Filey Brigg

Walk far enough along Filey's beach and you'll reach this rocky promontory jutting out into the North Sea - a proper geological feature that's been shaping the Yorkshire coast for millennia. The Brigg itself is a natural extension of the foreshore, and at low tide you can pick your way across the rocks to explore pools and crevices teeming with sea life. It's the kind of place that rewards patience: turn over a rock and you'll find anemones, crabs, starfish.

The walk out takes about twenty minutes from the seafront at Filey proper, and the views back towards the town and across Cayton Bay are genuinely excellent, especially on a clear day. This isn't a manicured attraction with facilities - there's no café, no interpretation boards, just you and the coast. That's rather the point. Families with kids who like rockpooling will get hours of entertainment here, particularly in the two or three hours either side of low tide. Older walkers appreciate it for the coastal path access and the sense of real geology.

It's free, obviously, and there's no admission control. Timing matters though - go at high tide and you'll be confined to a narrow strip. The nearby Haven parks (Primrose Valley and Blue Dolphin sit just 2.6 miles away) make decent bases if you're caravan camping, though the seafront itself is walkable from most of Filey. Allow an hour minimum, longer if you're serious about rockpooling. Wear decent shoes. The rocks are slippery.