Lighthouse

RSPB Reserve

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Reserve

A Jubilee Point to Staple Newk (Bempton)This walk should take approx 50 minutes

C North Landing to the Fog Signal StationThis walk should take approx 50 minutes

D South Landing to Danes DykeThis walk should take approx 30 minutes

B North Landing to Thornwick BayThis walk should take approx 20 minutes

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Storyboard Themes

North Landing to Thornwick Bay

STORYBOARD – discover the story of fishing here.

HISTORYThe building visible at the top of the slipway was once Flamborough’s primary lifeboat station, built in 1871 for £185. Another was built at South Landing which meant a lifeboat could always be launched into the lea of a gale whatever the weather conditions. Both stations operated for 67 years until 1938 when a motorised lifeboat was allocated to North Landing and the South Landing station was closed.

GEOLOGYHolmes Gut has been formed by the constant flow of water draining off the headland. The result is a steep sided valley in which the water runs in a northerly direction. This flow is against the more usual southerly direction found throughout the rest of the headland.

FISHINGThe history of fishing out of North Landing can be traced back to thirteenth century. The boats sat at the top of the beach are traditional Yorkshire cobles, specially designed and built to operate in areas with no harbour. The shallow keel allows the boats to be dragged up and down the beach and also offers stability when landing on the shore.

FARMING AND WILDLIFEDuring the winter months these fields, owned and managed by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, are grazed by Exmoor ponies. Grazing is used to control dominant grasses from taking over and reducing diversity. The result, best seen in spring and summer, is a rich grass-land of salt and limestone-loving species growing side-by-side.

LIGHTHOUSES AND SHIPPINGAt this point, look towards the south-east. Here you can see both of Flamborough Head’s lighthouses. The main lighthouse, still in use

today, was built in 1806, while the chalk tower you can see dates back to 1674; thought to be the only known example in England of a chalk beacon tower. This point also offers sweeping sea views as well as evidence of the area’s commercial importance; be it a tradi-tional coble out potting or a huge cargo ship passing by on its way to or from Hull.

SEABIRDSThe huge cliffs you can see in the distance (in a north-westerly dir-ection) are those of Bempton. During the summer months these cliffs are home to tens of thousands of breeding seabirds, including England’s only mainland Gannet colony. The nutrient-rich waters surrounding the headland also produce rich feeding so keep an eye out for Gannets plummeting head first into the waves.

MARINE WILDLIFELook down into Thornwick Bay. At low tide the upper fringes of Flamborough’s chalk reef are exposed. This unique habitat extends for 6km out to sea, forming the largest chalk reef in Europe. This area is rich in species: crabs, lobsters and octopus hide amongst crevices in the rock, while kelp clings to towers of chalk, forming vast forests full of sheltering fish, starfish and sea urchins. As depth increases and light fades, the chalk reef plays host to a rich ‘faunal turf’ made up of sponges, anemones, soft corals and sea squirts.

MIGRATIONThornwick Bay, just below the cliffs in front of you, is used each year by a storm petrel ringing group. During the hours of darkness in July and August, passing storm petrels are enticed to the bay for ringing and to collect valuable biological data. A fine net is erected parallel to the shore while seaward facing sound equipment is used to project the bird’s eerie call far out to sea. For this to work wind must be offshore to allow passing birds, up to 5 miles away, to hear it.

STORYBOARD – discover the story of geology here.

Yorkshire fishing cobles at North Landing

www.flamboroughheadstoryboard.co.uk

Follow the red numbered posts, around cliffs starting at North Landing Car Park and finishing at Thornwick Bay. Stop at each post and learn more about one of the storyboard themes from the guide or podcasts. Don’t forget to look out for the storyboard panels on route, marked S on the map; each trail includes one or more.

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WARNING! PLEASE TAKE CARE WHEN WALKING THIS TRAIL – UNSTABLE CLIFFS – KEEP CLEAR OF THE EDGE

Jubilee Point to Staple Newk (Bempton)

FARMING AND WILDLIFEThe grassland area around you is carefully managed for several farm-land bird species. Scrub is controlled and the well-managed grassland provides an important habitat for insects alongside nesting sites for skylark and meadow pipit. The thriving insect population provides a vital food source for growing chicks.

HISTORYThe concrete remains you can see in the field are that of RAF Bempton, originally built as a Ground-Controlled Interception (GCI) site in February 1940. Its role was to intercept inbound enemy aircraft. During the Cold War, RAF Bempton was refurbished as a Centi-metric Early Warning (CEW) ROTOR station, one of eight across the country, to provide radar cover against possible Soviet attack. Out of sight are the remains of an underground bunker, whose access point was hidden in a bungalow, sadly no longer present.

STORYBOARD – discover the story of seabirds here.

Here at Jubilee Point, the cliffs rise to 400ft and during the summer give exceptional views of Bempton’s ‘seabird city’. Over 250,000 seabirds nest along the headland, including 10% of the UK’s Kitti-wakes. Outside the breeding season, you can still see old Kittiwake nests and their link to the people of the headland is no more apparent than through the story of the daring egg collectors or ‘climmers’.

