Why Flamborough Head rewards a day on foot

Flamborough Head is the great white promontory that juts out into the North Sea between Bridlington and Filey, and it is one of the finest stretches of coastal walking in Yorkshire. The cliffs here are chalk — the highest and most dramatic on the east coast — rising to around 30 metres in places and glowing brilliantly when the sun catches them. Add two lighthouses, deep rocky bays, sea caves and one of the biggest seabird colonies in England, and you have a headland that is worth setting aside a full day for.

The classic outing is a circular walk around the headland, roughly eight to nine miles depending on how many detours you take down to the bays. It is not a difficult route in terms of climbing, but it is exposed, occasionally muddy and can be genuinely wild in a northerly breeze. In good weather, though, it is hard to beat.

Getting there and choosing your start

Most walkers begin at one of three car parks: South Landing, North Landing or the lighthouse. South Landing is arguably the best starting point because it sets up the walk in the right order — you head north-east along the cliffs with the best of the scenery still ahead of you and the option of a gentler return through the village.

• South Landing — a wooded ravine leading down to a small beach, with parking and a good spot to check the day's sea conditions.
• North Landing — the prettiest bay on the headland, with a slipway, caves and a steep but short climb out onto the cliff path.
• The lighthouse — the shortest approach to the headland tip, useful if you want a shorter walk or are arriving late in the day.

Seasonal buses run between Bridlington, Flamborough village and the main landing points in summer, which makes a one-way walk perfectly possible if you would rather not retrace your steps.

The route: cliffs, bays and lighthouses

From South Landing the path climbs through scrub and out onto open clifftop, with views back towards Bridlington and forward to the headland. The going is mostly grass and bare earth, with a few short sections of steps. Keep the sea on your left and you cannot really go wrong.

The first big reward is Selwicks Bay, a deep, almost amphitheatre-like inlet beneath the old lighthouse. This is where the chalk really shows off — sheer white walls, dark caves at the base and a beach that appears and disappears with the tide. Climb on and you reach the headland tip, where the current lighthouse stands, the fourth on the site and still an unmistakable landmark.

Beyond the lighthouse the coast bends north-west towards North Landing, with its arch, caves and cluster of boats. From here you have a choice: continue along the cliffs towards Thornwick Bay and Bempton, or turn inland and walk back through Flamborough village on quiet lanes. The village route is a good option if the weather turns or your legs have had enough of the wind.

Birds, seals and what to look for when

The cliffs are at their most alive between April and July, when tens of thousands of seabirds return to nest. Guillemots and razorbills crowd the narrow ledges, kittiwakes call constantly, and fulmars glide past on stiff wings. Puffins are the star attraction — small, comic and easiest to spot from May to mid-July, particularly around North Landing and the northern cliffs.

• Spring: birds returning to the ledges, wildflowers on the clifftop, quieter paths.
• Early summer: peak seabird season, puffins, best chance of calm bright days.
• Autumn: seawatching weather, gannets and skuas passing offshore, dramatic light.
• Winter: bracing walks, big seas and very few other people about.

Grey seals are common off the headland and often haul out on the rocks below the cliffs. Keep your distance, stay quiet, and never try to get between a seal and the sea.

Practicalities: tides, weather and safety

Chalk is beautiful and treacherous in equal measure. It crumbles, it gets slick after rain, and the cliff edge is not always where it looks. Walk at least a few metres back from the rim, particularly on grassy sections where the turf overhangs.

• Check the tide times before heading down to any beach — Selwicks Bay and North Landing are cut off quickly, and the slipways can be slippery.
• Wear proper boots with decent grip; trainers are fine on a dry day but miserable on wet chalk.
• Take a windproof layer whatever the forecast says. Sea fret can roll in within minutes and drop the temperature sharply.
• Keep dogs on leads near livestock and around the seabird colonies, where ground-nesting birds are easily disturbed.
• Carry water and food. There are cafés and a pub in Flamborough village, but nothing on the cliff path itself.

Making a break of it

Flamborough Head works well as a day trip, but it is even better as a short break. Base yourself in Flamborough village, Bridlington or Filey and you can spread the walking over two or three days: the headland circuit one day, the cliffs north towards Bempton another, and a gentler afternoon around Danes Dyke, where a wooded ravine runs down to a quiet shingle beach.

Time it right — a settled week in late May or June — and you will get long daylight, nesting seabirds, and the cliffs at their dazzling best. Time it wrong and you will still get a bracing walk, empty clifftops and the North Sea doing what it does. Either way, take the path around the headland at least once. It is one of the great coastal walks of northern England, and it is right here in Yorkshire.