Buyers are discovering Flamborough's charms

Flamborough may not be the most fashionable place on the Yorkshire coast but this attractive village has its ardent fans, including a man who knows more about “location, location, location” than most.Nick Belt, who runs Nicholas Belt Estate Agency in nearby Bridlington, has lived in Flamborough for 38 years and says: “I’d find it hard to live anywhere else. It’s very attractive, has a good community and it is a very sustainable village. It has got everything you could need.”Along with natural beauty, cliff top walks and nearby beaches, Flmborough has a Norman church, pubs, restaurants, takeaways, a small Co-op, a butcher’s shop, a primary school., golf course and regular buses to Bridlington, which is three miles away.It has a population of about 3,500 but is busier in summer thanks largely to holiday makers from the Haven caravan site at nearby North Landing.“Even then it never feels overcrowded. It’s quite a sprawling village with plenty of hinterland and there are miles of cliff top walks,” says Nick.While Flamborough rarely registers with those fixated with buying in Whitby, Sandsend and Staithes, it is being discovered.

A pleasure fishing trip launches from the North Landing, FlamboroughPicture by Tony Johnson.

“We have always had people from West Yorkshire who love Flamborough and want to retire here or buy a second home or holiday let but we now seeing more buyers who love walking and bird watching.“They are coming from further afield, most recently from the Midlands and Scotland,” says Nick Belt.House prices are part of the allure, along with the dramatic coastline, beaches and abundant birdlife. Homes start at about £100,000 for a two-bedroom cottage and £170,000 for a semi-detached house.The cheapest property for sale in the village at the moment is a one-bedroom apartment in the old Co-op building in Dog and Duck Square, which is being converted into six flats. The flat is £85,000 and is marketed by Ullyotts.

Top end of the market

The most expensive is a £2m live-work opportunity for sale via Savills. It includes a farmhouse, five holiday cottages, a caravan site with 98 hook-ups, storage for 220 caravans and planning permission for 25 static caravans.Highcliffe Manor, a nine-bedroom home and former hotel, comes with a two-bedroom cottage, 11 acres of land and outbuildings. It has a price tag of £1.25m. With Dee, Atkinson and Harrison.Nick Belt says that property values in Flamborough are about 10 to 15 per cent lower than in Scarborough and “a lot less than in Whitby”.Andy Vidler, manager of Reed Rains in Bridlington, agrees: “A lot of buyers have tunnel vision with Whitby but they are missing out. Flamborough is not as busy and it has an immense amount of charm.”Stevie Giles, manager of Hunters estate agency in Bridlington, adds: “A lot of people don’t know where the village is but lovely and there are amazing beaches nearby, including Thornwick Bay with crystal clear water.”The latest new development in Flamborough is Cliff Walk, which includes 10 bungalows for sale with Nicholas Belt from £200,000. They are just half a mile from the cliff edge and the footpath leading to Danes Dyke beach.Those worried about the village being swamped with new-build needn’t be, says Nick Belt. “It is protected as being part of the heritage coast so new development is limited.”

Flamborough Fire Festival. Picture by James Hardisty.

Flamborough Facts*Flamborough facts: In the late 8th century, Flamborough was invaded and colonised by the Vikings. The village celebrates its Viking heritage with a Fire Festival each New Year's Eve.*The North Landing beach at Flamborough was used in the filming of the ITV drama Victoria and is a favourite with visiting seals.*Flamborough Head is two miles from the village centre and its chalk cliffs rise to 450 feet.*Flamborough is close to one of the UK’s most famous RSPB reserves, Bempton cliffs, which boasts the largest and most accessible mainland nesting colony of gannets, along with puffins, razorbills, guillemots and other seabirds.*Flamborough has two lighthouses. The oldest dates to 1669 and the new one dates from 1806 and is still working.