natural wonder
Flamborough Head
A chalk headland of stacks, arches and caves on the East Yorkshire coast, with two lighthouses and huge seabird colonies nearby.
23 km · about 25 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomEngland
Hornsea
England, United Kingdom · Europe
About Hornsea
Hornsea is worth a stop: 5 minutes from Atwick, 23km from Flamborough Head.
Hornsea is in England, United Kingdom, with about 8,400 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Atwick, about 4 km away.
Hornsea is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The settlement dates to at least the early medieval period. The town was expanded in the Victorian era with the coming of the Hull and Hornsea Railway in 1864. In the First World War, the mere was briefly the site of RNAS HornseaRead more
Mere, a seaplane base. During the Second World War, the town and beach were heavily fortified against invasion.
The civil parish encompasses Hornsea town; the natural lake, Hornsea Mere; and the lost or deserted villages of Hornsea Beck, Northorpe and Southorpe. Structures of note in the parish include the medieval parish church of St Nicholas, Bettison's Folly, Hornsea Mere and the sea front promenade.
The economy includes a mix of tourism and small manufacturing. Most notably, Hornsea Pottery was established in Hornsea in 1949 and closed in 2000. Modern Hornsea still functions as a coastal resort and has large caravan sites to the north and south.
The soft soil and low-lying geography result in consistent coastal erosion that threatens some of the infrastructure of the community. This is expected to worsen as climate change causes sea level rise. In some areas, residents have already been forced to take a managed retreat.
Where to Stay in Hornsea
Compare prices across Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia, and more. Select your dates to see availability.
Filter presets
Pick your must-haves once: provider links open pre-filtered. Each filter lists which sites it applies to.
Compare before you book!
Prices can vary significantly between platforms. We recommend checking at least 2-3 sites to find the best deal for your stay in Hornsea.
Explore the Area
Discover famous landmarks, scenic roads, and more near Hornsea.
Loading map...
Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Hornsea?
Within an hour or so of Hornsea: Flamborough Head (23 km), RSPB Bempton Cliffs (26 km), Humber Bridge (29 km), Seaways Cafe (34 km).
Are there any good drives near Hornsea?
The nearest famous roads are Rosedale Chimney Bank, Holme Moss and Woodhead Pass.
Where is Hornsea?
Hornsea is in England, United Kingdom, about 4 km from Atwick.
Road trip
Drive to Hornsea
Add it as a stop and the planner works out the driving, the nights and what's worth seeing on the way.
Start planningWhat's nearby?
Swipe through places to go
Places within a drive of Hornsea. Keep the ones you like and add them to your trip.
Explore now
Quick Information
- Population
- 8,432
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- England
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 53.9104, -0.1681
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Hornsea
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
natural wonder
RSPB Bempton Cliffs
Chalk cliffs hosting half a million seabirds in season, including England's largest mainland gannet colony and thousands of puffins.
26 km · about 30 min drive
bridge
Humber Bridge
Vast single-span suspension bridge over the Humber estuary near Hull: the world's longest of its kind for 16 years after opening in 1981, with a 2.2km crossing that still feels like flying over water.
29 km · about 35 min drive
cafe
Seaways Cafe
Famous bikers' cafe at Fridaythorpe on the rolling B1251 through the Yorkshire Wolds, drawing hundreds of motorcycles and sports cars on summer weekends for its renowned breakfasts.
34 km · about 40 min drive
natural wonder
Spurn Point
A three-mile sand spit curling into the Humber estuary, cut off from the mainland by tidal washovers and reachable on foot at low tide.
41 km · about 50 min drive
castle
Scarborough Castle
A headland fortress dividing Scarborough's two bays, occupying a site used since the Iron Age and shelled by German battlecruisers in 1914.
44 km · about 50 min drive
castle
Castle Howard
A stately home in North Yorkshire, not a true castle but one of England's grandest Baroque residences, famous from Brideshead Revisited.
53 km · about 60 min drive
landmark
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
An 18-mile heritage steam line from Pickering across the moors to Grosmont and on to Whitby, one of the busiest in Britain.
55 km · about 65 min drive
Driving roads near Hornsea
12 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 150km.
- 29 kmHumber BridgeVast single-span suspension bridge over the Humber estuary near Hull: the world's longest of its kind for 16 years after opening in 1981, with a 2.2km crossing that still feels like flying over water.
- 68 kmRosedale Chimney BankOne of England's steepest roads, hitting 1-in-3 (33%) as it climbs from Rosedale Abbey onto the North York Moors past old ironstone kilns. A rite of passage for drivers and cyclists; caravans are banned.
- 77 kmSutton BankA steep escarpment with a 1-in-4 hairpin climb and a view James Herriot called 'the finest in England', looking over the Vale of York.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
Nearby Destinations
Other places to explore near Hornsea.
Plan a trip around Hornsea
Your trip starts here
Plan a road trip from Hornsea.
Pick the days, drop in the stops, and share it with whoever's coming.