If you're the only cottage perched by the sea with a thatched roof for miles around, it's fairly inevitable that photographers and artists will choose you as their subject.
Over the years "Lady Palmers" (or Gertrude as she was known to her friends) is more recently called "Thatched Cottage"and has just received a new thatch! (September 2025)
The Grade II Listed building stands majestically at the northern point of Runswick Bay and is a privately owned home.
Lady Palmers up to the early 1900's was owned by Sir Charles Mark Palmer, 1st Baronet and Lord of the Manor of Hinderwell, as part of his Grinkle Estate. Sir Mark, was from Newcastle and made his wealth in mining and specifically iron, and he held a position in Parliament. As his business interests grew in the North East,Sir Mark ventured into Yorkshire venture mining iron.
Sir Mark was responsible for building the harbour at Port Mulgrave in order to take his iron from the land he leased at Grinkle by sea to Jarrow and to his Palmers Shipbuilding business. He built tunnels and 4 blast furnaces -the remnants of which can still be seen today. Much of the Ironstone history can be learned at Land Of Iron museum not far from us in Skinningrove.
Ownership of Thatched Cottage is now held by the Marquis of Normanby's "Mulgrave Estate" as a grace and favour property. Thatched Cottage has been leased rent free as a benefit in kind or as gratitude for services rendered, to those lucky enough to stay for short periods for people who had more than likely served the Normanby family or worked within the armed forces. Never used as a commercial holiday let, the family still use the home often. Legend states that Alf Wight of James Herriot fame stayed at Thatched Cottage, and Princess Anne and Laurel & Hardy to name a few but this has never been confirmed. Alf Wight was seen by locals one Summer and may have stayed overnight but no evidence exists to suggest it was a regular arrangement.