There are plenty of things to do and see that include natural wonders along some of the most dramatic stretches of Yorkshire’s Heritage Coast.
Living Seas Centre
This is the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust leading the way in helping people understand why we should protect and conserve wild places and wildlife for all to enjoy. There are 104 nature reserves under its care in Yorkshire including Flamborough Cliffs; visit the centre with your children and let them loose in the Discovery Room or sign up for a seashore safari.
Bempton Cliffs
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds’ nature reserve at Bempton Cliffs (a short distance from Flamborough village) where over 250,000 seabirds flock to find a mate and raise their young, aims to attract 80,000 visitors – human ones, that is – during the next five years. There are safe viewpoints on the cliff tops to allow you to see the nesting birds and RSPB volunteers are on hand to answer all your questions.
Choose the time you visit carefully to ensure you make the most of the spectacle. Between March and October gannets, guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, herring gulls, fulmars and shags make their home here and, between April-July, puffins join the throng.
Lighthouses
What’s a dramatic coastline without a lighthouse or two? Spot the white chalk tower on your left as you drive along Lighthouse Road towards Flamborough Head. It was built as a lighthouse in about 1674 although never lit. Today’s ‘modern’ lighthouse was lit in 1806 Although the lighthouse is no longer manned its rotating light remains a key waypoint for coastal traffic. Tours of the lighthouse are given in the summer. Both lighthouses are Grade II listed.
Go to flamboroughmanor.co.uk/lighthouses.htm for some of the best information.
Toposcope
Seek out the toposcope, which looks like a cone-shaped pebble litter bin, near the lighthouse, commemorating the Battle of Flamborough Head, a naval battle that took place on September 23rd, 1779 between a Franco-American squadron, led by Continental Navy officer John Paul Jones and two British escort vessels protecting a large merchant convoy.
Danes Dyke
These defensive earth works are a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a nature reserve. Visitors can explore the area either on foot or horseback. Dogs are welcome too. Definitely worth a visit.
danesdyke.com
Flamborough Fire Festival
First impressions of Flamborough village are ones of peace and tranquillity until you learn about the plans for New Year’s Eve. Organisers of the Flamborough Fire Festival are ready to re-enact the Battle of Flamborough led by King Canute the Great; arrange a Viking longship to be pulled through the village streets and to sound off with plenty of music, drums and horns. Not to mention a fireworks spectacular at midnight. But all of this is in a good cause, to raise money for charities and local community groups as well as a lively way of bringing the whole village together.