MARINE WILDLIFEFrom the viewing platform scan the sea for Cetaceans (Whales, Dolphins and Porpoise) and other marine mammals. Between May and October Minke Whale and White-beaked Dolphin move inshore, whilst Harbour Porpoise and Grey Seal can been seen all year round.

Weather can be an influencing factor, with calm, flat seas providing optimal sighting conditions. A bit of luck is also helpful!

GEOLOGYWalk onto right hand side of the viewing platform, facing out to sea, look at the cliffs in front of you. This is the site of Bempton’s most recent ‘slump’, a mass movement of material down a slope. If you compare this area with the surrounding cliff, it is no longer vertical, and due to the new aspect of the cliff, vegetation has been able to establish itself. This area is named ‘New Roll-up’ and sits alongside ‘Old Roll-up’, a much older slump.

SEABIRDSHere at Staple Newk, you get a grandstand view of a huge colony of nesting Gannets. Their numbers have increased from just 30 breeding pairs in the late 1960s to over 7,500 pairs in 2009. The Gannets can be seen on the cliff from February to October. During the winter months you can still marvel at their large nests, which will be lavishly renovated the following spring.

MIGRATIONDuring summer this grassy area is home to breeding farmland birds, but during spring and autumn acts as a stop-over and refuelling point for migrating birds. Under the right weather con-ditions (easterly winds with cloud and rain) a ‘fall’ can occur, when sometimes hundreds of birds descend on the headland. Amongst common migrants can be some rare birds, which in the last few years have included Red-flanked Bluetail and Short-toed Lark.

The story of seabirds; Bob Artley and his gang of climmers, Flamborough Headland 1937

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www.flamboroughheadstoryboard.co.uk

Follow the blue numbered posts around the RSPB Bempton Cliffs reserve, starting and finishing at the visitor centre. Stop at each post and learn more about one of the storyboard themes from the guide or podcasts. Don’t forget to look out for the storyboard panels on route, marked S on the map; each trail includes one or more.

WARNING! PLEASE TAKE CARE WHEN WALKING THIS TRAIL � UNSTABLE CLIFFS � KEEP CLEAR OF THE EDGE

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Flamborough Head Storyboard Heritage Projectwww.flamboroughheadstoryboard.co.uk

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South Landing to Danes Dyke

HISTORYTo your right is the Flamborough RNLI lifeboat station. For 67 years, Flamborough launched lifeboats from two separate sites; North and South Landing. The station at South Landing was built in 1871 and its various lifeboats had saved over 108 lives when it closed in 1938. After extensive refurbishment in 1993, an inshore Atlantic 85 lifeboat now operates out of the South Landing boat-house. The local volunteer crew have so far been presented with 16 awards of gallantry.

STORYBOARD – discover the story of marine wildlife here.

LIGHTHOUSES AND SHIPPINGLooking over the beach here at South Landing most people would have little clue that it was once the site of an important port. Many coal-carrying ships unloaded at South Landing to avoid paying the port tax at Bridlington.

GEOLOGY AND GEOMORPHOLOGYLooking out to sea away from South Landing you can see the cliffs at Sewerby and beyond. At Sewerby the white chalk cliff turns inland and is replaced on the present coast by a cliff of glacial deposits, at the base of which is a raised beach of chalk boulders overlain by windblown sand. This beach has produced bones and teeth of an extinct elephant related to the modern African elephant, an extinct rhinoceros, as well as hippopotamus and hyaena. These fossils date it to the last interglacial, a warm period about 125,000 years ago.

From here you can turn right to follow a path leading to Flamborough Village where you can see the History storyboard or continue along the storyboard trail to Danes Dyke.

ARCHAEOLOGYThis point clearly marks the site of a wartime pillbox; one of a number scattered around the cliffs of the headland. Whilst a full scale assault of the headland was not anticipated, the many inlets and bays provided potential landing posts for enemy operations. South Landing was one of the sites seaplanes were launched from during the First World War and the concrete base can still be seen.

FARMING AND WILDLIFEThe field on the landward side of the cliff here is currently part of a scheme called ‘environmental stewardship’. This means that the farmer makes a special effort to manage it in a sensitive way for the benefit of wildlife. The woodland area you can see ahead runs in a linear line up Danes Dyke and provides an essential habitat corridor for wildlife to live and move around in. Look out for Woodpeckers, small mammals and even Barn Owls!

MARINE WILDLIFEThis area is commonly used by wading birds which wade and probe for food in the sandy area at Dykes End. Birds like Turnstone, Redshank, Oystercatcher and Curlew can all be seen here. In summer and autumn you might see Grey Wagtail and Warblers catching insects around the stream which runs down to the beach.

STORYBOARD – discover the story of archaeology here.

Follow the orange numbered posts, around the cliffs starting at South Landing Car Park and heading south down the road to the beach; from here turn right and climb the steps in front of the lifeboat station to the cliff top. Stop at each post and learn more about one of the storyboard themes from the guide or podcasts. Don’t forget to look out for the storyboard panels on route, marked S on the map; each trail includes one or more.

