Filey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Filey |
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 Coat of arms |
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 Filey
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| Area | 3.29 sq mi (8.5 km2) |
| Population | 6,981 (2011 census) |
| • Density | 2,122/sq mi (819/km2) |
| OS grid reference | TA115807 |
| Unitary authority |
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| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | FILEY |
| Postcode district | YO14 |
| Dialling code | 01723 |
| Police | North Yorkshire |
| Fire | North Yorkshire |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| EU Parliament | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| UK Parliament |
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Filey (pronounced FY-lee) is a lovely seaside town in North Yorkshire, England. It sits right between the towns of Scarborough and Bridlington on a beautiful stretch of coast called Filey Bay. Even though it started as a small fishing village, Filey is now famous for its big beach and has become a very popular place for tourists to visit.
In 2011, about 6,981 people lived in Filey. This number has grown a little over the years, showing that more people are choosing to live here. Historically, most of Filey was in a different area called the East Riding of Yorkshire. However, in 1974, the whole town became part of the new county of North Yorkshire.
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Exploring Filey's Location and Nature
Filey is a great spot for outdoor adventures! It's the end point for two long walking paths. The Cleveland Way is a path that starts far away in Helmsley and goes around the North York Moors. It was one of the first special walking trails opened in England back in 1969.
Filey is also where the Yorkshire Wolds Way National Trail finishes. This path starts in Hessle and crosses the beautiful Yorkshire Wolds. If you like cycling, Filey is also the finishing line for the Great Yorkshire Bike Ride, a 70-mile (113 km) journey that starts at Wetherby Racecourse.
How to Get to Filey
Filey has its own train station on the Yorkshire Coast Line. There used to be another station near a big holiday camp called Butlin's. This camp has now been turned into a large holiday housing area called The Bay Filey. The first homes there were finished in 2007.
Filey's Weather
Filey has a mild climate, typical for a coastal town in England. The warmest months are usually July and August, while January and February are the coldest. It gets a fair amount of rain throughout the year, but also enjoys a good amount of sunshine, especially in spring and summer.
| Climate data for Scarborough, North Yorkshire: Average maximum and minimum temperatures, and average rainfall recorded between 1991 and 2020 by the Met Office. |
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 6.7 (44.1) |
7.1 (44.8) |
9.1 (48.4) |
11.4 (52.5) |
14.0 (57.2) |
16.9 (62.4) |
19.2 (66.6) |
19.1 (66.4) |
16.7 (62.1) |
13.1 (55.6) |
9.5 (49.1) |
7.0 (44.6) |
12.5 (54.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2.0 (35.6) |
2.0 (35.6) |
3.1 (37.6) |
5.0 (41.0) |
7.4 (45.3) |
10.1 (50.2) |
12.2 (54.0) |
12.4 (54.3) |
10.5 (50.9) |
7.9 (46.2) |
4.6 (40.3) |
2.4 (36.3) |
6.66 (43.99) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 56.9 (2.24) |
48.8 (1.92) |
45.5 (1.79) |
50.4 (1.98) |
45.2 (1.78) |
65.5 (2.58) |
56.6 (2.23) |
69.5 (2.74) |
57.3 (2.26) |
68.4 (2.69) |
73.4 (2.89) |
68.0 (2.68) |
705.5 (27.78) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 12.1 | 11.5 | 9.5 | 9.1 | 8.3 | 9.9 | 10.0 | 10.2 | 9.4 | 11.6 | 13.0 | 12.8 | 127.3 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 56.3 | 83.5 | 117.9 | 164.8 | 213.8 | 189.3 | 201.3 | 188.5 | 142.5 | 101.9 | 64.9 | 54.2 | 1,578.8 |
| Source: Met Office | |||||||||||||
Filey's Rich History
Filey has a long and interesting past, from Roman times to its growth as a holiday spot.
Ancient Roman History
In 1857, people found the remains of a Roman signal station from the 4th century at Carr Naze cliff. This station was about 50 meters (164 feet) long with a square tower. It also had a defensive ditch and walls. During digs, Roman pottery and coins were found. This discovery suggests that Filey might have been a Roman settlement called Portus Felix.
