4th August 2022
We decided to go on a short family holiday, our first for some considerable time, so we booked three nights on a campsite south of Scarborough. After pitching our tents and settling in, we had time for a walk along the top of nearby Lebberston Cliff to Cayton Sands in the evening sun (loop top left on the map below).
5th August 2022
We were here for the excellent coast walking, and there was an obvious route from our tent door – along the top of the cliffs to Filey, about 6 miles away. I spotted a viable route back through the farmland behind the coast, so that we could do a circular walk.
We retraced our steps up onto Lebberston Cliff, the ground plunging away down broken limestone cliffs to the sea 80 metres below. We turned south east, descending towards Yons Nab headland.
A motor boat was cruising below the cliffs, and I caught sight of what I thought might be a fin breaking the surface – sure enough, a pod of dolphins appeared, cavorting next to the boat for some time – what a treat.
We continued on around Yons Nab towards Gristhorpe Cliff, the path leading past a massive landslip which extended all the way down to the shore. A steep path twisted its way down over the unstable ground near the landslip, to the deserted beach below – the sands looked lovely, but we weren’t tempted!
Several large holiday parks are located along the top of Gristhorpe Cliff; the caravans perched almost right on the edge of the cliff in places. This rather spoilt what would have otherwise been an excellent clifftop walk. But the wildlife didn’t seem to mind, we spotted a pair of kestrels hovering above the steep ground at the top of the cliffs.
We eventually passed the ranks of caravans, and from Cunstone Nab we got a good view of the way ahead – Newbiggin Cliffs were quite striking, grey limestone capped by layers of sandy yellow rock, all overlain by a thick layer of boulder clay. More easy walking followed, the cliffs gradually reducing in height as we approached Filey. Inland, the ground sloped away towards the eastern end of the Vale of Pickering, with the rolling chalk landscape of the Yorkshire Wolds beyond. The wheat and barley were ripening nicely in the fields, a golden landscape.
So far, we hadn’t met many people on our walk, but as we approached Filey, we started to see a lot more, especially on Filey Brigg, a narrow headland sticking out like a finger to the north of Filey beach.
We walked out along the headland, spotting a path that led steeply down to the rocky shore below. Half way down we found a bench, an ideal place to take our lunch of cheese and oatcakes whilst watching a flock of noisy goldfinches strip some thistles of their seeds.
After lunch we descended to the shore, the path unpleasantly steep and loose in places. Rather than slither around on the seaweed covered rocks, we took to a limestone ledge that skirted above the shore, but this petered out after a while, forcing us to climb down. It really was a dramatic spot – a layer of rocks made up of large blocks was capped by crumbling boulder clay. A concrete path of sorts took us to the beach, an easy approach to the town.
Filey is a small coastal resort unspoilt by the rampant commercialisation of Skegness or Blackpool, but it was busy, this being peak holiday season. After tea and teacakes in a dog friendly cafe, we headed inland, intending to follow the Yorkshire Wolds Way out of town. I blundered into a housing estate after misinterpreting the poorly printed map that I had downloaded from the internet (that is my excuse), and I had to ask some locals where the path went – they directed me back onto the main road!
The correct path was only a short distance away, and we were soon out into the country. A sharp shower of rain caught us, and my rather blase son regretted his decision not to pack a waterproof jacket – a lesson learned, I hope.
The path crossed a busy road, slick with rain, and then took us to the pretty village of Muston, where we left the Yorkshire Wolds Way, taking a lane heading north westwards back towards our campsite at Lebberston. The lane turned into a farm track, a green lane between overgrown hedges, brightened by late summer flowers. The lane ended, and we found ourselves making our way along field boundaries, squeezing ourselves between the overgrown field margin and the golden barley. Judging by the lack of an obvious path, not many people follow this right of way, but the route was fairly obvious, heading for a mile or more along the field edges straight towards Gristhorpe. Despite us being in an arable area, this part of the walk felt quite remote, more so than the cliff tops, in some respects.
After crossing a railway line, we climbed a gentle slope to Gristhorpe – the villages really are very pretty in this area. A short walk along a bridleway and then a road took us to Lebberston, beyond which lay our far from peaceful campsite. But there was a good farm shop nearby, selling steak, local bread and beer, so we dined well!
This type of lowland walking is very different to what I normally experience in the mountain, a lot easier, certainly, but the coastal walking along the cliffs contrasted nicely with the rural villages and fields. Altogether a worthwhile 10 miles.
6th August 2022
After another disturbed night in the crowded campsite, we decided to cut our trip short and head back a day early.
But we didn’t waste the morning – we headed south past Filey to the RSPB visitor centre at Bempton Cliffs, which are composed of gleaming white chalk. A lot of bird spotters were about, obviously, but their numbers thinned as we headed south eastwards along the clifftops, towards Flamborough Head.
The cliffs really were impressive, and there certainly were a lot of birds around, the gannet colony on Scale Nab being the highlight. After cresting a rise just after the northern end of Danes Dyke, an ancient fortification running across Flamborough Head, we turned back, making use of the visitor centre cafe before returning to break camp and make our escape.
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