The Oystercatcher – a colourful wader

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www.flamboroughheadstoryboard.co.ukWARNING! PLEASE TAKE CARE WHEN WALKING THIS TRAIL � UNSTABLE CLIFFS � KEEP CLEAR OF THE EDGE

North Landing to the Fog Signal Station

FISHINGThe boats you see below you are traditional Yorkshire cobles designed to launch from beaches and reputably based on the Viking longboat. These are still in use today as part of the local lobster and crab fishery. They were originally powered by oars and sail but have now been modernised to include an engine and motorised pot hauler.

FARMING AND WILDLIFEThis area forms part of the nature reserve managed by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. In spring the unfenced cliff tops are awash with thrift, while northern marsh orchids can be seen in late June. The fields are kept in good condition with an annual hay cut. Behind you, rough grassland is being managed by light sheep grazing for breeding birds.

SEABIRDSDuring the summer these cliffs are teeming with nesting seabirds. Guillemots, Puffins and Fulmars are just some of the species that arrive on the headland to raise their young. The sight, sound and even smell of so many birds is truly spectacular!

GEOLOGYThe column of rock just offshore was formed by the erosive power of the sea and is known as ‘Queen Rock’. Vertical cracks in the cliff have been weakened by wave action causing a section of cliff to collapse. The remaining column is known as a stack.

STORYBOARD – discover the story of farming and wildlife here.

FISHINGScanning the sea here will reveal many brightly coloured buoys.These mark lines of lobster pots, the foundation of the local fishery.

Pots work by enticing lobsters and crabs with bait to enter through a one-way opening. The pots are then hauled; the desired crustaceans kept and any undersized ones returned to the sea.

LIGHTHOUSES AND SHIPPINGOn the very tip of the headland is a Fog Signal Station, which gives two blasts every 90 seconds, a call unique to Flamborough. The main lighthouse nearby was built in 1806 and gives four white flashes every 15 seconds. The older lighthouse is a chalk beacon tower, built in 1674, which is thought to be the oldest building of its type in England.

ARCHAEOLOGY AND HISTORYThe three concrete blocks with metal hoops you can see on the edge of the path here are believed to have been used as mooring points for barrage balloons during WWII, set to protect the lighthouse. Further down the path are two concrete pillboxes; built in 1940 to defend against the threat of a German invasion. Many are now designated Scheduled Ancient Monuments by English Heritage.

MARINE WILDLIFEPeer over the cliff edge at the sea below; this is an excellent place to view Flamborough Headland’s chalk reef, the largest in Europe. This unique habitat is rich in species, from anemones to Grey Seals. The darker areas are kelp; large brown seaweeds.

STORYBOARD – discover the story of lighthouse and shipping here.

GEOLOGYThe view back across Selwick Bay gives a great insight into the headland’s geology. The chalk, which lies in distinct horizontal layers, is made of the skeletons of tiny algae which lived in shallow warm seas of the Cretaceaous period.

STORYBOARD – discover the story of migration here.

The Fog Signal Station on the tip of the headland

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www.flamboroughheadstoryboard.co.uk

Follow the green numbered posts, around the cliffs starting at North Landing Car Park and heading east past the café, finishing at the Flamborough Head Car Park. Stop at each post and learn more about one of the storyboard themes from the guide or podcasts. Don’t forget to look out for the storyboard panels on route, marked S on the map; each trail includes one or more.

WARNING! PLEASE TAKE CARE WHEN WALKING THIS TRAIL – UNSTABLE CLIFFS – KEEP CLEAR OF THE EDGE

Flamborough Head Storyboard Heritage Projectwww.flamboroughheadstoryboard.co.uk

Each trail has a set of associated podcasts which can be downloaded from the website. The podcasts are recordings of local people and experts who will tell you more about each theme as you arrive at the posts along the trail. Download and save the podcasts onto your MP3 player or burn to a CD and listen to them in turn as you follow the trail and stop at each numbered point.

Find out more about the headland’s rich heritage by visiting each board individually or by following the storyboard trail guides which are enclosed within this leaflet.

The Flamborough Head Storyboard is a heritage project which aims to widen participation in the conservation of Flamborough Head’s stunning natural and cultural heritage through the development of nine interpretation boards and four trails. Each part of the project celebrates and exposes the riches of Flamborough Head by using key themes; a different theme for each board.

The Flamborough Head Storyboard is a partnership project by the Flamborough Environmental Assets Group and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The project was developed with the input and support of the local community and is part of the ongoing delivery of the Flamborough Head Management Plan. www.flamboroughheadstoryboard.co.uk

Photo: Paul. L. Arro

Photo: J. Emmerson

Photo: Richard Traves

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Find out more about each Storyboard theme on our website www.flamboroughheadstoryboard.co.uk. here you can:

– Listen to podcasts– Watch video clips – Browse storyboard photo stories– Download the maps and associated

podcasts for the storyboard trails

CRANDALE CENTRE

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