St Oswald's Church
The St Oswald's Church was built in the 12th century and is the oldest building in Filey. It's considered a very important historical building. Inside, on the tower's roof, there are nearly 1,500 pieces of medieval graffiti! These drawings and writings are very old and show things like sailing ships and people's initials. They tell us a lot about Filey's history over 400 years.
How Filey Became a Tourist Town
Filey was a small village until the 1700s. Then, visitors from nearby Scarborough started coming to Filey because it was so peaceful. In 1835, a lawyer named John Wilkes Unett bought some land and built a beautiful row of houses called the Crescent, which opened in the 1850s.
The famous writer Charlotte Brontë visited Filey several times in the mid-1800s to rest and recover her health. She loved the sea and wrote about the powerful waves crashing on the shore.
Fishing in Filey
Fishing has been a tradition in Filey for hundreds of years. Many families in Filey have been fishermen for generations. The fishing boats used here are called cobles, which are common along the Yorkshire coast. They mostly catch sea trout.
To keep fishermen safe, a lifeboat was brought to Filey in 1804. In 1852, it became part of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. The Filey Lifeboat Station is still active today, with both an inshore and an all-weather lifeboat ready to help.
Butlin's Holiday Camp
For over 40 years, the Butlin's Filey Holiday Camp was a huge part of Filey's economy. Building started in 1939. During World War II, it was used as an air force base. After the war, in 1945, it became a very popular holiday resort. A special train line and station were even built to serve the camp!
At its busiest in the late 1950s, the camp could host 10,000 holidaymakers. However, it closed in 1984, which meant fewer tourists came to Filey for a while.
Other Historical Facts
The famous composer Frederick Delius stayed in Filey as a boy in the 1870s. Also, in 1931, the spire of a church in Filey was damaged by an earthquake. In 2018, the town was part of the Tour de Yorkshire cycling race for the first time.
How Filey is Governed
Filey has its own local government, which helps run the town.
| Filey Town Council | |
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Seal
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Town Council
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| Leadership | |
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Mayor
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Jacqui Houlden-Banks
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Deputy Mayor
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Linda Randall
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Town clerk
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David Liddle
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| Structure | |
| Seats | 13 Councillors |
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Length of term
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4 years |
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11 / 13
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Vacant
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2 / 13
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| Elections | |
| Plurality-at-large | |
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Last election
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5 May 2022 |
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Next election
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TBC |
| Meeting place | |
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| Filey Town Council Offices | |
Filey Town Council
At the local level, Filey has a Town Council with thirteen councillors. These councillors help manage things like burial grounds, community gardens (allotments), play areas, and some street lights. Elections for the town council happen every four years. The Mayor of Filey is chosen each year by the councillors. The council meets at the Filey Town Council Offices.
Local and National Government
Filey used to be part of the Scarborough Borough Council area. It also had one representative on the North Yorkshire County Council. However, in 2023, both of these councils were replaced by a new, single council called North Yorkshire Council.
For national government, Filey is part of the Thirsk and Malton area, which elects a Member of Parliament (MP) to the UK Parliament.
Future Developments in Filey
There are plans to build about 300 new houses in Filey. This project aims to provide more homes for people who want to live in the town. Some people are concerned about how this might affect the town's existing services, but the developers say the homes are needed.
Local Media in Filey
If you want to know what's happening in Filey, there are several ways to get local news.
Television and Radio
Local TV news comes from BBC Yorkshire and ITV Yorkshire. You can also listen to local radio stations like BBC Radio York (95.5 FM), Greatest Hits Radio Yorkshire Coast (96.2 FM), and Coast & County Radio (97.4 FM). There's also an online radio station called This is The Coast.
Newspapers
For local news in print, you can read Filey Bay Today and The Scarborough News.
Famous People from Filey
- Leo Blair, who was the father of former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, was born in Filey.
- Edmund Crawford and Andy Crawford were both footballers who played for well-known teams.
- Honor Fell (1900–1986), a famous zoologist who studied animals, was born near Filey.
Images for kids
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The Lobster sculpture
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The Station Pub
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See also
In Spanish: Filey para niños
