Camping in Hunmanby

Hunmanby sits in classic Yorkshire coast-and-Wolds camping country: sandy beach a short walk away at Hunmanby Gap, rolling arable and pasture land inland, and the chalk hills of the Yorkshire Wolds rising to the west. As with everywhere else in England, wild camping without the landowner's permission is against the law here, so pitching up on farmland, clifftop grassland or the beach itself isn't an option — stick to licensed campsites and caravan parks, of which the Filey and Reighton coast just south of Hunmanby has plenty, many geared around the wide sweep of Filey Bay.

The terrain shapes what camping looks like locally. Coastal sites near Hunmanby Gap and Reighton Sands tend to be exposed to sea winds, so a sturdy tent and decent pegs matter more here than in a sheltered inland spot; sites tucked a little further back towards the village or up into the Wolds get more shelter from hedgerows and farmland. Cliff-edge paths along this stretch of coast can also erode, so it's worth checking site-specific advice on beach access rather than assuming a route is safe year to year.

Late spring through early autumn is the best window, broadly April to September, when the weather is kindest and the days long enough to make the most of both the beach and the Wolds Way footpaths inland. Peak summer weekends and school holidays get busy at the coastal parks, so booking ahead is sensible if a sea view matters to you. Outside those months the North Sea coast can turn cold and blustery fast, and many smaller sites close for winter altogether.

For anyone who'd rather skip guy ropes altogether, glamping is well represented along this stretch of coast — shepherd's huts, pods and static options at the larger holiday parks around Primrose Valley and Reighton offer sea-facing or Wolds-facing pitches with proper beds and heating, a good middle ground for a comfortable coastal break without a hotel.