Of all the beautiful places that abound in East Yorkshire, one of the most iconic is Flamborough Head. One of the great natural wonders of Yorkshire, this promontory and the nearby village of Flamborough have long been places of pilgrimage for those who enjoy walking, bird watching or simply a relaxing holiday by the seaside. Martin Limon reports . . .

Situated about half a mile from the village, North Landing for centuries was the centre of Flamborough’s fishing industry

Unlike most East Riding communities where the land was the most important factor in their growth, it was the sea that was the major driving force in the long history of Flamborough.

The name itself is thought to be derived from the Scandinavian word “Flan”, meaning a spit or tongue of land, and the influence of Danish sea-borne invaders from the 9th century can still be seen and heard in local place names and the dialect of the inhabitants.

For centuries this isolated peninsula was called “Little Denmark” and long ago (to celebrate Flamborough’s former loyalty to the Danish crown) the Lord of the Manor, in an annual ritual, is said to have shot an arrow carrying a gold coin out to sea.

Surrounded on three sides by high chalk cliffs, and with access to the sea limited to two small coves (North Landing and South Landing), Flamborough was once of strategic importance in keeping watch for sea-borne invaders and there was a signal station here in Roman times.

The lighting of beacons was a traditional warning in times of danger and this may explain the purpose of one of Flamborough’s oldest structures – a chalk built octagonal tower from 1674. Seventy-eight feet high and with an iron grill at the top, where wood or coal could be set alight, the tower is the only example of its type in England.

One of those times of danger came in 1779, when a famous sea-battle took place off Flamborough Head between ships of the Royal Navy and a squadron commanded by the legendary American hero John Paul Jones during their “War of Independence”.

Bridlington had been reduced to a state of abject terror by the exploits of Captain Jones who was known to be cruising off the Yorkshire coast in search of prey and a large fleet of British vessels had sailed into Bridlington Bay seeking sanctuary from Jones.

The harbour was so crowded that many ships had to be chained together on the outside of the piers. Two companies of the Northumberland Militia were stationed in the town and local inhabitants who could bear arms were mustered at Bridlington Quay in preparation to repel an expected invasion.

Bridlington had every reason to fear an attack since Jones had earlier launched a daring assault on Whitehaven, but in the event Bridlington remained safe.

Instead, on the evening of 23rd September 1779, local people heard gunfire out at sea and those who hastened to the cliffs at Flamborough were able to watch one of the most desperate naval battles in history taking place by moonlight!

The American fleet of four ships had encountered a Baltic convoy protected by two British warships. The main interest centred on the duel between the American’s “Bonhomme Richard”, commanded by Jones, and the Royal Navy’s “Serapis”, commanded by Richard Pearson.

 The engagement commenced around 7pm with the two ships firing broadsides at each other. Given the superiority in guns of the Serapis, Jones could not hope to win by firepower alone, so he opted for close-quarters fighting. By skilful seamanship he was able to bring the Bonhomme Richard alongside the Serapis by using grappling hooks and lines and there then began a desperate and bloody fight between the crews of the two vessels.

Parts of St Oswald’s Church at Flamborough date from the 12th century. The church was restored in 1868

British gunners continued to fire on the hull and lower decks of the Bonhomme Richard and they were so punched with holes that the sea began to flood in and the ship began to sink.

It was then that fate came to the aid of the Americans. A grenade thrown from the rigging of the Bonhomme Richard hit ammunition in the hold of the British ship and in the explosions that followed, 20 British crewmen were killed and many more injured.

With this disaster, the guns of the Serapis fell silent and Pearson was forced to surrender his ship to Jones. However, attempts to stop the Bonhomme Richard from sinking proved fruitless and she sank under the waters of the North Sea on the 25th September. Now in control of the Serapis, Jones sailed for Texel in Holland and a hero’s welcome.

Considered by many to be the “Father of the American Navy”, John Paul Jones and his exploits off Flamborough Head have continued to enthral an adoring American public in the centuries following his death. Such is their interest in him there have been several attempts to locate the Bonhomme Richard on the seabed, but so far the wreck has proved elusive.

In the century that followed the Battle of Flamborough Head, the population of the village continued to grow and many of its inhabitants earned their living from fishing. Sailing their small boats (called cobbles), mainly from the North Landing, there were three types of inshore fishing activity: Line fishing for species like cod, crab and lobster fishing and drift-net fishing for herring.

Some fishermen supplemented their income through smuggling and caves on the north side of Flamborough Head were ideal for storing contraband. Of these caves, the largest is “Robin Lythe’s Hole” at North Landing, said to have been named after a smuggler. Many houses in the village had a “smugglers’ hole” to hide goods like brandy and tobacco and it was partly to curb the activities of those who attempted to defraud the Customs men of their revenue that a coastguard station was established at Flamborough in the 1830s.

