Saturday 15 October 2016

Flamborough Lighthouse

Number 38 on my 50 Before 50 list is Climb Flamborough Lighthouse, so that's what I did.


When we dropped Eleanor off at university on the 23rd of September, I decided that I needed to keep myself busy for a week or two until I got used to the peace and quiet in the house. It was a coping mechanism so that I didn't succumb to empty nest syndrome and it's definitely worked. Daniel and his girlfriend were at home that first weekend but the following weekend was the first one Mick and I were to spend alone so on the Saturday we took care of some jobs and errands which needed attending to and as the Sunday dawned bright and sunny, we decided to head off to the coast for the day. We started off in Flamborough.


Tours of the lighthouse take place every half hour and I was really lucky, a large group had just been shown around as I entered, however, there was only me on my tour. Mick kept his feet on the ground as we had Archie with us. I got a guided tour all to myself and the tour guide was so knowledgeable and interesting, it was a brilliant experience.


I've visited the lighthouse on a number of occasions, the most recent being last year and I wrote about it in my Flamborough Head post with a bit of information about the lighthouse too. I've never been inside the lighthouse before though, and never climbed the 119 steps, I don't have a head for heights so this was going to be a bit of a challenge.


I was a little nervous at first given my fear of heights but it was fine, it was only as I started climbing the last few steps where the walls kind of narrow that I felt rather claustrophobic but that soon passed. It was certainly worth it for the view.


This is looking out at the fog horn station. The fog horn was sounding the last time we were there but there was no need for it this time.


Here you can see an emergency standby lamp which is mounted on the gallery of the tower. This is used should the main light and all backup lamps and power sources fail. It can be seen at a reduced distance but can be used until the problem with the main light can be fixed.


Looking back towards Flamborough, you can see the old chalk tower lighthouse which is one of the oldest surviving lighthouses in England. It was designed for a fire to be burnt on top, though there's no evidence that it was ever lit.


I was really pleased that I conquered my fear and made it to the top, that's the first thing that I can cross off my 50 Before 50 list.

Afterwards, we headed in to Bridlington, a place we've been many, many times before. It's somewhere I remember being taken as a child and it's somewhere we've taken our own children. This time it was just Mick and I, oh, and Archie too. The dog ban on the beach had just been lifted for the winter months so Archie had a great time running around, getting wet and rolling in the sand. We walked along the promenade and round the harbour and though the sun was shining, there was a cool breeze so we stopped at a cafe overlooking the sea for coffee and hot chocolate before heading back to the car for our homeward journey after a lovely day out.

48 comments:

  1. Congratulations on crossing your first one off the list, and facing a fear, lovely photo's.

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    1. That's one down forty nine to go. I'm hoping that now the first one's crossed off I'll manage to get a few more done quite quickly.

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  2. A nice post and lovely pictures, especially the views from the top of the lighthouse. I would have to pass on climb nowadays as my knees would be protesting too much. Flighty xx

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    1. It was quite a climb to the top, I think it would play havoc with your knees. It showed how unfit I am, I was quite breathless once I got up there.

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  3. Sounds like you had a great time crossing one of your goals off your list, Jo. Well done you! :o)

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    1. It was a good one to start off with, really interesting and part of a lovely day out.

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  4. We have visited Flamborough but not the been in the lighthouse. The last time we went the surrounding area was littered with wild orchids.

    One time I took my class of 30+ 11 year olds. We were spending the week at Hornsea seaside school. The coach arrived and the children descended into thick fog with the foghorn booming. I had visions of some disappearing over the cliff edge so it was straight back onto the coach after a comfort stop,

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    1. I really enjoyed the tour, it was so interesting and I was lucky to have the tour guide to myself. I'd have been worried keeping track of all those 11 year olds too, even more so in the fog. The cliffs are quite steep around the area.

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  5. You are a brave soul. I love lighthouses and visit as many as I can. But I have such a fear of heights that I never go up in them. What amazing views you had.

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    1. It wasn't as nerve racking as I thought it would be, it was the claustrophobia that got to me more than my fear of heights, which is a bit weird. It was definitely worth it to see those views though.

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  6. Loved reading your post, I too have been to Flamborough but the lighthouse wasn't open when we visited. Hubby and I did climb to the top of Portland Bill near Weymouth and met and chatted with Larry the lighthouse keeper - even have a pic taken with him lol (yep he really is called that!). The coming down was my problem as the steps were ladderlike and very steep.

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    1. What a shame that the lighthouse was closed when you visited, it's definitely worth taking a tour. How lovely that you got to climb Portland Bill though. It was the same at Flamborough, the very top steps are steep and you have to climb down them as though you're on a ladder, that was the part which made me feel rather claustrophobic.

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  7. Sounds like a great day out. It brought back some lovely memories thinking of Bridlington we used to go there when I was a child.

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    1. Bridlington is probably our nearest seaside town so it's a place we've visited often over the years. I actually took my first steps there.

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  8. Sounds a brilliant day out and the views are well worth the climb. Lovely to have such a knowledgeable and helpful guide too xcx

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    1. I was really surprised that I had the tour guide to myself, it made the tour even better than it would have been had I been in a group and the views were definitely worth the climb.

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  9. Well done Jo the photos are great. First of many things to do.

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    1. There's so many things on my list to do, it was a toss up what to do first.

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  10. I love lighthouses, but I've never been in one.

