Sunday 12th January 2014
Distinctly chilly today with a fierce wind blasting across the hills - seemed like an ideal day for a spot of cliff-top walking!
Set off for Flamborough with the intention of completing a geocaching multi/puzzle trail around the Sculpture Trail at South Landing, followed by a cliff-walk before doubling back into Flamborough itself & then out to the Head with the possibility of a beach stroll, dependent upon the tide
We achieved little of this but enjoyed an excellent day, nevertheless!
Had to count the eggs in this finely-sculpted nest.... which looks easy enough!
Learned, later, that one had been pinched!
So, first key component of the co-ordinates wrong!
'The Flamborough Longsword Dance Lock': I think we managed to count the swords successfully!
The Sculpture Trail was created as part of the 'Young Roots' programme in either 2006 or 2009 - this was probably another clue we got wrong!
State of the tide not looking too bad for that beach-walk later... though I hadn't remembered to check whether it was coming in or going out!
This cliff-top stretch, towards Flamborough Head, took us to the most remote sculptures... & clues!
Collected some useful information from a memorial to St.Oswald, patron saint of fishermen & the saint to whom Flamborough's church is dedicated, but were totally bamboozled by the date we were supposed to collect from this intricately-carved totem!
Speaking of booze, I think we managed to count the rum barrels!
Well, had loads of numbers.... which produced co-ordinates.... & pointed to the middle of a huge field! Clearly wrong!
Bit irritating 'cos it had been a fun walk & these sculptures weren't here when I did the 'coastals'
Wandered down to the beach at South Landing for Part 2 of the day's adventure which is where we spotted Captain Bird's-Eye beside the Lifeboat Station!
Spotted that the tide was coming in....!
In days long gone local fishermen used to have a boat at both North & South Landing, either side of Flamborough Head, & used whichever the tide & wind favoured
These are the cliffs south of Flamborough, heading towards Bridlington (just visible in the distance if you do a 'full-page' on this photo)
Beyond, the cliffs quickly degenerate into the rapidly-eroding sand & soil cliffs of South Yorkshire
Don't let any of this discourage you! The cliff-top walk from Bridlington, all the way north to Redcar & the Tees, is an absolute joy! If ever you find yourselves with a few days to spare....!
Flamborough Head
Stacks, arches, blowholes & the oldest surviving complete lighthouse in England (built 1669) - one of my very favourite coastal spots!
Weather was wild up here today but we forsook a warm Flamborough pub (would have been a 'new' one!) for chicken sandwiches & mulled wine cooked up in a quite 'toasty' van while we watched walkers battle the wind outside!
Left Les in the van & wandered off to pick up a couple of geocaches & tackle that 'beach stroll'
Thwarted... & not by the tide!
The steps down to the beach, which have been there as long as I can remember, were washed away in last week's huge tides & storms!
No beach-walking so we nipped up the coast to Bempton RSPB Reserve (not where this fellow comes from, he stands at the top of Flamborough Head's wrecked steps!)
Completed a shortish geocaching trail along the cliffs just as it began to get dark... & as it started to rain!
Stayed dry & warm again!
Woke to the news that Pete Seeger has died: would be appropriate for 'The Water is Wide' to be Song of the Day but I've always loved his political stuff from the 1940s - 'Which Side Are You On?', 'Talking Union'... so many to choose from!
Completed a shortish geocaching trail along the cliffs just as it began to get dark... & as it started to rain!
Stayed dry & warm again!
Woke to the news that Pete Seeger has died: would be appropriate for 'The Water is Wide' to be Song of the Day but I've always loved his political stuff from the 1940s - 'Which Side Are You On?', 'Talking Union'... so many to choose from!
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