Reductions in customs duties in the mid-19th century made smuggling less lucrative, but there were still those who were willing to try to outwit the authorities. A local newspaper of September 1884 reported that a Dutch ship, described as a “floating grog shop” had been seen off the Yorkshire coast and that a search of four Flamborough fishermen had revealed “about 28 lbs of tobacco, a quantity of cigars and Eau de Cologne in their possession.”

An aerial view of Flamborough Head, with the modern lighthouse and Coastguard station visible

The four were charged with smuggling at a magistrates court, pleaded guilty and were heavily fined.

The risks of being caught smuggling were, however, nothing compared to the dangers of the sea itself, as many Flamborough fishermen were to discover. On a fine day, the waters around Flamborough Head can look tranquil and safe to the casual observer, but in stormy weather the sea can be quickly whipped into a frenzy, while razor sharp rocks – especially north of the headland – add to the dangers.

A history of the area records that in 1794, about 20 Flamborough fisherman were drowned in one such storm. A monument on Chapel Street in the centre of Flamborough commemorates another tragedy. On the 5th February 1909, two local fishing cobles –  The “Two Brothers” and the “Gleaner” – returned home during a gale and the rolling waves made the narrow entrance to North Landing hazardous in the extreme.

A large roller capsized the Gleaner and in going to the rescue of its crew, the second coble also came to grief. An attempt to reach the stricken vessels by the lifeboat Forester was beaten back by the wind and the sea and as a result, six fishermen lost their lives in the tragedy.

The dangers of Flamborough Head were not confined to fishermen alone, for between 1770 and 1806, 170 ships were wrecked here; to improve safety, Trinity House was asked to build a lighthouse on the headland. This was constructed by John Matson of Bridlington at a cost of £8000 and first lit on 1st December 1806.

Originally conceived as an oil-burning lighthouse, it was electrified in 1940 and became automated in 1966.

Although visible 20 miles away, the lighthouse alone could not prevent further tragedy. One shipwreck was the steamer Caledonia, en route from London to Scotland, when it came to grief on Flamborough Head in late February 1864. According to a newspaper report of the time, the crew and passengers took to the boats and were saved but the ship itself was dashed to pieces and “the shore strewn with portions of wreck and cargo.”

Almost three years later, a worse tragedy was to follow when a cargo ship called the Charlotte, laden with timber from Sweden, was wrecked north of Flamborough Head during a snowstorm. The captain and three seamen were found alive among the rocks at the entrance to Robin Lythe’s cave, but three others were killed and the captain himself died later from his injuries.

Following an even more catastrophic loss of life during the “Great Gale” of February 1871 (when about 70 seamen perished in Bridlington Bay), the decision was made to establish two lifeboat stations at Flamborough. Situated at the North and South Landings, and manned by volunteer fishermen, these gallant RNLI lifeboat crews helped to save many lives in the years that followed.

These days the single lifeboat station at South Landing has an inshore Atlantic 85 lifeboat and the 19 volunteers who operate the vessel continue to give assistance to those in difficulties. Some of these are holidaymakers whose fishing boats break down, children in inflatable craft in danger of drifting out to sea or swimmers who misjudge the perils of strong tides off the coast.

Holidaymakers are now a vital part of the local economy. The attractiveness of the village and the spectacular coastal scenery of Flamborough Head began to attract visitors from the 1890s and helped to counteract the decline of the fishing industry. By 1936 Flamborough had seven refreshment rooms and cafes, a golf course and tennis courts, while local fisherman were able to supplement their incomes by taking holidaymakers on pleasure trips.

The importance of the holiday trade was a feature of the village remarked on by local resident Sonya Tweedale, who manages Ye Olde Bakery in the High Street.

“Flamborough is much busier during the summer months, especially during the six weeks of the school holidays,” she said. “It’s a very friendly place with a good mix of old and new buildings and plenty of activities for visitors, including some nice nature trails. Although Flamborough is a tight-knit community, it is a very welcoming place for newcomers.”

During my visit I met one of these newcomers busy mowing the grass at his home on North Marine Road. David Hamilton moved from Leeds after researching Flamborough on the internet and said of his decision: “Flamborough provides a much better environment; there is less traffic, less noise and less pollution.”

David is not the only person who has seen the advantages of moving to Flamborough; the area’s caravan parks are a magnet for those many retired people who have come to love the scenic beauty of the Yorkshire coast. Two hundred years ago, Flamborough had a population of about 700 people, but by the time of the 2001 census this had grown to more than 2,000.

With its appeal to bird watchers, walkers and holidaymakers, it is not surprising that in the summer months, the village sees a huge influx of visitors too.