One of the great things to come out of these Covid times has been discovering places nearby that we haven’t yet explored.
I love going to new places and am quite shocked at how many so close to me that I haven’t yet been to!
Falling Foss has been on my list for quite some time and recently we finally got around to going.
Falling Foss is a waterfall amidst a forest not too far from Whitby, in the North Yorkshire Moors.
A beautiful location and a stunning drive to get there no matter which way you’re coming from (mind the sheep though!).
We parked at the May Beck car park which was the closest one according to google maps but there is actually one nearby the Falling Foss cafe (more about that later) so you can park there if you don’t want a walk first to get to the waterfall.
Walking is one of the main reasons we came here though. We love to walk and it’s always nice to take in some new scenery along the way.
There are a ton of walks here around the forest (Sneaton forest) and so many different directions and routes to take.
We headed straight to the cafe for refreshments but also mainly to use the loo! After a fair drive there and a 20ish minute walk to the cafe, the thought of doing a circular walk without going to the toilet was unimaginable! As far as I am aware there are no other toilets.
The Falling Foss Tea Garden is great! This was a super excuse to visit. Set in the middle of the woods right next to the waterfall it has a captive audience.
String lights, wood cabins, outdoor seating only. It’s an authentic and rustic happy place for anyone seeking a drink and a sit-down.
I had messaged them via their Instagram ahead of time to see if they had any vegan options and they responded promptly saying that they have a limited menu but they always try to have something to offer. I’m so happy when people are honest like that with their response. We knew then to pack a picnic but we could stop and check them out for a snack, and that’s exactly what we did!
A word of warning: The tea rooms were busy. We went mid-week during covid times and they were packed! Plus, toilets are only for paying customers. The forest was also busy. Plenty of room for social distancing but not so much for squatting behind a tree in time before the next person passed by!
A loo break, flapjack, and lemonade later we were on our way!
The tea gardens have a helpful guide pinned up on one of the cabins explaining how to get down to the bottom of the waterfall if you want to. They don’t recommend it but they do show you how and honestly I am so glad they did. FOLLOW THAT GUIDE IF YOU DO GO DOWN. There is no official and fully safe route down and that tea room has done everyone a huge favour by putting that route on there for sure! We ‘accidentally’ took a ‘shortcut’ which ended in me sliding down a pretty steep drop. Let’s just say I didn’t look quite as put together as some of the people heading down there in full-glam to get their Instagram shots – they had obviously taken the better route! Regardless, you will have to cross the stream on logs and stones so be aware.
The waterfall is stunning. Well-worth seeing. It took me back to my wonderful memories of travelling around New Zealand. So much nature and natural surroundings.
You can of course play it safe and view it from the top but from the bottom is an experience in itself. The best part is that’s not many people do. We had someone there when we got there (they left as we arrived) then someone else came down when we left. Plenty of time to take photos and, more importantly, take it in.
We had intended to do a circular walk we had seen online but after the walk to get to the tea rooms and scaling a cliff-esque drop to get to the waterfall we decided that was enough excitement for one day and headed back to the car park where we had our picnic before heading home.
I’m so happy we have ticked Falling Foss off the list and am looking forward to going back to the forest to do more of the walks. There’s so much to explore in that area alone!
