Top 7 Natural Monuments around Carnaby

One of the most beautiful sea bird cliffs I have ever witnessed.

Lots of viewing platforms along the clifftop public footpath, but early morning in December is definitely not the best time to view the birds, I didn't see many species or individual birds at all. Maybe I scared them off :). Summer probably much better when they are nesting.

Narrow track runs down to this little bay, very quiet in winter and not as busy as North Landing. There is a metal staircase at the bottom of the track that drops you onto the beach, where the rocks are initially quite large. In Dec 24 the steps were still open, but part of the track right next to them was taped of by the council as part of the footpath has collapsed due to erosion. Still perfectly safe and accessible, just need to exercise caution.

The Rudston monolith is the tallest prehistoric standing stone in Britain, measuring almost 8 metres high, nearly 2 metres wide, a metre thick and estimated to weigh somewhere in the region of a massive 26 tons. This giant block of grey sandstone or gritstone was errected here either in the late Neolithic or early Bronze Age and is thought to have been quarried more than 10 miles away in the Cayton Bay area south of Scarborough, although the glacial transportation of a large block of stone that was then shaped and utilised by the prehistoric residents of the area cannot be ruled out. The top of the stone has been weathered and eroded into a fluted peak similar to the stones of the Devil's Arrows and a lead cap was first added to try to preserve it in the 18th century. The churchyard of All Saints that it stands in is of course much younger and although the christianisation of the site took place around 1100AD the stone had already stood here for at least 3000 years. The monolith stands close to the Gypsey Race, an occasional stream that flows along the floor of the Great Wold Valley from close to the barrow of Duggleby Howe in the east, past another pair of barrows at Wold Newton and Willie Howe before turning south past the Argham Henge and Cursus down to Rudston itself where it bends sharply and heads eastwards to the sea at Bridlington. The whole of the Gypsey Race landscape was obviously important in prehistoric times and holds a rich selection of sites, most of which have been destroyed or badly damaged by ploughing, including many round barrows, several long barrows, four cursuses and at least one henge. It continued to retain its importance into the historic period - a major Roman villa was discovered to the southwest of Rudston village. In the corner of the churchyard is a much smaller stone presumably brought here from a local barrow and also the remains of a double cist that was removed from a nearby barrow on Rudston Beacon by the antiquarian Canon Greenwell in the late 19th century.

Situated in the churchyard in the village of Rudston, this monolith, which stands at over 25 feet, is the tallest megalith in the United Kingdom.

RSPB Bempton Cliffs is a nature reserve managed for the seabirds. The visitor centre is open to the public with lots of information as well as a shop, cafe and toilets. Look out for Gannett, Guillemot and Puffin as well as Barn Owls.

Rudston Monolith is the tallest standing stone in Britain, but receives very few visitors relative to its high standing. The monolith dates from around 2000BCE and is quarried from the Cleveland Hills, west of Whitby. At just shy of 8m high, it would have involved a significant project to shape and transport and install it.

Due to where this is placed you can not walk to it without getting wet. Even during low tide water will come to chest. Would recommend paddleboarding to it as you can see the area and then go to the caves next to it.