10/10/2026
The Robin Hood’s Bay pub with a secret smuggling past. 🍻 ⚓
Hidden on a steep, winding street in Robin Hood’s Bay is a tiny 18th-century pub with a fascinating history and a legendary connection to the village’s notorious smugglers!
The Laurel Inn is said to have been linked to the harbour by a secret underground passage, once used to move contraband away from the shore and out of sight of the customs officers.
Whether the tunnel tale is fact or folklore, it’s a reminder of a time when Robin Hood’s Bay was a thriving smuggling hotspot, with secret passages, hidden cellars and illicit goods passing through the village.
Today, the Grade II listed Laurel Inn is a much more welcoming hideaway, famous for its cosy traditional bar, roaring fire on chilly days, friendly atmosphere and excellent real ales, including Theakston’s Old Peculier.
Dating back to the early 1700s, it’s one of those wonderfully old-fashioned pubs where the conversation flows as freely as the b**r.
There’s no food, no fancy frills, just a proper Yorkshire pub packed with character, centuries of history and perhaps a few secrets still hidden within its walls.
📍The Laurel Inn, New Rd, Robin Hood's Bay, YO22 4SE
