Yorkshire Walks

The edge of Glen Gardens next to our parking spot on West Avenue

Setting off along West Avenue towards Filey Golf Club

We parked at map ref. TA 116 800 by the roadside on West Avenue after finding that the car park charge is over £5 for 4 hours. From our parking spot we set off southwards walking along the road to the end of West Avenue at the entrance to Filey Golf Club.

Today low water in Filey Bay would be at about 12.30pm. The weather forecast promised a fine sunny, cold day with blustery wind. My friend Jim & I drove to Filey and headed for the large 'Pay-&-Display' car park off West Avenue, and free road side parking on West Avenue itself.

Turning left at the entrance to Filey Golf Club

Following the route of the Centenary Way along the side of Filey Golf Club

Turning right off the Centenary Way on to the cliff top footpath

Looking southwards across Filey Bay to Flamborough Head

Cliff top path heading for Primrose Valley

Filey Brigg and the line of rocks altogether are about 1.5km long forming the northern end of Filey Bay. Ahead of us we were looking across the sweep of the bay to the distant Flamborough Head at the southern end of Filey Bay. We walked along the cliff top path for about 800m. Here the path dropped down a series of steps through the woodland thicket into Primrose Valley.

At the end of West Avenue we turned left along a bridleway that is part of the route of the Centenary Way. We followed this bridleway for about 220m with the golf course over the fence on our right, then we turned right leaving the Centenary Way route and following a public footpath along the top of the cliffs. Behind us there was a view over Filey to the headland of Filey Brigg.

Looking back northwards to Filey Brigg

Cliff top path heading for Primrose Valley

Cliff top path heading for Primrose Valley

Dropping down the steps into Primrose Valley

Access to the beach from Primrose Valley Holliday Village

Crossing Muston Sands towards Filey

After about 70m from the fork along this awkward path we came out onto an access track to the beach from the Primrose Valley Holiday Village. The tide was well out by now with another couple of hours to low water. At the beach we turned left and walked along Muston Sands towards Filey.

Near the bottom of the valley the path forked. The right hand fork headed down more steps and up the valley. We took the left hand fork heading towards the beach. This path soon became eroded and quite slippery and awkward.

Looking back to the access track from the holiday village

Approaching the southern end of the promenade at Filey

Walking along Filey beach with the promenade on our left

There is a magnificent beach at Filey when the tide is out

Turning off the beach and up the slipway at Coble Landing

The other surveyor was holding a surveyor's target staff at intervals along the foot of the sea wall at the edge of the promenade. It was a beautiful day but there were not many people about. We continued along the beach to the northern end of Coble Landing where the Filey fishing fleet, fishing cobles, would have been hauled up out of the water. Today there were just two small inshore fishing boats there.

After about 900m we came to the southern end of the Filey sea front promenade. There are public toilets here on the promenade but we stayed on the beach and continued northwards along the sands. There were two surveyors at work on the beach but I have no idea what they were surveying. One was riding a quad-bike up and down the beach, which looked like good fun.

Nearing the northern end of the promenade at Coble Landing

Looking back along the Coble Landing slipway to Filey Brigg

An inshore fishing boat at Coble Landing

The Lifeboat Station at Coble Landing

Statue by Ray Lonsdale, of a fisherman on the Filey sea-front
There's more of his work on the North Bay at Scarborough

From the lifeboat station we continued along the sea front promenade with seaside games like crazy golf etc and a large statue of a fisherman called "A High Tide in Short Wellies". We walked along the promenade to the site of the paddling pool and a ramp up to the promenade from the beach.

We turned left off the beach and walked up the Coble Landing slipway where we stopped for a coffee at a small cafe with a nice view of Filey Brigg and the pattern of erosion on its side. After our coffee we continued southwards along the promenade past the lifeboat station.

Continuing along the sea-front promenade

Continuing along the promenade towards the paddling pool

Ramp up from the beach to the promenade next to the paddling pool

Crossing the road to the edge of Glen Gardens

There are steps up the embankment and we took the series of steps on our left, nearest the sea. We climbed to the top and made our way through the gardens to the boating lake. At this time of year there were just ducks & geese and no boats.

Where the ramp from the beach meets the road, the road bends round to our right, climbing up into the town. At the bend we crossed the road to the edge of Glen Gardens. There is a steep embankment to the gardens at the top.

Steps from the road up to the Glen Gardens park

The boating lake in Glen Gardens

Children's play ground in Glen Gardens

The whole route had been about 5km and it had taken us about two and a half hours including our coffee stop at Coble Landing.

We followed a path from the boating lake back to West Avenue past a series of bird sculptures by the path. From the edge of the park at West Avenue we returned to our parking spot and the end of our walk.

Sculpture of a pair of beavers by the path in Glen Gardens

One of a series of bird sculptures by the path as we walked back to West Avenue through the Glen Gardens park