Following a whopping £1.2million investment, supported by the Coastal Communities Fund and Hostelling International Sustainable Fund, in addition to the very many generous donations and supporters of YHA, YHA Boggle Hole reopened on the 6th May after an 8 month refurbishment. Our first school group of 75 children stayed for 2 nights earlier this year. This has been a very challenging yet exciting project, largely because of its unique location of having to work (literally) with the tides to get on the site!
The staff moved out and the contractors moved in, but staff Andy and Peta remained in situ to steer their ship to glory and with a lot of determination, sweat and tears along the way. The contractor handed back to allow for a very intimate soft opening before the first group descended.
So what have we done? We’ve demolished the old annexe building and replaced it with a brand new, larger environmentally sound timber frame structure ‘The Crows Nest’ which sits spectacularly above the hostel, looking directly out to the North Sea, nestled in Smugglers cove in Robin Hood's Bay.
We’ve converted the previous staff accommodation bungalow into the ‘Boat Shed’ a new multi-functional meeting room which can be booked by residents and locals alike, with separate public WCs for café and beach users. We’ve added ‘The Brigg’ a new groups/overflow dining room with stunning sea views and boat shaped decking to relax and sip sundowners on and given The Old Mill (main hostel) a facelift, which now boasts the incredible Quarter Deck Café with a stunning boat reception, a gorgeous woodburner and new modern self catering facilities any home would be proud of, as well as 5 new staff bedrooms and some additional public WCs.
We have further works planned over the coming months following an additional allocation of Coastal Communities funding, which will upgrade the hostels WCs and showers in the Mill building. It is hoped that we can also build a new pier structure and complete some necessary flood defence work.
Everyone involved in the project worked tirelessly to create and support this truly special hostel, but the creative talents, determination and passion that Peta and Andy Nugent have delivered is something quite exceptional. All Boggles committed to this iconic hostel have resulted in a superb facility for all who venture there. YHA Boggle Hole will continue to be a place where, for many young people, those all-important memories of their first school trip away from home are made. And what a place – unique!
