Can you swim at Cayton Bay?

Yes. Excellent water quality and no sewage in the last 48 hours. Cayton Bay is a designated bathing water, so it is sampled and rated every season. This answer covers water quality only, not tides, currents or lifeguard cover.

What is the water quality like at Cayton Bay?

Cayton Bay is rated Excellent in the regulator's latest annual classification, a percentile taken over readings from up to four bathing seasons. The most recent sample, taken 14 August 2026, showed 82 cfu/100ml of E. coli and 10 cfu/100ml of intestinal enterococci.

Has there been sewage at Cayton Bay recently?

No. No storm overflow within ten kilometres of Cayton Bay has discharged in the last 48 hours.

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England · North Yorkshire

Wednesday 2 September

Cayton Bay

Yes. Excellent water quality and no sewage in the last 48 hours.

Water quality only This says nothing about tides, rip currents, cold water shock or lifeguard cover. Cold water and currents are dangerous even when the water is clean. Read the local signs before you go in. What we cannot tell you.

Checked 01:33 UK time

Why this verdict

Annual classification: Excellent (positive factor)
Pollution risk forecast: Normal (positive factor)
Rainfall (24h): 0mm (positive factor)
Latest E. coli: 82 cfu/100ml (positive factor)
Latest intestinal enterococci: 10 cfu/100ml (positive factor)

Latest bacteria reading

Latest sample · 14 August 2026 · 3 weeks ago

E. coli: 82cfu/100ml
Intestinal enterococci: 10cfu/100ml

The regulator samples weekly during the bathing season. E. coli and intestinal enterococci are the indicator organisms used in the official classification.

Sewage spills, 2022 to 2024

The Environment Agency links 1 storm overflow to Cayton Bay. In 2024 it discharged 4 times.

Counted spills a year at the overflows feeding this bathing water.

2022

2023

2024

Counting every monitored overflow within ten kilometres instead, whether or not it drains here, gives 857 spills across 38 overflows in 2025.

Common questions

Can you swim at Cayton Bay?: Yes. Excellent water quality and no sewage in the last 48 hours. Cayton Bay is a designated bathing water, so it is sampled and rated every season. This answer covers water quality only, not tides, currents or lifeguard cover.
What is the water quality like at Cayton Bay?: Cayton Bay is rated Excellent in the regulator's latest annual classification, a percentile taken over readings from up to four bathing seasons. The most recent sample, taken 14 August 2026, showed 82 cfu/100ml of E. coli and 10 cfu/100ml of intestinal enterococci.
Has there been sewage at Cayton Bay recently?: No. No storm overflow within ten kilometres of Cayton Bay has discharged in the last 48 hours.

Where this data comes from

Spill counts from the Environment Agency EDM Storm Overflow Annual Returns, 2021 to 2025, published annually.
View the regulator's full profile

Other beaches nearby

Rated Poor Scarborough South Bay North Yorkshire Rated Sufficient Scarborough North Bay North Yorkshire Rated Good Filey North Yorkshire Rated Good Reighton North Yorkshire

Cleanest beaches in North Yorkshire →

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Gareth Clubb