Top 15 Attractions and Activities in Filey, Yorkshire

A fishing village transformed into a tourist haven, Filey is situated along a picturesque five-mile sandy bay.

To the south lies the chalky Flamborough Head, a significant nesting area for seabirds, while to the north you will find Filey Brigg, a dramatic peninsula within walking distance of the town.

Filey rose to prominence in the mid-19th century, attracting affluent holidaymakers seeking a serene alternative to Scarborough.

Along the beach, you can find elegant Victorian structures like The Crescent, a lengthy row of townhouses complemented by beautifully landscaped gardens. Visitors can spend days captivated by the region’s coastal and inland splendor, exploring National Trails and observing wildlife in nature reserves.

Families can enjoy animal parks, water-based activities, and traditional seaside amusements such as mini-golf and pony rides.

Let us explore the top attractions in Filey:

1. Filey Beach

The primary attraction of Filey, particularly during the summer months, is its breathtaking five-mile sandy beach, bordered by the headlands of Filey Brigg and Flamborough Head.

Filey Beach features a traditional promenade and beach chalets available for rent from March to September.

Visit Cobble Landing, where, due to the absence of a harbor, boats are transported onto the beach using a tractor.

As you head north, Filey Beach curves towards the foot of Filey Brigg, where low tide reveals an abundance of rock pools teeming with marine life.

Children can enjoy pony rides on sunny days, along with the presence of lifeguards, a café/restaurant, a lost child center, and a first aid station available on-site.

2. Filey Brigg

Filey Bay is framed to the north by this elongated and slender peninsula, classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

This designation is partially attributed to the peninsula’s geology, as its 20-meter cliffs consist of alternating sandstone and limestone.

At the base of the cliffs, in the intertidal zone, you can observe waders such as redshanks, sandpipers, and oystercatchers. A Roman signal station was excavated on this peninsula in 1857, with five foundation stones from that site now displayed at Filey’s Crescent Gardens.

Filey Brigg juts into the North Sea and can be quite windy; however, the spectacular views of the bay make it a worthwhile visit.

3. Crescent Gardens

Exemplifying Filey’s elegance, Crescent Gardens is an exquisite green space situated in front of The Crescent, a terrace of stuccoed townhouses originating from the mid-19th century.

Designed for residents to enjoy leisurely strolls, the gardens exhibit a formal and ornate design, featuring a bandstand, geometric flowerbeds, and breathtaking views overlooking the bay.

During the summer months, brass bands perform at the bandstand, and the renowned English composer Frederick Delius spent time at the Crescent at number 24 during his youth, returning later as an adult.

The gardens provide a wonderful vista of the coastline stretching from Filey Brigg to the Bempton Cliffs on Flamborough Head, and also include a café and a children’s play area.

4. Filey Museum

Located in the oldest section of Filey, the two 17th-century cottages that house Filey Museum were preserved from demolition during the 1960s and opened to the public in 1971. On the whitewashed facade of one of these cottages, you will find a plaque marked with the date 1696 and the inscription “The fear of God be in you.” This award-winning museum features seven rooms, including the Victorian Room, which showcases a tableau of Victorian domestic life, incorporating authentic toys, a harmonium, and a treadle sewing machine.

The museum offers insights into the geology and wildlife of the coastline, alongside an exhibition honoring local lifeboat personnel and their maritime rescues, as well as a room dedicated to rural trades displaying historic tools and implements.

5. Glen Gardens

Situated south of The Crescent is a park established in the 1830s, originally part of the now-demolished Ravine Hall.

The mansion having been removed long ago, the park’s center now features a café.

Glen Gardens presents a more relaxed environment compared to its neighbor, incorporating wildlife areas, mini-golf, a putting green, a boating lake, a children’s play area, and ample spots for visitors to sit and take in the stunning coastal views.

6. Yorkshire Wolds Way and Cleveland Way

Notably, Filey serves as the starting point for not just one, but two National Trails.

The first is the 79-mile Yorkshire Wolds Way, which extends to Filey from Hessle along the northern bank of the Humber Estuary, traversing the Yorkshire Wolds, a range of low chalk hills.

From Filey, the trail heads inland with a scenic 10-mile walk to the town of Ganton.

The Cleveland Way, which skirts the North York Moors, spans 110 miles, commencing at Helmsley in North Yorkshire.

From Filey, the trail follows the coastline, providing an excellent opportunity to walk to Scarborough in the morning, enjoy lunch in the well-known resort, and then return via train.

