The best cycling routes around Flamborough

Nice snack hut. Coffee and cake a must

It's really cool that you go past the old lighthouse en route to the new one!

Watch out for dogs and walkers on the bike path!

Lots of parking, very quiet in winter, and cracking routes along the south and north of Flamborough Head. Take the north route past North Landing and Thornwick Bay, much more scenic than the southerly route.

A great spot to add on your trip if you like puffins. They begin to arrive in late April and start settling into their burrows in May each year. By late July most of the chicks have fledged and the adults begin returning back to the open sea. By August all the puffins have left Bempton Cliffs as they spend the winter in the northern oceans.

The Rudston monolith is the tallest prehistoric standing stone in Britain, measuring almost 8 metres high, nearly 2 metres wide, a metre thick and estimated to weigh somewhere in the region of a massive 26 tons. This giant block of grey sandstone or gritstone was errected here either in the late Neolithic or early Bronze Age and is thought to have been quarried more than 10 miles away in the Cayton Bay area south of Scarborough, although the glacial transportation of a large block of stone that was then shaped and utilised by the prehistoric residents of the area cannot be ruled out. The top of the stone has been weathered and eroded into a fluted peak similar to the stones of the Devil's Arrows and a lead cap was first added to try to preserve it in the 18th century. The churchyard of All Saints that it stands in is of course much younger and although the christianisation of the site took place around 1100AD the stone had already stood here for at least 3000 years. The monolith stands close to the Gypsey Race, an occasional stream that flows along the floor of the Great Wold Valley from close to the barrow of Duggleby Howe in the east, past another pair of barrows at Wold Newton and Willie Howe before turning south past the Argham Henge and Cursus down to Rudston itself where it bends sharply and heads eastwards to the sea at Bridlington. The whole of the Gypsey Race landscape was obviously important in prehistoric times and holds a rich selection of sites, most of which have been destroyed or badly damaged by ploughing, including many round barrows, several long barrows, four cursuses and at least one henge. It continued to retain its importance into the historic period - a major Roman villa was discovered to the southwest of Rudston village. In the corner of the churchyard is a much smaller stone presumably brought here from a local barrow and also the remains of a double cist that was removed from a nearby barrow on Rudston Beacon by the antiquarian Canon Greenwell in the late 19th century.

The old lighthouse, Flamborough, although never used, is in good condition and represents a unique survival of a 17th century monument lighthouse in England in an unaltered state. There is good historical data on its conception and construction, giving insights into the maritime economy of the period. The lighthouse was completed in 1674 by Sir John Clayton and George Blake and was made with brilliant white chalk. The duo were granted patents from Charles II to build 3 other lighthouses along the East coast including one on the Farne Islands, however, there is no evidence on the Farnes to suggest that a lighthouse was built at this time. A beacon may have been placed on Prior Castell's Tower in lieu of an actual lighthouse. it is believed that a fire may have burned in a metal basket hung from the top of the building, though there is no evidence that there was ever a fire lit. It worked as a daymark too and can be seen all along the coastline at Flamborough Head and by ships passing on the North Sea. Ships that passed in the 17th century were required to pay a tax to the architects of the lighthouse to pay for the light, however the tax was voluntary so not surprisingly many mariners refused to pay and this led to John Clayton becoming bankrupt and the end of the lighthouse. The lighthouse was given another life in the 1840s and was used by local man George Mainprize to transmit semaphore messages to passing vessels and possibly to the fort at nearby Bridlington. Now it is a grade II listed building and it opens to the public on various days during the summer months. There is usually no access inside the tower, and there is a friendly warning about flying golf balls if you dare to trespass on the Flamborough Head Golf Course.

A great stop whatever your mode of transport. A cafe at the lighthouse which offers hot and cold food and drink. Ice creams also are in high demand here so you'll not go without a classic seaside ice cream. There's public toilets for anyone needing a convenience break. Beautiful views over the cliffs and over the bay. Popular with kayaks and paddleboards, along with seals & birds.