Skinningrove is a village about 15 miles north-west of Whitby, Yorkshire. It is in a deep valley between Cattersty Cliff to the north-west and Hummersea and Boulby Cliffs to the east. Nestled in its secluded valley it has direct access to the North Sea. Skinningrove was once a centre for smuggling and fishing. The Cleveland Way passes across the valley and continues up a steep path, before hugging the cliff edge on its way south-east towards Staithes and Whitby. North-west of the village lies the half-mile golden stretch of Cattersty Sands. An old WW2 pillbox lies on the sand.

When the nearby ironstone mines opened in the 19th Century the village expanded inland to house the miners. Skinningrove has a concrete jetty, large container ships once moored at this jetty which served the mines and steelworks but it has long since been derelict. The mines closed in the early-mid part of the 20th Century but by then a thriving steelworks had been built at Carlin How on the Cattersty Cliff top and the locals were mainly employed there. The steelworks are still the main source of employment but there remain a few fishermen based in Skinningrove. A museum was opened because of the mining heritage. Every year Skinningrove hosts a bonfire and firework display which attracts hundreds of people, each year the bonfire is a different theme.

Skinningrove had a railway station on the Whitby Redcar and Middlesbrough Union Railway. It was opened on April 1, 1875, and served the village of Skinningrove and Dalehouse. It was originally named "Carlin How", but was renamed on October 1, 1903 by the North Eastern Railway. It closed to normal passenger traffic on June 30, 1952, but retained a workmen's service to the steelworks until May 5, 1958.