Filey

Filey is a small town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It forms part of the borough of Scarborough and is located between Scarborough and Bridlington on the North Sea coast. Although it started out as a fishing village, it has a large beach and is a popular tourist resort, known locally for its quality fish and chip outlets. Until 1974 it was an urban district in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

According to the 2001 UK census, Filey parish had a population of 6,819.

Filey is at the eastern end of the Cleveland Way, a long-distance footpath; this starts at Helmsley and skirts the North Yorkshire Moors. It was the second National Trail to be opened (1969). It is also the northern end of the Yorkshire Wolds Way which starts at Hessle and crosses the Yorkshire Wolds. Filey is the finishing point for the Great Yorkshire Bike Ride from Wetherby. The 70 mile ride begins at Wetherby Racecourse.

Filey has a railway station on the Yorkshire Coast Line between Hull and Scarborough. From 1947 to 1977 there was a second railway station south of the town, serving Butlins Holiday Camp, which has now been re-developed into the largest coastal holiday housing development in Yorkshire, The Bay Filey. In 2006 work began on cleaning up the remnants of the old Butlins holiday camp adjoining Filey Beach to build The Bay, a 600-home holiday housing development. One of the largest coastal developments of this kind in the UK, the first homes began to be handed over to buyers in 2007.

The town has recently had a boom of house buyers due to a Persimmon estate being built in the area of Seadale. It was predicted to add significantly to the population.

Filey has two wishing wells, located in the Crescent Gardens. One is a traditional looking type, and the other is smaller, with a concrete model of a church and houses set around it, with a bell to ring and make a wish. The former is a popular site for tourist and family photographs.

In July 2007 Filey was hit by flash floods which caused major problems in the town, with various areas suffering damage.

Notable people

Leo Blair, the father of Tony Blair, the previous Prime Minister of the United Kingdom was born in Filey.
Fred Pratt Green, a Hymn writer and Methodist clergyman, began his ministerial career in the Filey circuit.
Dame Madge Kendal lived for a time at South Crescent Villa (now the White Lodge Hotel) in the early years of the 20th century.