    I haven't got a head for heights either, but it certainly looks like the views made the climb worth it. How lucky were you to have the tour guide to yourself! :)

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    1. I couldn't believe it when there was only me on the tour, I was so lucky as there'd been quite a few people just leaving the tour before me and there were a few waiting for the next one as I was leaving, I struck lucky. It made it all the more interesting, and those views were fantastic.

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  11. We visited Flamborough quite a few years ago but with the children so young we never got to climb the lighthouse...such a shame with those fantastic views!!

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    1. They were quite conscious of health and safety, checking the shoes I was wearing before they'd admit me on the tour, so I'm not sure what the policy is regarding young children. It's a shame you missed out though.

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  12. Good on you for tackling your fears and then enjoying the tour. Those views must have been spectacular. Enjoy the coming week and take care.

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    1. The views were wonderful. I thought I'd be more nervous with my fear of heights but I was pleasantly surprised, perhaps I'll tackle some other things I've been too afraid to before now.

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  13. Sounds like such a lovely day. I haven't been to Flamborough since Imogen was small, but we go to Bridlington quite often. Gorgeous views from the lighthouse xx

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    1. It's many years since Mick and I have been to the seaside alone but it was really lovely enjoying each other's company again. I do like Bridlington, a place we've come back to time and time again.

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  14. What a wonderful experience - I so enjoy touring historic buildings and the stories behind them. Transports you back to another time.

    Lucky you getting a personal tour! Isn't it wonderful when your timing is spot on? A similar thing happened at Disney when I went on the Behind the Seeds tour, although it wasn't just me. There were only 7 or 8 people in our group while the groups both before and after ours held almost twice as many people.

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    1. It was such an interesting tour, I wouldn't hesitate in doing something similar in the future. I think small tour groups work much better and I was so lucky to have the guide all to myself. He was a keen photographer so we were discussing cameras and photos he'd managed to get himself from the lighthouse.

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  15. You're doing so well with your list, good for you. I have been on a few lighthouse tours and I found them so interesting. I especially enjoyed seeing the sleeping quarters and small office spaces in them. The view from this one is so pretty. It sounds like a really nice day.

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    1. All the lighthouses in England and Wales are now automated. There's two cottages at Flamborough where the lighthouse keepers used to live but they're now rented out to families. Living in one of those would be quite a talking point.

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  16. How lucky to have a guide to yourself! Looks like you had a cracking day for it too.

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    1. I know, that made it all the more special. It was a nice, bright day so the views were good but there was a bit of a cool breeze.

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  17. What a great trim and the photos are wonderful.

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    1. It was a lovely day out, something a bit different from what we usually do when we visit the coast.

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  18. What a lovely idea, Jo -- 50 before 50! You have a lot of new experiences to look forward to. Congratulations on conquering your fear. The views were worth the effort. P.x

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    1. I'm looking forward to getting stuck in to my 50 before 50 list now that I've got started on it. The views at Flamborough were fabulous, I'm so glad I made it to the top.

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  19. I think this list is a great idea and congratulations on crossing one of your 'to do's' :-)
    And this one is even more special because you had a personal guide, you couldn't have timed it better could you, the views are great well worth the climb :-)

    I'm not good with heights either but force myself because as you say the views are spectacular when you get to the top. The worst one i did was The Monument in London, Mark wanted to climb it last time we were there, it's 311 steps to the top, a real killer on the legs but worse still is the walk way around the top, it's so narrow, only just wide enough for 2 people to pass, i won't do that again in a hurry, lol
    Can't wait to see what you choose to do next :-)

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    1. I couldn't believe how lucky I was timing it just right so I got a personal tour, it made the experience even better. I think you do have to push yourself sometimes to do things which are out of your comfort zone, I definitely won't be in a rush to dismiss something because of my fear of heights in the future as this wasn't half as hard as I thought it would be and the views were great.

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  20. How lovely that you got your own private tour! The views are well worth the effort, I bet you were chuffed at yourself, overcoming a fear always feels good. I'm not fond of heights either and hate flying but am always so happy that I overcome the fear and do what I want to do.xxx

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    1. I was really pleased that I overcame the fear and managed to get to the top. I hate flying too, though we haven't been abroad since 2008 so it hasn't been an issue for a while now. I often wonder where these fears come from as I didn't used to have a fear of heights and I actually enjoyed flying, not any more though.

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  21. I haven't a great head for heights either ...
    Well done on getting to the top - those views are magnificent, you certainly chose the right day to visit.

    Hope your week has started well

    All the best Jan

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    1. It was a good, clear day, perfect for seeing the views. The last time we visited was an awful day, the fog horn was sounding and it was blowing a gale.

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  22. Look at that view! Well done to you for crossing off that first item and for climbing up those steps and conquering the heights! Such an achievement.
    Lisa x

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    1. I did feel good once I'd done it and I won't be so quick to dismiss things in future because of my fear of heights. It was a lovely day out.

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  23. That was a brilliant idea, the lighthouse is just gorgeous, the view magnificent. I wish we had one near by, it would be a wonderful outing.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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    1. I'd like to visit more lighthouses now I've conquered my fear of heights, it was so interesting hearing all about it.

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  24. I live in Flamborough and love it when other people visit and enjoy our area! Your photos make it look wonderful - which it is - and remind me why we chose to move here. It's a shame the old lighthouse isn't open for tours as you could have added a second to your tally,Vicki

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    1. You live in such a beautiful area. We're lucky enough to live in Yorkshire too, nowhere near the coast though, but it's a wonderful county. We love the area around Flamborough and Bridlington. The tour of the lighthouse was so interesting, it's a shame Mick couldn't take the tour too but it's a good excuse to return.

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