The North York Moors has a rich cultural heritage and the landscape is peppered with artworks both new and old that celebrate that heritage. Whether you're on the coast or inland, you're sure to find a surprise around the next corner!
The North York Moors is full of interesting outdoor art, from sculptures to trompe l'oeil and beautiful mosaics. Here's a few highlights to discover.
Different ways of seeing the sea
From the “Staithes Group” during the 19th Century to contemporary artists, the beauty of the North York Moors Coast has attracted generations of artists who’ve been inspired by the light, the impact of nature on the landscape and the wide sea vistas.
Start with Emma Stothard's amazing Coronation Lobster which welcomes you to the Bank Top carpark in Staithes. Then follow in the footsteps of the "Staithes Group" and take in the Staithes Illusion Trail, a series of trompe l’oeil works created by talented artist Paul Czainski which are on buildings across the village, taking visitors off the beaten track.
Enjoy the tranquil garden at St. Peter's Centre in Staithes - look for the mermaid and fish carvings created by local chainsaw sculptor Steve Iredale.
Head to Robin Hood's Bay to seek out the sea wall (follow the signs around the village), where you’ll find a mosaic storyboard tracing 190 million years of history from dinosaurs, shipwrecks and smuggling through to the village today. ‘The Story of Bay – Footprints through Time’, created by artist Ruth Wilkinson using 300,000 tiles, draws on ideas from residents, visitors, local artists and historians.
Look out for the ceramic of the flood and merman (both at Riverside Building), the carved fisherman in his restored coble, the Pigeon man, the anchor of the Sylvania and the 18ft long 'Evolution of Life in the Sea' mural on the Skinningrove Public Art Trail. There's also the Village storywall mosaic featuring work by local artists Derek Mosey and Helen Gaunt and the local community. Panels show various aspects of Skinningrove's history. Download a copy of the Art Trail (pdf).
Keep an eye out for three sculptures designed in steel to reflect the historic importance of the local metal-working industries when walking along the Cleveland Way National Trail from Saltburn’s seafront up onto Huntcliff. The large metal fish represents the fishing heritage; the unusual marker post denotes earth, air, sky and water; while the metal ring has 10 charms that each symbolize a piece of local folklore or culture.
Go down to the woods today
Meander through secluded Little Beck Wood Nature Reserve with its intricate mix of tree species and stop by the recently carved sculpture in collaboration with the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. The starting point was an ash tree on the edge of the Coast to Coast path, which was cut down in early 2023 due to ash die-back. Steve Iredale, has carved into the wood the poem 'Peace' by Georgia Douglas Johnson, which beautifully describes the connection with nature.
Danby Lodge National Park Centre
As you walk through the grounds of our Danby Lodge National Park Centre, seek out 'Back to our Roots sculpture by Paul Green. The sculpture is symbolic of humankind’s connection to nature, and will not be preserved in its current state, but allowed to slowly decay within its natural surroundings, making a home for mosses and fungi.