If you’re new to Staithes, it can sometimes feel as though every cobbled street, old building, brick and bend in the Beck has a story to tell. And, frankly, it does! Staithes has a remarkably rich history for such a small village. For centuries, its people made their living from the sea, the cliffs and the land around them. Fishermen ventured out into the North Sea, miners worked the cliffs for alum, jet and ironstone, artists arrived with their easels, and generations of loc

When we think about history, we often think about what was written down — records, diaries, official documents. But in Staithes, much of the village’s past was sung. Songs carried stories. Hymns carried grief. Choruses carried community. And for generations, the people of Staithes filled chapels, cottages, pubs, hillsides and even the open seafront with music. Just recently, we shared a Victorian Staithes cricket song on this blog (here) — full of local jokes and references —

The Staithes Festival of Arts and Heritage is famous for filling our little village with music, colour, and plenty of Yorkshire charm....