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Ancient meets modern in East Coast makeover

Having spent many a childhood summer at the Lincolnshire coast, it's difficult to imagine a British seaside holiday not spent in a caravan.

There's something about the drumming of rain on the roof, the smell of a propane-cooked breakfast, with flip-flops coated in freshly-mown grass and the morning dew.

If you are of a similar ilk, The Bay Filey – which claims to be "the UK's premier coastal holiday village" – could make you think differently.

On this vast site, once occupied by Butlin's, you won't find row upon row of identical metal boxes on wheels.

The accommodation here is strictly bricks and mortar, proper houses. And the developers, Essential Vivendi, have done a convincing job of creating a picture postcard village that looks like it's been around for years.

The holiday homes, ranging from one-bedroom apartments to four-bedroom cottages – for sale, or hire through Hoseasons – have been carefully built in a traditional style. Old-fashioned street lamps and cobbled pavements complete the scene.

There is nothing traditional about the inside of our two-bedroom cottage. It's the stuff of modern, open-plan living, with a designer kitchen and dining area and a cosy lounge with flat-screen TV and leather sofas. Upstairs we find two double bedrooms and a gleaming bathroom.

At one end of the development, there's a sort of village square dominated by a medieval-style castle gatehouse that looks centuries-old. I'm told it's an exact replica of a real historic landmark in Beverley, near Hull.

Sharing its walls is a "traditional" pub, the John Paul Jones – named after the American revolutionary sailor who engaged in a daring naval battle off the coast at Flamborough Head.

There's an Italian-style cafe and convenience store, a pharmacy and the promise of a luxury spa complex.

Fishing lakes and pastures give the place a genuine rural feel as we take a short walk to the Bay's own secluded beach, taking in the breathtaking scenery of Yorkshire's rugged Heritage Coast.

A few miles in the distance, an Edwardian town twinkles under the imposing sight of Filey Brigg – the thin, scarred headland that stretches out into the sea.

In Filey, between Scarborough and Bridlington, the small streets are bustling and we find butchers and bakers, cake shops and even a chocolatier thriving, unhindered by big supermarkets and unspoiled by tourist tat.

A concession to the tourist trade is a funfair and a couple of amusement arcades on the promenade and landing, which is shared with a cluster of small fishing boats, or cobbles, that still haul their nets in the shelter of the Brigg.

That evening, we test the grub at our new local – the John Paul Jones.

A blazing log fire gives a cosy feel to the place and the menu is equally comforting. I scan the menu and I'm already looking forward to a hot pud with lashings of custard. When dinner comes, I'm not disappointed. These are no-nonsense Yorkshire portions and my fillet steak is served with a mountain of chips and both salad and veg.

The typical British seaside weather returns with a vengeance the next morning and a filthy sky throws everything at us on our drive home.

As we leave the village, with the road ahead barely visible through the rain and sleet, more of those childhood memories return.

It occurs to me that a caravan gives you a holiday, but at The Bay Filey you get a home from home.

New holiday cottages are available to buy with prices starting at £130,000. For more information, call 0800 6121 621, 01723 518 130. Holidays can be booked at www.hoseasons. co.uk.

By james hallam - This is Nnottingham