Mike Laycock explores the lighthouse and caves of Flamborough Head.

IT'S like the setting for one of Enid Blyton's Famous Five adventures, in which Julian, Dick, George, Anne and Timmy the dog always seemed to be exploring caves and lighthouses.

Flamborough Head, out on the Yorkshire Coast to the north of Bridlington, has plenty of caves and a fine lighthouse. And while we didn't come across smugglers or other villains, it was easy to imagine them lurking nearby, waiting to return to a cave for their buried loot when darkness fell.

We began with a visit to the lighthouse. This 27-metre high building stands on the edge of the spectacular 30-metre high chalk cliffs of Flamborough Head. Guided tours lasting 15 minutes are organised throughout the day from 10am until 4.30pm. The tour involves climbing 119 steps of a spiral staircase and tickets carry a health warning, recommending people with heart or respiratory conditions not to attempt the visit. Sufferers from vertigo should give it a miss as well.

But it is fascinating trip, particularly thanks to some of the statistics relayed by the helpful and friendly guide. The lighthouse's massive bulb is 1kilowatts in strength, and costs more than £100 to replace. The light, after passing through a lens with 500 prisms and weighing three and a half tons, gives out the equivalent light of 650,000 candles. The beam can be seen 24 miles out to sea.

Our guide told us that the lighthouse was built in 1806 at a cost of £8,000, and it burnt oil until being electrified in 1940. It was manned by lighthouse keepers until being automated in 1996.

Every British lighthouse doesn't just flash to warn ships of hazards, but also has its own flashing pattern which allows mariners to locate their position. At Flamborough, the lighthouse gives out four flashes every 15 seconds.

The views from the top, of Bridlington in one direction and Filey in the other, are excellent on a clear day; and my daughter and her friend enjoyed watching the seabirds wheeling far below.

After gingerly descending the stairs, we drove a short distance to the car park at Flamborough's North Landing. Here a footpath led down to a beach of rocks and some gritty sand.

It was slippery on some of the rocks, but we walked carefully across to peer in the rockpools for crabs and other sea creatures. Disappointingly, we couldn't find any, so we headed towards the cliffs, where the sea has fashioned a number of caves. And in a sandy inlet, my daughter and her friend got down to serious digging, although Australia remained elusively out of reach.

We were thirsty by now, and so returned to the cliffs to finish our visit in an old-fashioned cafe. This establishment takes you back to an earlier era, both in the decor and the prices. Jacket potatoes cost £1.30 and a cup of tea was 50 pence. You'd be lucky to get a sip for that in York.

Fact file:

Flamborough Lighthouse.

Open daily until October from 10am until 4.30pm, but from 1pm on Tuesdays.

Admission: adults £2, children £1.

Further information: 01262 678255.

Updated: 08:45 Saturday, August 16, 2003