John & Lin's Continuing Adventure in Their Caravan: Filey Brigg Caravan Site - Days 85

Filey Brigg Caravan Site - Days 85 - 91 of our Autumn/Winter Tour

Monday 6th to Wednesday 8th December 2021 💨🌧️ 💨💨🌧️💨💨🌧️ 💨

Well, I've got very little to say about the last few days except that the weather has been fairly miserable - but as we're deep into winter now I suppose that's only to be expected! On Monday squally heavy rain and howling winds kept us in all day, and on Tuesday we only had a short window to get out for a blow! So for that we chose to potter along part of the Cleveland Way which was easily accessible right from our doorstep.

But the track was quite wet and muddy, and although initially the wind wasn't too bad, after about an hour it became a force to be reckoned with, so by the time we were retracing our steps battle had commenced!

However, along the way, as well as enjoying fantastic oceanic views, we learnt about a strange pole that was fenced off in a field at the side of the path. Apparently, it's one of several on the Yorkshire Coast which were used to simulate rescues from stricken cargo ships. The Filey Volunteer Life Saving Rocket Company which was founded in 1872 practised rescue techniques by firing a line towards one of their members positioned at the top of the pole, but I can't imagine sitting or standing up there would have been very comfortable!

By the time we got home we were very glad to get out of the gusting winds, but the second storm of this winter 'Barra' was due in overnight so the howling gales and rattling rain that it brought with it rocked our van and disturbed our sleep throughout most of the night. However, once again, no complaints because we didn't suffer any damage and sleep can always be caught up with 😴!

By Wednesday morning the winds had lessened slightly but the intermittent rain was 'piss-isting' on and off, but we did manage to do a bit of weather dodging for a walk down onto Filey Prom without getting wet! And it's not that we really mind getting wet, and we've got all the gear to cope with it, but at the mo, because we haven't got our awning up it's quite difficult to get wet gear dry again - thus we aim to avoid a soaking if we can!

Tuesday 9th December ⛅⛅⛅🌞🌞🌞⛅⛅⛅

Hooray, at last a lovely but coldish day so we certainly weren't going to waste it! We'd soon packed a picnic and were heading for Flamborough Head for a walk from there to South Landing, and as we arrived one of the first things we saw was the imposing Lighthouse!

Built in 1806 by Samuel Wyatt at a cost of £8000, and first lit on 1st December 1806.

However, that wasn't the first lighthouse in this area, the honour for that went to the octagonal chalk tower that stood a little further back from the cliffs.

This one was built back in 1669 by Sir John Clayton and this nearly 80 foot high tower with 98 steps was designed to have a coal or brushwood fire burning on it's top! It seems that ships passing the tower were supposed to pay a tax to support the provision of the fires based on the weight of their cargo, but this wasn't enforced so many mariners didn't bother which resulted in Clayton's bankruptcy!

From there we didn't have far to walk before we came across a locked bird hide that is used by volunteers to log migratory birds as they come and go! There we learnt about the Arctic Terns and Sooty Shearwaters and their mammoth flights. They pass Flamborough on their long journey from their northern breeding grounds to the Antarctic pack ice making a round trip of about 22,000 miles and they do that every year. This results in an average Arctic Tern flying about 500,000 miles in it's life time which is the equivalent of travelling to the moon and back! Even if we add all our travel miles together John and I can't come anywhere near equalling that!

Our next magnificent sight was the cliffs just a short distance away from the lighthouse. Initially neither of us had noticed them so they came as quite a surprise as we turned to admire their glory, and the seals lazing on the beach were also an added bonus

Initially I thought there were just 2 seals on the rocks

But then we noticed a whole family having a doze!

And very soon after that I very nearly came to grief! As we were pottering along admiring the scenery I managed to slip in the mud on a down hill section and very nearly did the splits with one leg going in one direction and the other in the opposite. However, just before my 'btm' hit the ground my Knight in Shining Armour managed to grab me and restore me to an upright position😱! So with no harm having been done (other than a bit of a sore leg) we continued on (with me slipping and sliding) along the muddy path to our destination........

A bench above South Landing which was soon employed as today's dining room!

.......but rather than risk a 2nd 'incident' we decided to make our way back along the quiet country roads.

