An early history of Filey and its fishing community
a small fishing-town, eight miles south of Scarborough, stands boldly elevated upon the banks and nearly in the centre of a beautiful and spacious bay, where might be formed an excellent harbour. It is singularly placed in both the North and East-Ridings of Yorkshire, the church being in the former, and the town in the latter district. The bay is terminated on the South by the promontory of Flamborough-head, and on the North by an extraordinary ridge or mole of rocks called Filey-bridge, which projects a quarter of a mile into the sea, and contributes greatly to the protection of the bay in tempestuous-weather. At high water the rocks are overflowed; but when the tide is low, they may be traversed to their extremity, and afford thence noble views of Flamborough-head and Scarborough-castle. The shore is circular, and the sands, to the extent of nearly three miles, are esteemed the finest on this part of the coast. The Cliffs to the eastward are lofty, and curiously indented, resembling the spires of a cathedral; but to the westward they decline considerably in elevation, until they join those at Speeton, where they rise precipitously, and exhibit their chalky masses in many singular shapes as far as Flamborough-head.
The church is picturesquely situated on the summit of a rugged steep, separated from the village on the opposite ground by a deep chasm, which is passable only by a narrow bridge. This venerable edifice presents in miniature the model of an ancient cathedral.
The inhabitants of Filey, consisting principally of fishermen and their families, are remarkable for their sobriety and industry, their cordiality as neighbours, and their intermarriages with each other. The men are exceedingly stout and hardy.
In addition to the stated fishing on the coast, which is considerable, twelve vessels, called Five-men Boats, are annually fitted out for the Yarmouth herring-fishery, which commences in September, and finishes in November.
Numerous parties from Scarborough and Bridlington make excursions to Filey in the summer-season; but notwithstanding it's peculiar advantages for Sea-bathing, it has few accommodations for permanent visitors. Humphrey Osbaldeston Esq., of Hunmanby, as Lord of the Manor, has a right to the fishery to a small distance from the shore.
OTHER ARTICLES
• Primitive Methodism amongst the Scarborough Filey and Flamborough fishing communities
• Filey and its early fishing industry
• A sea shanty about a storm on the Scarborough coast
• The fishermen and fisheries of Robin Hood's Bay in 1838
• Flamborough Head - ancient fishing village
• The fishing community in Flamborough head - superstition and bad luck
• The 200 year history of scarboroughs RNLI
• aThe coble boats of Filey Flamborough and Runswicks Bay
• Children of the fishing families in Scarborough
• Life in the Old Town of Scarborough and harbour - the fishing families
• Filey and the gales of 1860,1867,1869 AND 1880
• Trawling and overfishing - Filey fishing
• The history of the Scarborough fishing industry
• Harwood Brierleys description of Scarborough harbour at the opening of the 20th century
• Robin Hood's Bay - The Storm family website
• Filey fishermen in 1862 - yawls and cobles
• Instructions to sailors - Flamborough Head
• The Yorkshire smuggler - the smuggling of contraband
• Thomas Crimlisk - First of the Crimlisks
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