The Yorkshire coast has secured celebrity backing after being nominated for a raft of national awards.
A panel of coastal experts – including TV’s Ben Fogle and Olympic sailor Ben Ainslie – have shortlisted The Cleveland Way National Trail, Whitby and the Woodlands hotel in Sandsend as among the best in the country.
Now it’s up to the public to decide who should take the crown in the Coast Magazine Awards 2012 by voting on-line.
Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire said: “We already know that the Yorkshire coast is a national treasure but now we need your vote to make it official. We feel very proud that the panel have handpicked the nominations and all three are the only ones in their categories from the North of England. We feel that’s a terrific achievement in itself!”
Historic Whitby is already a magnet for visitors with its cobbled streets, Blue Flag Beach and links to Captain Cook and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The award-winning Woodlands is just a few miles north of the town, in the picturesque village of Sandsend. The 109–mile Cleveland Way National Trail starts in Helmsley and follows a horseshoe line around the North York Moors National Park to its finish at the coastal resort of Filey.
Malcolm Hodgson, Cleveland Way National Trails Officer, added:
The Cleveland Way National Trail is a great way to see all that the North Yorkshire & Cleveland Heritage Coast has to offer. Breathtaking views, geology, fascinating archaeology, picture-postcard fishing villages and lively coastal resorts – it has all this and much more. I’m really pleased it has been nominated for this award and hope it encourages more people to come and enjoy the area.
The Cleveland Way National Trail is nominated for the Best Coastal Path, Whitby for the Best Seaside Holiday Destination and the Woodlands in Sandsend has been nominated for Best Hotel By The Sea.
There are ten categories in total with five contenders in each and voting has already begun online
Voting finishes on 9 January 2012 and winners will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony on 23 April 2012. The Awards are sponsored by British fashion brand Joules.