Friday 10th December 2021 🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞⛅⛅

Another fantastic day on which our destination was Bridlington! The plan was to park at Sewerby which is about a mile outside Bridlington and then to walk along the Coastal Path into the town. However, that was slightly thwarted because all the clifftop car parks at Sewerby were waterlogged and closed, so in the end we had to park nearer to the north east end of Bridlington but it didn't really matter because later in the day, after our walk along Bridlington prom, we headed back to the car, swapped our flask then walked in the opposite direction.

We joined the immaculate prom at Limekiln Lane and along it's 2 mile length there were lots of interesting facts to find, one of which was about how Surfing came to this country! It seems it was brought to our shores in 1890 by 2 Hawaiian Princes who came to England to study. Their college tutor, a Yorkshire man called John Wrightson, brought them to the seaside during a break from their studies where they rode the waves on Bridlington beach and thus the local people were introduced to the ancient Hawaiian sport of surfing 🏄‍♂️ !

And of course no seaside town would be quite complete without something to do with Punch and Judy

Our walk then proceeded on to Bridlington's old harbour which dates back to the 12th Century when the monks of Bridlington Priory had a hand in running it. Today it's undergone several rounds of modernisation and is home to more than 200 vessels that include fishing boats, angling craft, yachts, cabin cruisers and of course pleasure boats that sometimes rip you off for a 10 minute trip out onto the north sea.

The Harbour Mouth

Bridlington used to be home to a huge fleet of traditional trawling vessels but following the decline of this industry it adapted, and now one of it's claims to fame is the fact that it's the biggest shell fish port in England! The boats launch a 'fleet' of up to 40 baited lobster pots from their stern to lie on the sea bed overnight, and then the catch of crabs and lobsters are stored in boxes or large drums called bongos. These are kept in an area with fresh sea water running over then while being sorted and any unwanted catch is returned to the sea alive. As we walked we saw loads of colourful lobster pots and it was interesting to learn that each fisherman has his own way of making a pot so they are uniquely identifiable to him.

From the Harbour we continued on our way along the very smart South Prom with the intention of buying some chips to go with our sarnies, but this area was much less commercial and less busy so by the time we got to the end there was no chips to be had! Instead we made do with crisps and just enjoyed the tranquillity and sunshine as we gobbled our lunch!

A little Turnstone looking for crumbs!

By walking the full length of both North and South promenades we'd walked about 3 miles so after our picnic it was time to retrace our steps, and as we did so we nipped back onto the Harbour Wall to admire the bronze sculpture of the 'Gansey Girl' who sits knitting a Gansey (a traditional fisherman's jumper) while waiting for her husband to return from the sea.

Then finally, as we got back to the bottom of Limekiln Lane we paused to reminisce about a cycle tour we'd done back in July 2013!

For that expedition we'd packed our panniers and cycled from our home in Heanor, stopped in Morecambe, then cycled across the country to Bridlington before peddling home again! I think it was a round trip of about 400 miles which is probably about 370 more than we could manage now!

Saturday 11th December 2021 ☁☁⛅☁☁☁⛆⛆

For today the weatherman had promised rain in the afternoon, but in the event it didn't really come until much later in the evening. However, as our plan had been to miss it we'd decided to go out in the morning and to just repeat one of the walks we'd done last week. So that took us back down into Filey and up onto the cliffs beyond, before making our walk a circular one by retracing our steps along the beach. Then we climbed back up the very steep path near the sailing club which brought us back to the campsite where we tucked ourselves in for the rest of the day.

A lobster pot Christmas Tree🎅🏻

Sunday 12th December 2021 ☁☁☁☁☁☁☁

This tour is definitely heading towards it's close now and tomorrow should be our penultimate day, but because we were delayed by snow and ice in Cannock we moved our stay here at Filey on by a day so now we don't have to leave until Tuesday. However, this will probably be my last post until at least after Christmas (unless anything of great interest happens), and Tuesday will see us heading 'home' to our little Certified Location at Butterley Bank (between Ripley and Swanwick) to spend the holiday period with our family. Then, all being well, (and if Omicron doesn't get in the way) we'll be heading for Hull for the next 3 months to do a spot of house sitting for our friends Keith and Jackie while they trot off to Spain🤞.

So with that thought in mind all that remains is to wish anyone who's reading this a

Very Merry Christmas and a New Year that's filled with happiness and Joy xxx

Click here to see our present camping spot

P.S End of Tour celebratory Sunday Lunch at Charlotte's - a restaurant that claims connections with the famous author Charlotte Bronte and also one that has the 2nd oldest grape vine in the UK at nearly 200 years old!