Danes Dyke
Danes Dyke
Table of Contents
Danes Dyke
Danes Dyke – The Ancient Woodland Walk Between Flamborough and Bridlington
One of the great things about staying on the Yorkshire coast is that you don’t have to travel very far to find somewhere completely different. Around Flamborough we have the spectacular white cliffs, little bays, seabirds, and the open North Sea, but tucked away amongst all this is one of my favourite types of place—an old Yorkshire woodland with a fascinating history.
Danes Dyke is on the Flamborough headland between Flamborough village and Bridlington, and it’s well worth discovering if you’re staying at Lucky Paws Holiday Home at Thornwick Bay.
A Walk Through Yorkshire History
Despite the name, Danes Dyke wasn’t actually built by the Danes.
For many years people naturally assumed that Vikings or Danish invaders must have constructed it. Archaeologists now believe the earthwork is considerably older, probably dating from the Iron Age.
The dyke stretches for roughly two and a half miles across the Flamborough headland, running from the cliffs on the north side towards Danes Dyke Beach on the south.
It consists of a large ditch and bank which would once have formed an impressive defensive boundary across the headland.
Standing there today amongst mature trees, birds and wild plants, it can be difficult to imagine how important this earthwork may once have been.
That’s part of the attraction for me. You aren’t visiting a reconstructed attraction or something built especially for tourists. You’re walking through a landscape that people were using thousands of years ago.
From Woodland to the Sea
One of the nicest walks starts around the Danes Dyke car park and takes you down through the wooded ravine towards the beach.
The woodland gives the place a completely different atmosphere from the exposed cliffs around Flamborough Head.
Depending on the time of year you’ll find woodland flowers, mature trees and plenty of birdlife. In spring particularly, the woodland floor can look lovely.
As you continue downhill, eventually the trees open out and you suddenly find yourself looking towards the sea.
Danes Dyke beach is a mixture of pebbles and rocks backed by the magnificent chalk cliffs for which this part of the Yorkshire coast is famous.
It’s not your traditional Bridlington-type seaside beach with amusement arcades and rows of deckchairs. That’s precisely why many people love it.
It’s a place for exploring, walking, looking in rock pools and simply enjoying the Yorkshire coastline.
A Great Place for Wildlife
Anyone who knows Lucky Paws will know that we love wildlife, and this whole part of East Yorkshire is superb for nature lovers.
Danes Dyke Local Nature Reserve contains woodland, grassland and coastal habitats within a relatively small area.
That variety means there’s always something to look out for.
Woodland birds can be heard amongst the trees while butterflies and other insects appear around the more open areas during warmer weather. Once you reach the coast, you’ve got a completely different collection of wildlife.
And of course, a short journey farther around the headland takes you towards Bempton Cliffs, one of Britain’s great seabird spectacles.
Perfect for a Dog-Friendly Holiday
Danes Dyke is also an obvious place to mention for guests bringing their dogs to Lucky Paws.
Woodland walks and coastal scenery make it a cracking place for getting out with the dog, although naturally dogs should be kept under proper control, particularly around wildlife and livestock.
The terrain can also become muddy and slippery after Yorkshire has supplied us with some of its famous rain!
I’d recommend decent footwear rather than setting off in your best trainers.
That’s Yorkshire for you. We can give you glorious sunshine in the morning and have you looking for your waterproof coat by teatime.
Flamborough Head Is Something Special
Danes Dyke forms part of the wider Flamborough Head landscape, and I think this is what makes holidays around Thornwick Bay so enjoyable.
You can spend one day exploring woodland and an ancient earthwork and another walking along some of Britain’s most spectacular chalk cliffs.
Then there are places such as North Landing, South Landing and Flamborough Lighthouse, all within the same relatively small area.
Travel a little farther and you’ve got Bridlington with its traditional seaside attractions, harbour and beaches.
For wildlife lovers there’s Bempton.
For walkers there are miles of coastal paths.
And when you’ve had enough walking, there’s never a pub, café or fish-and-chip shop too far away!
Is Danes Dyke Really Danish?
This is probably the question most visitors eventually ask.
The simple answer is probably not.
The name has encouraged stories about Danish or Viking origins for generations, but archaeological evidence points towards the earthwork being much older.
Exactly why such a substantial defensive structure was created remains part of the mystery.
It effectively cuts the Flamborough headland off from the mainland, which suggests that the people who constructed it regarded the headland as somewhere important enough to defend.
I love places like this because we may never know the complete story.
Thousands of years have passed, yet the earthwork remains and we’re still walking alongside it today.
A Different Side of the Yorkshire Coast
When people think about an East Yorkshire seaside holiday, they naturally picture beaches, fish and chips and perhaps a day in Bridlington.
But places such as Danes Dyke show there’s much more to this coastline.
You can have breakfast at Thornwick Bay, spend the morning walking through ancient woodland, reach the sea beneath towering chalk cliffs and still be back in Flamborough in plenty of time for tea.
And it doesn’t cost a fortune to enjoy it.
Sometimes the simplest days out turn out to be the ones we remember.
Staying at Lucky Paws Holiday Home
Lucky Paws Holiday Home at Thornwick Bay makes a great base for exploring Danes Dyke and the rest of the Flamborough headland.
We particularly welcome visitors who enjoy walking, wildlife, beaches and discovering some of the quieter corners of Yorkshire.
Danes Dyke is exactly that sort of place.
It combines history, woodland, wildlife and the Yorkshire coast in one visit – and it’s right on our doorstep.
If you’re staying with us and fancy getting away from the busier seaside attractions for a few hours, put on a decent pair of walking shoes and give Danes Dyke a try.
I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
