By the Secret Residential Trip Reader!The improbably named Boggle Hole is a mysterious old smugglers cove, situated in a hidden gully, in the middle of Robin Hood's Bay on the east coast of Yorkshire. It lies between the idyllic fishing port of Whitby and the busy holiday resort of Scarborough. Boggle Hole is the perfect 'first residential' trip for children. The history, stunning location and local myths inspire and capture the imagination of children and there is also a huge amount to do. The activities in our field visit centred around Robin Hood's Bay itself, but Boggle Hole is part of the canvas that makes up the North Yorkshire National Park, and I've listed some other potential activities and useful links at the end of this page.
If you have any queries about this trip, or any advice about organising it, please do contact us |
Boggle Hole at a glance2 Days / 1 Night
Years 3 & 4 Estimated cost: £60 per child Curriculum covered: English, art, science, geography Boggle Hole IS stunning. However, it's remoteness means that it will take you some time to get there! The best approach from the south is up the A1 and onto the A64 past York. Your SATNAV will try to take you through the beautiful national park, but frankly, you may need to get out the sick bags if you go this way.
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YHA Boggle Hole is the perfect place to stay for school parties of relatively young children. It's fairly small, you can book out areas of the hostel which are segregated by card activated corridor locks (a safeguarding dream) and is very competitive on price. In 2016, it cost us £35 per night, per person (inc. VAT) and this included a hot breakfast, a prepared packed lunch and an evening meal during our first night. It's also worth mentioning that YHA apply a 50% discount to food and accommodation for children who are eligible for free school meals. The food is perfect - pizza, pasta and potato - carb heavy dishes. Wonderful when you've spent the whole day outdoors.
Booking couldn't be simpler - just visit the YHA website, assess availability, and then call the sales line. Tel: 0800 0195 465 www.yha.org.uk/schools We generally pay 50% of the costs upfront, and the rest 12 weeks before we set off; great if parents are paying in instalments. One thing to bear in mind though is that you can't unload all of your clothing and equipment outside the hostel as it is accessed down a narrow farm track which goes all the way down to the sea. You will need to unload in the public parking area about a quarter of a mile away and walk down hill to the Hostel itself. This really adds to the sense of excitement and adventure with young children. You can either pack light (definitely recommended!) - or my top-tip is to liaise closely with the hostel management and kindly ask them to use one of their 4 wheel drive vehicles to take your supplies to base on arrival! |
A Boggle is a kind of pixie or brownie (perhaps “house elf” would be a more modern term), who would, if treated kindly, be happy to help with household chores, in return for a saucer or two of milk. Mean and ill tempered householders would find Boggles rather less helpful! Stories have been told of Boggles smashing dishes, or blowing soot from the chimney all over the house. It is always best to be nice to Boggles! |
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Day 1
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Along the way, we discussed coastal erosion; the cliffs often collapse into the sea during winter storms. You can see that this has happened clearly from the beach, and you will often find superb fossils. From the top of the cliffs, you can also clearly see how the sea has eroded the land over time from the rock formations in the bay itself at low tide. Again, this was a topic that we began in geography before the trip, and spent some on it afterwards.
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The Essentials
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Optional Items
!!Contraband!!
The key thing with fieldwork, especially in windy coastal environments is layers. Children in all likelihood will need to be able to add and remove layers during each day, so lightweight clothing is essential. |