A Yorkshire town was recently voted one of Britain’s best seaside resorts – and it’s not hard to see why.
Filey had the best performance in Yorkshire and eighth in the UK in the Who? annual guide to the best beach destinations. The small North Yorkshire town scored 81% in the survey of thousands of tourists.
The town received full marks for its beach, waterfront, and overall value for money, though it lost marks for its lack of shops and other tourist attractions.
Read more: I visited Yorkshire’s ‘worst’ seaside town on the worst day and felt confused
After reading the rave reviews, I decided to visit Filey for the first time and completely fell in love with its beautiful seven-mile beach, huge open skies, and community spirit. There is no doubt that Filey ranked so high.
Not only is the beauty spot easy to get to, but it also offers plenty of parking, including free spaces which are scarce, although they can be harder to find in the summer months.
(Image: Megan’s banner)
I walked from my car to the waterfront with a pit stop in the beautiful Glen Gardens where I sat on a bench and admired the view. When I got to the boardwalk I was surprised at how beautiful it was, I must have been sitting on the same bench for at least an hour taking in the scenery (could have stayed longer if I was not at work).
The beach itself consists of huge open skies and a sea that seems to go on forever, it’s like nothing I’ve seen in this country before. Honestly, I felt like I could have been standing in Greece at that time.
I hope you understand what I mean by this next comment – it smells like the seaside. By that I mean there was no smell of greasy burger vans and booze like we found in many other British seaside towns, just sea and sand.
There’s no denying that Filey is Yorkshire’s best seaside, it’s stunning. So peaceful, soothing and tranquil.
I agree there is a lack of shops and other tourist attractions but I kinda admire it for that. I know I’m going to sound like a scrooge here because “the beach is for the kids” but it was nice not having the buzz of the arcades and fairground rides, if that’s what you’re looking for head over you towards Scarborough or Bridlington – Filey offers tranquility.
There are a few fairground rides on the promenade and an arcade, along with a few beach shops, ice cream stands and cafes – but not enough to drown out the hectic noise.
(Image: Megan’s banner)
Another thing I noticed about Filey was how clean the beach was. There’s no littering anywhere, no dog poop – following the ban on dogs on the beach – and no one making a fuss. I can almost imagine this is the perfect place to retire.
The promenade is covered in fairy lights and I almost wish I could have stayed until dark to see the seafront lit up – I imagine it’s quite beautiful.
And I can’t forget the delicious fish and chips I had from Dicky Bees – reasonably priced too – but ask me what was the best part? No gulls attacking me for my chips.
All in all, from my first visit to Filey, I can fully understand why it is voted the best in Yorkshire and one of the best in Britain. To sum up, not only is it one of the most beautiful places in the country but it’s a real British seaside, nothing is made for tourists and children, it’s traditional and that’s why that I like that.
People are there to enjoy the beach, the sun (hopefully) and a nice walk along the promenade taking in the sea air. Being there really made me happy and satisfied and I can’t wait to go back.
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