Holiday rentals in Filey

A former fishing port, the seaside town of Filey on the North Sea coast boasts five miles of golden sandy beach and often appears high up in lists of the best beaches in the world. The seemingly never-ending promenade along the bay sits between Filey Brigg to the north and Flamborough Headland to the south. You will see colourful beach chalets, crazy golf, and a variety of sculptures here, including a vivid red lobster, and a steel rendering of a fisherman that stands 12 feet high.

Filey became popular as a seaside resort in the 19th century, and you will catch sight of many period houses from this era dotted along the front. The town is overlooked by St. Oswald’s church, which has been here since the 12th century. Although the bustling holiday camp that was here in the 20th century has since gone, visitors continue to flock to Filey, attracted by its exquisite beach and views.

Filey is primarily a seaside resort, which means that visitors tend to come from the end of April until September. Its northern location means that it benefits from light evenings in the summer, with the sun going down at around 10:30 p.m. in the evening in June. If you want to come to Filey’s holiday cottages when the town is at its busiest, July and August are great, when temperatures often reach over 20 degrees Celsius. You can also listen to the weekly concerts at the bandstand in Crescent Gardens, which includes traditional brass bands from the area. The town hosts two festivals in May, the Filey Folk Festival during the first bank holiday weekend in May, and Filey Literary Festival in the middle of May. If you visit in the autumn and winter, the days are short, temperatures are cooler, and there is higher rainfall. This kind of weather lends itself to bracing walks on the many trails that go from Filey along the coast and into the moors.

Filey Brigg

If you stand on the seafront of Filey and look to the north, you will see a long peninsula called The Brigg. You’ll need to walk one mile through the country park to reach the peninsula, which is surrounded by hundreds of shipwrecks, making it a haven for divers. The cliffs here reach 15 metres tall, with many sea birds overhead, and offer views of the town of Scarborough in the distance.

Walking trails

Filey prides itself for being at the starting point of two national trails that offer different vistas. You can choose to walk sections of the Cleveland Way, which stretches for 109 miles heading north along the North Sea coast and then into the moors. Or you can choose to head inland and further south on the Yorkshire Wolds Way, across its rolling hills and through fields and ancient hedgerows.

Flamborough Lighthouse

The Flamborough Headland Heritage Coast, which stands to the south of Filey, is home to the Flamborough Lighthouse, a gleaming white building standing above the cliffs. It is a 30-minute drive to arrive at this lighthouse, which dates to 1806 and guides ships safely into the harbours of Scarborough and Bridlington.