England Coast path part 71 Hornsea to Withernsea

  Friday 28th March

Miles 14.96 Miles     

Elevation Gain 499 feet   

Total days walking 81 (excluding the swcp)

Total mileage 1663.24 (including the swcp)

Another bright sunny day is forecast, as we leave the comfort of the Hayloft accommodation & make our way back to the path the over cast sky clears & the sun shines on us. 

Today is another beach day as there is no cliff path & with the cliff crumbling into the sea it's no surprise that it, the path route is still in the planning stages.

Again the tide is just right, still receding giving us plenty of time to complete the walk, we pass a local resident who casts doubt on my planning as she doesn't think we will be able to pass at Mappleton but un-deterred we press on. 

There are plenty of boulders on the beach but nothing impassable, although i did get rather too close to a seal invisibly resting in amongst the rocks, it wasn't until it screamed at me that i saw it as it raised its head into the sky & saw me off!

Again the cliffs are in really bad state crumbling away with properties on the brink of collapse & mud slides cascading down the cliff faces on to the beach.

Way down the beach, relics of ww2 structures that once would have sat proudly on the cliff tops, manned by soldiers keeping a watch over the seas for approaching enemy aircraft & ships.

arriving in Withernsea we greeted by a rather fun depiction of some beach huts & their occupants.

finding a cafe we tuck into some lunch, another section completed.

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England Coast path part 70 Bridlington to Hornsea

 Thursday 27th March

Miles 12.84 Miles     

Elevation Gain 362 feet   

Total days walking 80 (excluding the swcp)

Total mileage 1648.28 (including the swcp)

Leaving our accommodation we are straight on the path a short way along the promenade down a few steps we are in the small fishing dock, its low water so the boats are resting at odd angles on the sea bed, limp, waiting to be rescued by the water to pick them up & allow them back to work. 

Out of the harbour area & back on the prom for a few miles before it abruptly ends forcing us down onto the sand, across the soft dry powdery sand down to the wet hard sand where we remain for many miles with big skies & a long horizon spreading out in front of us.

To our right the crumbling land battered by the sea forcing the caravan holiday parks to get smaller with the remnants of the infrastructure hanging on pipes & wires swinging in the air waiting to fall & be claimed by the sea.

To our left the sea, the vast sea expanse as far as can be seen with gill nets anchored to the beach & weighed down to the sea bed waiting for the sea to return & bring with it fish to get caught.

The cliffs get lower until they are just blending into the beach, we stop for a coffee from the flask accompanied by hot cross buns, all at a three legged picnic table on the edge of the field the forth leg broken off & propped up by some rocks.

Continuing along the way until we arrive on the outskirts of Hornsea where we sit & take it all in before continuing the last few steps into Hornsea where we have a visit to a fish & chip shop, faced with the choice of a traditional fish cake or a northern fish cake a potato fish sandwich dipped in batter & fried delicious if not too much fat!

Hornsea is a really well kept place with flower baskets every where & a volunteer army  keeping the place spick & span all the cycle racks are well painted, we meet a volunteer painting away merrily, a good place to live.

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England Coast path part 69 Thornwick bay Flamborough to Bridlington

 Wednesday 26th March

Miles 9:16 Miles     

Elevation Gain 576 feet   

Total days walking 79 (excluding the swcp)

Total mileage 1635.44 (including the swcp)

A good night & we are back at the start of our days walking round North Marine Estate & back on the cliff tops & yes Puffins! Puffins standing on the cliff ledges their bright orange legs standing out like little beacons saying ''here look here I'm a Puffin''

On we go past not one but two golf courses! making up for the lack of them yesterday!

Up & down the steep steps past the Flamborough life boat station stopping for a coffee taking in the spectacular views. For March the temperature is hot the wind has died down we make our way on & into Bridlington.

Bridlington it sounds like an idealistic Yorkshire holiday destination Bridlington a soft Yorkshire sound but NO it's not, it consists of arcades with the messages inviting you in to spend your money the smell of fried food & ice cream outlets.

