Sandwiched neatly between Staithes and Runswick Bay, Port Mulgrave is a former export port that would load vessels awaiting a wooden jetty with the hauls of ironstone mined from the nearby Rosedale Wyke.

When resources began to run dry in the original mine, operations were relocated to the now inactive Grinkle Ironstone mine, around 3 miles away, where mining continued. The Grinkle Mine benefited from a narrow-gauge railway line developed to transport the minerals from the site to the coastline. While no longer in operation, the tunnel entrances housed the railway and can still be seen at the harbour.

The coastline's cliffs have been noted as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, as they are host to an abundance of Ammonite, Dinosaur, and reptile fossils, many of which can be found on the beaches as they escape from the clutches of the eroding cliffs.