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F L A M B O R O U G H

Welcome to Flamborough

Navigation: Places To Go - Silex & Lighthouse.

Silex Bay and the Lighthouse

The "modern" Flamborough Head Lighthouse was designed by Samuel Wyatt, architect of the Trinity House that stands on Tower Hill London.

John Matson of Bridlington was contracted to build the lighthouse in 1806 at a cost of £8,000. The light was first shown on 1^st December 1806 from an optic designed by George Robinson. It was a rotating vertical shaft mounted on a triangular frame, each face had seven reflectors and for a short period of time it had the unique characteristic of one white and two red flashes. It had a clockwork mechanism and was oil burning.

In 1940 electric power was laid on & in 1996 the lighthouse was fully automated, being monitored from the Trinity House depot at Harwich.

It is still an operational lighthouse and has the latest Aid to Navigation [Satellite Navigation] and continues its original role as a waypoint for deep sea vessels and coastal traffic as well as marking the headland for vessels heading for the ports of Scarborough and Bridlington.

Trinity House Lighthouse Service provides 72 lighthouses, eleven of them open to the public Flamborough Head Lighthouse is one of them.

The Lighthouse is open to the public from:
March 1^st - Oct 31^st every day 10.00am - 4.30pm except Tuesday 1.30pm - 4.30pm.
Winter opening is Weekends only
11am - 3pm throughout November, December, February, (closed all of January).
Prices: Adults £2.00, Children/Concessions £1.00 Family Ticket (2 Adults + 2 Children) £5.00.

Script and information by:
Mags Richards
Visitor Guide Flamborough Head Lighthouse

The Lighthouse sits on almost the most easterly tip of Flamborough Head. The bay it overlooks is known as Selwicks (or Silex) bay and has something to offer to almost everyone. Access down to the beach is by wooden steps and chalk paths. The beach is sand / gravel and at low tide a long stretch of chalk platform is exposed containing lots of rock pools. On either side, caves, blowholes and wave cut platforms are exposed and present endless possibilities for exploring. The blowhole to the left is known locally and Molk Hole and the one to the right (which can only be accessed at the lowest of tides) is known as Pigeon Hole. Great care must be taken when undertaking any explorations away from the main beach area (see walking guidelines).

On top there is a reasonably sized pay and display car park. This makes an ideal starting point for the many walks that lead off. The café and gift shops are open during the season and cater for most needs. Public toilets are just away from the car park and behind the lighthouse, and open all year round. The roadway (not accessible to the public) past the lighthouse leads down to the fog signal station. Further down the entrance road a stone structure stands. It displays information on distances of various places in relation to Flamborough. The structure is called a 'Toposcope' and was built by Bridlington Corporation in 1959. It was built to commemorate the 180th anniversary of the battle of Flamborough Head.

The whole lighthouse area is dotted with these sort of gems, which are just asking to be found. The area is well worth a visit, but remember to allow plenty time as it will just fly by.

This website has been set up by Flamborough Community Environmental Action Group with funding through:

English Nature and The Shell Better Britain Campaign.