is only a short walk from the hotel.
Dunsley Hall Country House Hotel (3 Miles)*
Dunsley Hall Country House Hotel was built in the 1900s as a dream house for the Pyman Shipping Family. Stylish and original, it retains the quality and unique character of the period.
Cliffemount Hotel - A Non-Smoking Hotel (7 Miles)*
By the sea, this very special, 3-star (AA) country house offers spectacular sea views, relaxation, comfort and a 2 AA Rosette dining experience. The unique, luxury Cliffemount Hotel is on the cliff-top above Runswick Bay.
more Sleights hotels (and nearby)...
* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

Self Catering near Sleights
Rowan Cottage (< 1 Mile)*
Rowan Cottage is a three bedroomed cottage, sleeping up to six people. The cottage sits within the beautiful village of Sleights, nestled between the seaside town of Whitby, and the delightful North Yorkshire Moors.
6 Sneaton Hall (2 Miles)*
Sneaton Hall is a grade II listed Georgian Manor House in a peaceful rural village, in the North York Moors National Park, with superb views towards Whitby.
Your property could be here
Advertising your self catering property or holiday cottage on AboutBritain.com will get you noticed by thousands of potential guests every day.
more self catering near Sleights ...
* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

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