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As I write this blog entry the UK is still under lockdown due to the Covid19 pandemic. Also the UK is just coming out of the coldest weather it’s seen for many years with the temperatures here in Derby dropping down to -5 degrees C. In fact, a temperature of -20 degrees was recorded in Braemar, Scotland on 11 February 2021 was the lowest recorded in the UK since 1995.
This spell of cold weather coupled with lockdown caused me to think back to warmer times, holidays and being by the sea. To this end I decided to look through my back catalogue of images to 2019 and my visit to Flamborough Head.
In my previous blog post I was visiting the RSPB Bempton Cliffs & Seabird Centre near Filey. Having spent the morning and part of the afternoon at the Seabird Centre I decided that it might be nice to travel down the coast for a few miles and visit Flamborough Head. Flamborough Lighthouse is only six miles from Bempton so fifteen minutes after leaving Bempton car park I was sat in the car park adjacent to the Lighthouse. I had visited here some years before on a very dull day. This time the weather was very different. Blue skies and warm sunshine.
Flamborough Head Lighthouse was built back in 1806 although there has been a lighthouse here since in 1669. The current one acts as a waypoint for deep sea vessels and coastal traffic as well as marking the Flamborough Headland for vessels heading for the ports of Scarborough and Bridlington.
One of the other interesting buildings near to the lighthouse is the radio station with its antenna towers and white washed buildings. Initially a fog signal station built in 1859 it developed over the years to become a coastal radio station.
Following the path from the Lighthouse, passing the Radio Station buildings you eventually end up adjacent to the cliff face with spectacular views of the cliffs and rocks in the bay. At the right time of the year similar seabirds to those at Bempton Cliffs can be seen including Puffins. Seals can also be seen in the bay.
On the day I visited I was lucky to see a few seals bobbing up and down. Occasionally breaking the surface and enjoying the warmth of the sun. The longest lens I had in my camera bag was my Nikon 70-200mm. A longer one would have been nice but I did manage to grab a few shots of the seals.
There are a good number of coastal paths spreading out from Flamborough head. I walked along the path heading south and grabbed a few landscape shots.
Eventually time got the better of me so I headed back to the car park, grabbed a couple of cans of Tango from the shop, took a long look out to see then headed back to my Hotel in Thirsk.
Flamborough Head is a truly beautiful and spectacular part of the UK and well worth a visit. It’s worth checking the tide times too, At the time I visited the tide was in so the small bay beneath the cliff top was inaccessible which was a shame as I like walking along the beach area doing some intimate landscapes.