We find it has a Weatherspoon's pub where we have a bite to eat & then its off to find our apartment which is on the path.

Its above some shops & has bright pink doors but its a huge clean space & can sleep five people.

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England Coast path part 68 South Filey to Thornwick bay Flamborough

 Tuesday 25th March

Miles 12.16 Miles     

Elevation Gain 810 feet   

Total days walking 78 (excluding the swcp)

Total mileage 1626.28 (including the swcp)

Waking to another bright sunny morning we are soon fed & watered & on our way leaving the luxury mobile home behind us.

Back on the path its nice walking but we have to head inland following the path to  navigate  around & over a stream known as the Flat Cliff Gill, Heading along the path we meet a local who advised us that walking the beach route was a much nicer way than the cliff top but in retrospect I think I would have preferred the cliff top as the beach went on with what seemed like no way off.

 But we did see some great relics of the war defences having been bought down from the cliff tops by the sea eroding the cliff faces, of course with the sea levels rising the erosion will only get worse.

Asking another local on the beach who said she didn't think there was anyway off further on so we turned back & followed a road up through a mobile home holiday park where no one seemed to know the way to the cliff top path, we eventually found it & a handy picnic bench for our elevenses.

Continuing on along the cliff top we do see a dead bat recently deceased & in perfect condition just resting on the grass beside the path.    

The cool wind blowing we continue along the cliff tops where we pass through RSPB Bempton we can see lots of sea birds swooping & hovering on the wind & sitting in their roosts on the cliff walls gannets, razor bills possibly puffins, Kitty wakes & more, an interesting stretch of coast, Today however no mandatory golf course!

The puffins are coming so hopefully we can spy on some later on in the week.

We arrive at North marine estate close to where we were staying Just off the path so we stop Strava & head inland to Flamborough & our accommodation a cabin in the garden.

We drop our bags & go to the local coop for our daily supplies then back to the cabin & chill for the evening.

                                            

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England Coast path part 67 Scarborough South Filey

 Monday 24th March 2025

Miles 11.41 Miles     

Elevation Gain 1029 feet   

Total days walking 77 (excluding the swcp)

Total mileage 1641.12 (including the swcp)

So its a Monday morning, normal routines are out of the window, we are going away walking (again) for the week. Our plan is to walk from Scarborough to Withernsea but the footpath is a bit sketchy on the map from Bridlington so ''boots on the ground'' lets go & see!

Our little stroll to our local Epsom Downs station  to catch the 0808 is surprisingly uneventful, the sun is shining Its cold but we are forecast to have good weather, here's hoping.

An event on the train which for the class of school children on a trip with their stressed teachers was exiting, one boy sitting at a table with his three class mates was causing a commotion but he managed to get his mates into trouble & the teacher moved them so he was now at a table seat by himself!

At Victoria station then down onto the underground where its that usual crush on the tube to get to Kings cross & the LNER high speed East coast train line up to Scarborough.

A quick journey & we alight at Scarborough to bright sunshine & a cool breeze. We make our way back down to the beach front to the funicular railway where we finished on our previous trip. Strava set we are off for what should be a nice nine mile walk.

On our way we pass two more funicular railways Who knew Scarborough had three funicular railways all built by our courageous fellow Victorian ancestors.

Shortly before we arrive at Filey we are told there are some seals on the rocks below, Sure enough a pup with its mother can be seen the pup swimming around the rocks while its mother basks in the sun.

Arriving in Filey we veer off the path to stock up on supplies for the night picking up some chips & bits at the chippy, must say not the best chips a little soggy & a very dark colour but tasted ok.

Carrying on for the last few miles to our accommodation for the night we pass over the seems to be compulsory golf course on our walk. Arriving at Primrose holiday village & find our very clean with heating & hot & cold water (unlike a previous experience) six berth mobile home, it's pretty much on the path so happy days. A slight under estimation on the mileage as it comes in at 11.5 

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