Climbing the cliffs in filey in 1779 - Yorkshires maritime heritage
A gentleman visiting Scarborough made a fishing
expedition along the coast in 1779. He kept a journal
which descibed his landing. At some point he caught a
mackerel and some fine salmon trout. Filey was not yet
a seaside resort.
"We took a boat one morning to visit Flamborough Head;
but the wind not favouring us, we were obliged to put
ashore at Filey, on the north side of the Bay. Being
totally ignorant of our way, we attempted to climb the
cliff, which rose extremely high, and was very steep.
After clambering over the rocks at the bottom, I
ascended with real difficulty to within three yards of
the top. It then rose so suddenly, from the point
where I was upon hands and knees, that I could not
get forward."
"The idea of returning terrified me, and on looking
back, I was astonished at my temerity in the attempt,
and at the height to which I had arrived. I gave it
up and expected every moment to fall. In getting just
before, from this same point where I lay, Mr. A.
slipped and was near falling upon me. He, however,
recovered himself by sudden effort, but in his ascent
loosened the stones and gravel which came rolling down
upon me in a heavy shower. The same thing happened to
me, but this last attempt brought me so near the top,
as enabled Mr. B. to catch hold of my coat and draw me
safe to the top".
The people of the town told us, nobody had ever
attempted that part of the cliff before.
John Rushton
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• Tommy Rowley - stories about loss of life at sea
• Scarborough : A seaside resort , in the 1820s
• Carrying Coal to the Yorkshire Coast - John Rushton
• Flamborough Head - ancient fishing village
• Characters of the Filey fishing industry
• Havens on the North Yorkshire coast. An article on scarboroughs maritime history by John Rushton
• Primitive Methodism amongst the Scarborough Filey and Flamborough fishing communities
• Funny stories from the age of sailing ships in Scarborough
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