RSPB Bempton Cliffs Reviews Summary

Accessibility

Pros:

• "Wife is in a mobility scooter, she really enjoyed it solid paths, viewing points for her chair."
• "There are viewing platforms provided which give everyone, even those in wheelchairs, an unrestricted view of the cliffside birdlife."
• "Some paths and look out platforms are wheelchair accessible which was great to see."
• "Was dog friendly and had specific low level platform viewing areas for wheelchair users."
• "The pathways are easily accessible for able and not so able bodied visitors and seemed wheelchair friendly."
• "Maybe a little difficult along the cliff paths with a wheelchair but the viewing platforms do have disabled viewing areas to enable people to enjoy the birds."
• "There is wheelchair access on the wooden viewing points."

Cons:

• "It's not very easy to get to via public transport as the nearest train station is a 30 minute walk."
• "Some paths were a bit rough and uneven."
• "Most of the walk is on hard paths, but as you go further from the centre it is a muddy and uneven track."
• "The further you go the more caution needed because the path has been undermined."
• "By the main entrance the cliffs had wooden fences and viewing points but further on the fences became wire and then there was nothing to stop you walking off the edge of the cliffs."

Visitor Facilities

Pros:

• "The visitors center had all the amenities you needed including a cafe, gift shop, toilet, and somewhere to fill water bottles."
• "Visitor facilities were quite good, enjoyed seeing lots of tree sparrow round there."
• "Visitor centre was fab, with toilets, cafe and gift shop."
• "The visitor centre is a good place to start from before heading out to the cliff top path."
• "The cafe has seating inside and picnic benches outside."
• "Lovely cafe and shop and well maintained toilets."
• "Large modern visitors centre which houses toilets, a gift shop and a cafe."

Cons:

• "The food I felt was excessively priced but there are picnic areas if you bring your own."
• "Average cafe at best, pretty dirty, and lots of flies and the mocha was poor."
• "The cafe didn’t have enough seating."
• "Thought the cafe could have been better they only offer snacks and soup."
• "The little cafe is nothing to write home about, with bog standard sausage rolls and toasties."
• "Basic sarnies and cakes etc available in visitors centre shop and ultra slow Frake coffee machines."
• "For the amount of people that where there I thought the cafe and gift shop could of been bigger and with only a few toilets in the café but porta loo's found in the car park."

Staff and Volunteers

Pros:

• "The staff and volunteers were very kind and helpful."
• "The staff are also hugely knowledgeable and friendly, they're eager to talk about the birds and answer questions."
• "Super helpful and friendly staff were outside to meet visitors, explain the site and process entry payments."
• "Lovely greeting from the RSPB staff, they were only too happy to show us where we’d find the Albatross after a 3 hour drive down from our holiday home."
• "The staff are so friendly and helpful, they go out of their way to make sure everyone has an amazing, magical experience!"
• "Very friendly and helpful staff!"
• "Staff are very friendly and happy to help with identification of the birds and wildlife."

Cons:

• "Once you do park, there is an army of rspb people ready to pounce on you to either become a member, donate money each month or cough up £7 for each person, not by car but people in the car."
• "The visitor centre does a bit of a hard sell for joining the rspb but it would never put me off going there."
• "Only downside was the hard sell on entering."

Value for Money

Pros:

• "Nice friendly visitor centre free entry to RSPB members but only £5 if not."
• "This place is well worth a visit. The bird life on the cliffs in season is excellent."
• "All in all well worth a visit and don’t forget your RSPB membership for free entry."
• "If you are a member of RSPB, YOU CAN GO IN for FREE 😄."
• "Great place to visit especially when it's free."
• "Small charge for entry to the cliffs, well justified when you see the birds and enjoy the information available from the guides."

Cons:

• "I'm sure there are upkeep costs but £6 per adult seemed a little high."
• "Entrance price can be pricey at £7pp."
• "Parking and/or access to the cliffs from this location is most definitely not free."
• "I know they need to make money but £7 each just to park and use the facilities!"
• "However I was a little taken back by the cost to get through. I understand that the upkeep etc needs paying for but couldn't they just charge for parking like most places do and not the ridiculously high amount per person (including kids) to get in?! Just a thought."
• "It cost £7 each to enter for the day, but they try to get you to join the yearly membership, which I simply did not want."
• "£7 per person has gone up a pound since my last visit, but still worth the money."

Wildlife and Scenery

Pros:

• "A truly stunning area of beauty with breathtaking views."
• "A beautifully kept reserve with various walks."
• "Well worth a visit great sea bird colony between April and the end of June."
• "The cliffs are just teaming with puffins, gannets and other coastal nesting birds."
• "A wonderful place to visit, a lovely walk along the cliffs with plenty of birds to see."
• "Incredible place for seeing seabirds and wildlife."
• "Spectacular seacliffs full of a myriad of seabirds."

Cons:

• "It was lovely when we set off from Thornwick to Bempton Cliffs but on arriving the sea mist engulfed us and we couldn't see anything!"
• "Although the puffins were quite few and far between so they were quite hard to spot."
• "Cliffs where fantastic but wrong time of year to see too much. Missed the porpoise and didn't see the dolphin."
• "Beautiful scenery, beautiful birds and we were so lucky with the beautiful weather! Wasn't prepared for the selfish twitchers who stake out the viewing platforms with their equipment."