Filey is a 20 minute bus ride from Scarborough station and costs me next to nothing – and if I hadn’t lost my freedom pass in Grimsby it would be nothing. That aside I am taking full advantage of the £2 bus fare cap scheme brought in by the Conservatives (would you believe) and due to run out in December this year. It appears to apply all over England and Wales except in London, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire, who all have their own schemes.

It is another gorgeous day and I am really looking forward to this walk, as I am pretty sure I can walk on the sand the whole way. I arrive on the promenade and stand and watch early swimmers braving the waves. The life guard gives me a friendly smile and allows me to take a photograph – you never know these days…..

The beach is practically empty – it’s still early.

I hop down onto the sand and turn right. A little further up the beach I spy a coastguard booth so I take the opportunity to run up and ask him about the tides. He tells me I can easily walk all the way to Reighton Sands before the tide comes in – hooray!

So, stuffing my socks and boots into a carrier bag I head off down the beach, luxuriating in the fact that for the next four miles there will be no need for a map.

As I walk further south the beach slowly empties – I can just about see some rather nice houses on the cliff top – mind you with all the coastal erosion I’ve witnessed on my walks, I think I would soon be having second thoughts about such a purchase.

A natural lagoon appears allowing small children to mess about with inflatables. My mind turns to a recent article in the Danish news advising parents to forget the phone and keep a closer eye on their children, especially on a crowded beach. Seven children were recently reported missing on the same day on a popular beach in Denmark.

Concrete debris litters the shoreline – remains of military coastal defences.

And now I have reached my destination………………………….this is Reighton Gap.

On go the boots – my toes complain a little as I walk up to join a line of people obviously waiting for something. And this is what it is………………a tractor and trailer to ferry people up the steep hill to the holiday camp at the top of the cliff.

I cannot be bothered to wait in line so I start walking, stopping for a cup of tea in the small cafe half way up.

It doesn’t take long but when I get to the top I have 30 minutes to wait for the bus, so I waste a bit of time browsing the aisles in the ferociously air conditioned shop – heaven.

Distance: 4 miles