I’ll never forget the drive up to Whitby last autumn – the leaves were turning that perfect coppery gold, carpeting the moors like a rumpled picnic blanket. Me and the family piled into the car from Leeds, kids buzzing in the back with crisps and iPads, while I blasted a playlist of sea shanties to get us in the mood. About halfway, disaster struck: a rogue pheasant decided to play chicken with our windscreen. Feathers everywhere, heart in my mouth, but we pulled over, gave it a proper Yorkshire once-over (bird was fine, thank goodness), and carried on laughing about it. That little mishap just amped up the anticipation – by the time the North Sea came into view, all steely grey under those brooding October skies, I was proper excited.

Pulling up to this rare gem built right on the grounds next to Sneaton Castle felt like stumbling into a secret. It’s close enough to Whitby town centre for a cheeky wander, but with four big bedrooms sleeping up to eight, a bubbling hot tub, and a games room stocked with everything from table football to board games, who’d want to budge? Spread over three floors, it’s decked out to a cracking standard – all the mod cons you need for total chill. First impressions? Blown away. The autumn light filtering through the windows made the whole place glow, and that hot tub overlooking the castle grounds? Pure magic as the evenings drew in early.

Autumn shaped every bit of our stay, turning the ordinary into something dead special. Mornings started with misty walks along the Cleveland Way, crunching through fallen leaves towards the abbey ruins up on the headland. The wind whipped off the sea, carrying that salty tang, and we’d huddle into our coats, pretending we were shipwrecked sailors like in Dracula (Whitby’s got that gothic vibe in spades this time of year). Lunch was always fish and chips from a harbour spot – golden batter steaming in the chill air, vinegar sharp against the briny North Sea breeze. Afternoons, we’d mooch into town, past pumpkin displays in shop windows and the lingering scent of bonfire smoke from the nearby fields. The Swing Bridge creaked underfoot, gulls wheeling overhead, and we’d grab fudge from a stall, all sticky and warming.

Evenings were the best, though – that seasonal cosiness kicked in hard. As the sun dipped low, painting the sky in bruised purples, we’d fire up the hot tub. Bubbles churning, steam rising into the crisp air, mulled cider in hand (non-alcoholic for the little ones). The games room became our den: Monopoly marathons with howling laughter, kids trouncing us adults while rain pattered on the windows. One night, staring out at the castle silhouette against the darkening woods, I had a proper moment of reflection. Life’s mad rush back home feels miles away here; autumn’s mellow pace reminded me to slow down, soak it in with the people who matter. No wonder we barely left the place some days.

We did venture out for a Halloween-themed paddle at the harbour – costumes optional, but the eerie fog rolling in made it feel like a proper Whitby ghost story. By the end of the week, cheeks rosy from the bracing air, we were gutted to pack up. If you’re chasing that autumnal North Yorkshire glow – all crisp days, hearty suppers, and that unbeatable cosy factor – this spot’s your ticket. Can’t wait to go back next leaf-fall.