As most of you know, Hornsea is a small but pretty seaside town on England’s East Yorkshire coast. Hornsea consists of a small but beautifully kept seafront, a town which is pretty much like any Victorian holiday resort around Yorkshire, and uniquely a Mere, which happens to be the largest freshwater lake in Yorkshire. Hornsea Mere is a centre for bird-watching and a tourist attraction offering rowing, sailing, boat trips and fishing.

I was photographing with a good friend Steve, the weather forecast was good, and we were both ready for a Saturday morning photo walk, but most of all Sunshine, after all the dullness and rain we’ve had this summer!

Parking Location

It took Steve and me an hour and a half travelling before we arrived at the small but very well-maintained and FREE, Morrow Avenue Car Park at early O’Clock, we didn’t even try to do sunrise at 4:30, that wasn’t happening, but what a day, the sun was warm and bright, no people were around, the only sounds were gentle waves and seagulls, bliss!

We leisurely started a short walk down the Esplanade from Marrow Avenue Car Park to the main seafront behind The Marine Pub, travelling light, Fuji cameras in hand and small drone bag over the shoulder, with sand and sea on one side and summer flowers on the other.

NCI Hornsea Coastwatch

How good are all these knitted flowers and pictures around Hornsea Coastwatch Station? Six months of work and over 4000 handmade flowers, many volunteer hours and it has had some impact! The popularity means it is now planned to remain up for as much of the summer as possible.

Friendly People and a FREE Coffee

The earlybirds we did pass on Hornsea Promenade were mainly dog walkers and those out for a stroll or early morning exercise. We could not help but notice how friendly everyone was and willing to stop, have a chat, and ask how the photography was going, which is always good.

On the main Hornsea seafront, we noticed a cafe with an open door and a couple of people drinking Coffee on a picnic table just outside. Hmmmm COFFEE, we had to have one, it’s important you know!

We walked inside the cafe and, what turned out to be the owner, followed us in from the table outside. Two Lattes to take out were ordered and brought to us. I placed my camera on the counter and got the debit card out to tap and pay, only to be told the tills were not yet working and the Lattes were FREE, how good is that! The cafe was not yet open but the owner still served us, and a couple who came in after us got the same very kind treatment. The cafe owner joked that we were not to tell all our friends or there would be a queue up the seafront for free coffee :)

After a rather nice free coffee, we walked a bit further and I lined myself up to take another shot near these steps on South Promenade.

Good luck taking the shot Tim, SHOCK, HORROR, HELL, where was my camera!

After moments of sheer panic, I started running back towards the cafe, much to the amusement of Steve and a man on a bench talking to Steve and thoroughly enjoying the floor show!

Back at the seafront cafe table, just down the road from where we had been sat, shock horror, my heart sank even further, no camera. We left minutes ago and only two elderly people have walked by the table, it cannot have been stolen, images and all, could it?

I looked at Steve, arms outstretched and shoulders shrugging. He could see the panic on my face and was desperately trying not to laugh, but failing miserably, git!

“Try the cafe counter” he shouted - Of course the counter! I went inside the (still open) door and picked up my beloved Fujifilm X-T3. Instant relief, I felt like someone had taken all the air out of me, panic over.

After taking some stick from Steve and the man on the bench, our photowalk could continue, aaaaahhh… Bliss…

Out Came the Drone

After walking down Hornsea beach past wooden groynes, with the sound of the North Sea gently lapping up the beach and rolling pebbles, it was time for a sit down again (we’re getting old you know) and out came the DJi Mini drones. No seagulls, hardly any breeze and the sun on our faces, a very enjoyable flight was had and quite a few images were taken, the above being just 2 of many.

Hornsea Mere

On leaving the seafront, a short drive through the town brought us to Hornsea Mere and out came the Fuji cameras and Drones again.

Hornsea Mere is the largest body of fresh water in Yorkshire, the Mere is used for sailing, bird spotting, fishing, and (for us) photography.

Is Hornsea worth visiting for photography?

The answer to that is a definite yes, pick a day when the sun is shining and you honestly cannot go wrong, you may even get a free coffee and almost lose your camera if you’re lucky!

Hornsea Prints

The images above and more from the photo walk can be purchased as quality Framed Prints, Canvases and Acrylics.

Please Note: Images added to this blog post are a fraction of the quality of my original images, printed images are full resolution and top-quality.