England: 6 Places to Visit in East Yorkshire

Yorkshire, God’s own country! And our home county. We were both born and bred in East Yorkshire and still live here to this day. It is the place we call home and the place we are raising our very own children. East Yorkshire is often overlooked in favour of its neighbour North Yorkshire. Yes, it is home to cosmopolitan cities, a glorious coastline and breathtaking countryside. Well, guess what? East Yorkshire has all that too. Having lived here for a combined 86 years, we have had the opportunity to experience a lot of it. Plus as our kids are small and international travel was off the cards for a while, we have delved deeper into what is on offer in our corner of the world. Here are just a few of the best places to visit in East Yorkshire.

Bridlington

The largest seaside resort in East Yorkshire is Bridlington and visiting when you are a kid living on the East Yorkshire coast is a must. Even a day trip feels like a mini holiday. So there’s no wonder people from far and wide travel to Bridlington every year to experience it for themselves. Bridlington is a traditional seaside town with everything kids (and big kids) need to have a great time.

There is a range of accommodation available from campsites to hotels, meaning there is somewhere for every budget. Yes, there’s a beach, so don’t forget to come armed with a bucket and spade but there’s also a fairground, amusement arcades, various boat trips and every seaside town food you can imagine. Just watch out for the seagulls who have a habit of swooping in and stealing right from your hand!

The Small Seaside Towns

The East Yorkshire Coast is also home to two smaller seaside towns – Hornsea and Withernsea. Both of which we have been to more times than we can count. Both are quintessential seaside towns. They have the three main things any seaside town should have – beautiful beaches, amusement arcades, ice cream and fish and chips.

Having travelled the world and visited some of the most beautiful beaches on offer, you’d think two OK (ish) beaches on the East Yorkshire coast would pale in comparison and maybe before we had kids we did. But seeing our children’s faces light up when we say we’re heading to the seaside for the day, even in the middle of winter, makes me love these two little towns even more. We hope our children remember their times here fondly like we do when we were kids.

Beverley

We love Beverley and are proud to have lived there for nearly 8 years from 2012 to 2020. This beautiful market town often finds itself on ‘top places to live’ lists in a lot of the national newspapers. Having worked there for 20 years and being former residents we can certainly understand why. Beverley has a lovely town centre which boasts shops, bars and several restaurants.

It is also home to Beverley Minster which stands proudly in the town. The Minster is one of the largest parish churches in the UK and is worth a visit if you visit the area. If getting back to nature is your thing and you are not afraid of cows, then head to the Westwood to indulge in a long walk and then a yummy Burgess ice cream. And if you fancy a flutter check out Beverley racecourse and its regular meets.

Hull

Kingston upon Hull (Hull) is a particular place in East Yorkshire that is close to our hearts. Vicky was born here and spent the first 28 years of her life calling it home and Mr ESLT wracked up 18 years living in the city. Hull may not have the best reputation but it is one of the great places to visit in East Yorkshire and somewhere you need to experience for yourself. You are likely to be pleasantly surprised.

As the only city in East Yorkshire, it is the main place to head if you want to shop in department stores and high street shops. It also has a thriving nighttime scene with lots of bars and clubs together with a lot of restaurants both chains and independents. Hull is also home to the world’s only submarium. Here you will find over 3000 creatures, including sharks, sawfish and even penguins. A visit to the Deep is a great and educational day out.

The Humber Bridge (and Hessle)

The Humber Bridge joins East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire and spans the River Humber. The bridge was opened on 24th June 1981. It was then the world’s longest single-span suspension bridge. Even though it has now lost that title it is still a great sight to see. If you are able you can also walk the 2.22 km across it. In the surrounding area, you will find the Humber Bridge Country Park (known locally as Little Switzerland). It is a haven for people and wildlife set amongst woods, meadows, ponds and cliffs.

Hessle is also now our home town, having moved at the beginning of the first national lockdown in 2020. We are slowly getting to know our new town and finding out what it has to offer. So far we have discovered lovely independent cafes and shops together with bars, restaurants and the usual high street offerings.

Cottingham

Cottingham – the scene of a lot of Vicky’s misspent youth. Having gone to Cottingham High School and Cottingham 6th Form she can confirm that there are a lot of traditional pubs here. Many of which also offers tasty pub grub. Cottingham lays claim to the title of the largest village in England and even though it is only classed as a village it offers everything you would expect from a town.

There is a great sense of community in Cottingham and it often plays host to a range of events and activities both in the pubs and in the Cottingham Civic Hall. These range from beer festivals to gigs and concerts. Cottingham also holds a popular market on Cottingham Green in the heart of the village (which is very much just a car park and in no way green) every Thursday. There are a variety of products on offer.

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