7. St Oswald’s Church

As the oldest structure in the town, the Grade I-listed St Oswald’s Church contains parts dating back to between the 1100s and 1400s.

In the early 20th century, the church underwent restoration led by Arts and Crafts architect William Swinden Barber, who designed its distinctive crenellated bell tower.

The church is accessible from March to November, allowing visitors to admire the intricate stained glass and medieval stonework, as well as the historic gravestones located in the expansive graveyard.

8. Playdale Farm Park

A highly rated family attraction where children can interact with various animals, Playdale Farm Park operates from spring through autumn.

Children have the chance to engage with sheep, alpacas, ponies, a donkey, pigs, llamas, poultry, and goats, as well as smaller animals like chinchillas and guinea pigs.

If visiting in the spring, children can feed newborn lambs from a bottle.

The park also features pedal go-karting, a frisbee golf course, a zip-line, and a play area, with interior facilities like a straw barn and soft play area available on rainy days.

9. Flamborough Head

Located between Filey and Bridlington, this eight-mile chalk promontory features rugged cliffs that house substantial populations of seabirds.

These are the only chalk cliffs in northern England, ascending to just over 100 meters.

At the tip of the promontory, you will find two lighthouses.

The octagonal chalk tower dates back to 1674, making it the oldest standing lighthouse in England, despite never having been lit.

The operational light was established in 1806 and offers occasional tours.

10. Bempton Cliffs

The five miles of cliffs along the Flamborough Headland Heritage Coast serve as an RSPB site (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds). From late winter to mid-summer, the crevices and ledges in these chalk cliffs provide crucial nesting sites for Atlantic puffins, guillemots, kittiwakes, and the only colony of breeding gannets found on mainland England.

The RSPB has established a visitor center here, offering six secure cliff-edge platforms for unobstructed views of the nesting areas.

Visit between April and July to observe puffins returning from the sea with sand eels in their colorful beaks.

11. Filey Bird Garden & Animal Park

Located on the western edge of the town, the Filey Bird Garden & Animal Park features a combination of animal enclosures and aviaries, set against the backdrop of nature reserves and gardens.

The highlight of the attraction is its extensive array of birds, ranging from rheas to owls, along with ducks, pheasants, chickens, bantams, and parrots.

The park also includes paddocks for alpacas, miniature ponies, and donkeys, with habitats for goats, bearded dragons, snakes, meerkats, and a 60-year-old tortoise.

Additionally, the park features three distinct gardens (formal, secret, and sensory) and spaces including a wildflower meadow, woodland, seed bar, and pond, all designed to promote wildlife.

12. Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery

A recent establishment, the Spirit of Yorkshire is a distillery founded in 2016, renowned for producing Yorkshire’s inaugural single malt whisky.

Utilizing locally sourced ingredients, including barley and spring water from the family farm, the distillery employs two of the largest Forsyth pot stills in the UK outside of Scotland. Visitors can observe these impressive stills and the four-plate copper column on one of four daily tours offered from Monday to Saturday (with three on Sundays). Knowledgeable guides explain the whisky production process while showcasing the hundreds of casks, where visitors have the opportunity to sample the maturing malt.

13. Filey Evron Centre

Overlooking Filey Bay, the Evron Centre serves multiple purposes, acting as a community space for arts, business, and conferences.

The 120-seat auditorium hosts films, tribute performances, and traveling plays throughout the year.

Cover artists constitute the majority of performers, and during the summer of 2018, audiences enjoyed concerts by acts impersonating Blondie, Pink Floyd, Abba, Motown artists, and many additional tribute performances.

Moreover, the Evron serves as Filey’s visitor center, providing information about current events and attractions in the area.

14. Filey Dams Nature Reserve

Situated a short walk from the train station, Filey Dams is a wetland habitat intersected by raised footbridges fitted with bird hides, enabling visitors to observe migratory waders such as green and wood sandpipers, and greenshanks in the autumn season.

Overhead, an owl box typically hosts residents during spring.

15. Watersports

The coastline of Filey invites visitors to engage in water-based pursuits, offering an impressive selection of activities.

One such activity is coasteering, an exhilarating combination of climbing, hiking, and diving involving cliff scaling, accessing smugglers’ caves, and jumping into pools, all while outfitted in life jackets, neoprene suits, and helmets.

Bay Watersports supplies equipment and guidance for coasteering, along with other activities including stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, and dinghy sailing.

Bay Watersports maintains flexible operating hours to accommodate changing weather conditions and tidal patterns.