Fenay cottage was built at the end of the English civil war (between the Roundheads and Cavaliers) in 1651 by Lawrence Grainger and his son Robert. The cottage retains the key features of Baytown buildings of that time, namely External walls of hand dressed (herring bone pattern) sandstone with 'tongue and groove' construction wooden internal walls that divide each floor into rooms. Wooden beams (some of which look as though they may have been scavenged from shipyards) support the floors the room above with the underside of the boards for the ceiling of the floor below.
The cottage is tucked way down a quiet alley in the heart of the Lower bay. Despite this it is only a few steps to the nearest cafe, bookshop, pub and general store.
You enter the cottage directly into the well equipped kitchen diner.
Welcome, take a moment and enjoy a cup of Yorkshire Tea, there is milk in the fridge and Biscuits from Bothams' (our local bakery). We also start you off with some of the Basic Essentials (Soap, Toilet Rolls, Washing Up Liquid and Dishwasher tablets) that you may need for the first night.
The contemporary new kitchen is equipped with an AEG multifunction oven, Induction Hob, Microwave, Under counter Fridge and Dishwasher.
There is a handy additional Fridge Freezer in the under stairs cupboard.
The Table with fitted corner bench comfortably seats six.
There is a cast iron range cooker in the kitchen though this would not have been part of the original build as most, if not all, cottages of this period would have had an external kitchen area. It was also common for the community to use the heat of bakers ovens to cook dishes.
The Iron range is sadly no longer functional, and is therefore, usefully, used to house a wine rack.
After you ascend the stairs to the first floor, a quick peek through the landing window will confirm that you are still on the ground floor (welcome to the disorientating topography of Robin Hood's Bay).
From the Landing you can access the small private yard, private outdoor spaces are unusual in the Bay. The yard catches the morning sun and is a lovely place for a morning coffee or tea. We have recently replaced the yard furniture with two purpose made wall mounted benches. The blocked up window alcoves in the yard wall were originally the windows of the Girls school that was demolished around 1925.
The landing also has doors leading to the wet room style bathroom; a twin bedroom and the Lounge.
The Lounge is equipped with a wood burning stove that is fantastic on a cold winters evening. We leave matches, firelighters, kindling and a basket of logs to get you started, we have also produced a handy guide to lighting the stove, for those unfamiliar with this model of stove.
Stairs, with a helpful stair rope bannister, lead from the Lounge and wind up to the top floor where there are two further bedrooms, the master bedroom with a kingsize bed and a second twin bed room.
Rental of the cottage includes a permit for one car in the Fisherhead car park. This is a privately run car park that is located in the Lower Bay a short walk from the Cottage.
If you would prefer to contact us directly then please use the Contact Page