Camping in Filey

England has no general right to wild camping, so any pitch here needs a proper campsite, caravan park or landowner's permission – there is no legal equivalent of the freedoms found in Scotland. Fortunately Filey and its immediate surroundings are well provided for, from Filey Brigg Caravan and Camping Park right by the headland, with pitches looking out towards the sea, to larger holiday parks such as Primrose Valley and Reighton Sands a short drive north, which mix static caravans with touring and tent pitches and family entertainment. Smaller, quieter sites in the surrounding villages, such as Lebberston and Hunmanby, offer a more low-key base for those who want easy access to the coast without the bustle of a big holiday park.

The terrain around Filey is gentle by Yorkshire standards – rolling farmland behind a dramatic but walkable coastline – which makes it a good choice for families and less experienced campers, while the clifftop paths around the Brigg and the start of the Cleveland Way give more energetic visitors a proper coastal walk on the doorstep. Weather off the North Sea can turn quickly even in summer, so it is worth packing for wind and the odd sharp shower whatever the forecast says the day before.

Late spring through to early autumn is the most comfortable window for camping here, with long daylight hours, milder evenings and the best chance of calm seas for a swim off Filey beach. May and June often bring the added bonus of migrating seabirds passing the Brigg, while September can deliver some of the year's best light and quieter pitches once the school-holiday crowds have gone home. For those who would rather skip the tent altogether, several sites around Filey now offer glamping options – pods, safari tents and yurts – that bring proper beds, heating and sometimes their own decking straight onto the same clifftop and farmland settings, without the packing list.