Bridlington is a coastal town and a
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
on the
Holderness
Holderness is an area of the East Riding of Yorkshire, on the north-east coast of England. An area of rich agricultural land, Holderness was marshland until it was drained in the Middle Ages. Topographically, Holderness has more in common wit ...
Coast of the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
in the
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a ceremonial county and unitary authority area in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, South Yorkshire to t ...
, England. It is about north of
Hull and east of
York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
. The
Gypsey Race
The Gypsey Race is a winterbourne stream that rises to the east of Wharram-le-Street and flows through the villages of Duggleby, Kirby Grindalythe, West Lutton, East Lutton, Helperthorpe, Weaverthorpe, Butterwick, Foxholes, Wold Newton, ...
enters the North Sea at its harbour. The
2011 Census gave a parish population of 35,369.
As a sea-fishing port, it is known for
shellfish
Shellfish is a colloquial and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater envir ...
, and is the largest lobster port in Europe, with over 300 tonnes of the crustaceans landed there each year. It has been termed the "Lobster Capital of Europe". Alongside manufacturing, retail and service firms, its main trade is summer tourism. It is twinned with
Millau
Millau (; oc, Milhau ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Aveyron Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region in Southern France. One of two Subprefectures in France, subp ...
, France, and until 2020 was twinned with
Bad Salzuflen
Bad Salzuflen is a town and thermal spa resort in the Lippe district of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. At the end of 2013, it had 52,121 inhabitants.
Geography
Bad Salzuflen lies on the eastern edge of the Ravensberg Basin, at the confluence o ...
, Germany.
It holds one of the
UK's coastal weather stations. The Priory Church of St Mary and associated Bayle (or gate) are Grade I
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
s on the site of an
Augustinian Augustinian may refer to:
*Augustinians, members of religious orders following the Rule of St Augustine
*Augustinianism, the teachings of Augustine of Hippo and his intellectual heirs
*Someone who follows Augustine of Hippo
* Canons Regular of Sain ...
Priory
A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of mon ...
.
History
![Bridlington the Bayle Gate Yorkshire England (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Bridlington_the_Bayle_Gate_Yorkshire_England_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Archaeological evidence shows habitation in the
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
and in
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the period in classical antiquity when large parts of the island of Great Britain were under occupation by the Roman Empire. The occupation lasted from AD 43 to AD 410. During that time, the territory conquered was ...
. The settlement after the
Norman conquest
The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conque ...
was called ''Bretlinton'', later ''Berlington'', ''Brellington'' and ''Britlington'', before gaining its present name in the 19th century. The 1086 ''
Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
'' has ''Bretlinton''. The several suggested origins all trace the name to the
Anglo-Saxon
The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...
custom of matching a personal name with a settlement type. Here the personal names advanced include Bretel, Bridla and Berhtel, attached to , a Saxon term for a farm.
The date of earliest habitation at Bridlington is unknown, but the man-made
Danes Dyke at nearby
Flamborough Head
Flamborough Head () is a promontory, long on the Yorkshire coast of England, between the Filey and Bridlington bays of the North Sea. It is a chalk headland, with sheer white cliffs. The cliff top has two standing lighthouse towers, the olde ...
goes back to the Bronze Age. Some believe Bridlington was the site of a
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
station.
A
Roman road
Roman roads ( la, viae Romanae ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, and were built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Re ...
from
York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
, now
Woldgate
Woldgate is a minor road in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, which follows the line of a Roman road. It runs for a distance of from a junction with the A165 on the western edge of Bridlington, through the village of Kilham, to a junc ...
, can be traced across the Yorkshire Wolds into the town. Roman coins have been found: two hoards in the harbour area, along with two
Greek coins
The history of ancient Greek coinage can be divided (along with most other Greek art forms) into four periods: the Archaic, the Classical, the Hellenistic and the Roman. The Archaic period extends from the introduction of coinage to the Greek ...
from the second century BC — suggesting the port was in use long before the
Roman conquest of Britain
The Roman conquest of Britain refers to the conquest of the island of Britain by occupying Roman forces. It began in earnest in AD 43 under Emperor Claudius, and was largely completed in the southern half of Britain by 87 when the Staneg ...
.
It has been suggested that a Roman maritime station, , stood near the modern town.
In the early second-century,
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...
described what was probably Bridlington Bay in his ''
Geography
Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and ...
'' as "Gabrantwikone bay suitable for a harbour". No sheltered ancient harbour has been found, but coastal erosion will have destroyed traces of any Roman installation near the harbour.
In the fourth century AD,
Count Theodosius
Flavius Theodosius (died 376), also known as Count Theodosius ( la, Theodosius comes) or Theodosius the Elder ( la, Theodosius Major), was a senior military officer serving Valentinian I () and the western Roman empire during Late Antiquity. Unde ...
set up signal stations on the North Yorkshire coast to warn of Saxon raids. Flamborough Head is also believed to have had one – probably on Beacon Hill, now a gravel quarry, from where
Filey
Filey () is a seaside town and civil parish in the Borough of Scarborough in North Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the East Riding of Yorkshire, it is located between Scarborough and Bridlington on Filey Bay. Although it was a fishing ...
,
Scarborough Castle
Scarborough Castle is a former medieval Royal fortress situated on a rocky promontory overlooking the North Sea and Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. The site of the castle, encompassing the Iron Age settlement, Roman signal station, an Ang ...
and the
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a maritime, mineral and tourist heritage. Its East Clif ...
promontory can be seen. A fort at Bridlington would have made a centre of operations for these. Another suggestion has been a line of signal stations stretching south round Bridlington Bay. This counterpart to the northern chain would have guarded a huge accessible anchorage from barbarian piracy.
Near Dukes Park are two
bowl barrow
A bowl barrow is a type of burial mound or tumulus. A barrow is a mound of earth used to cover a tomb. The bowl barrow gets its name from its resemblance to an upturned bowl. Related terms include ''cairn circle'', ''cairn ring'', ''howe'', ''ke ...
s known as Butt Hills, now designated ancient monuments in the
National Heritage List for England
The National Heritage List for England (NHLE) is England's official database of protected heritage assets. It includes details of all English listed buildings, scheduled monuments, register of historic parks and gardens, protected shipwrecks, an ...
of
Historic England
Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked wit ...
. Nearby are remains of an Anglo-Saxon cemetery on a farm outside
Sewerby
Sewerby is a village in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England approximately north-east of Bridlington on the North Sea coast. The village is on Bridlington Bay and is the only south-facing resort in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
Sewerby forms ...
.
In the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Bridlington suffered several air raids that caused deaths and much bomb damage. The
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
had training schools in the town collectively known as
RAF Bridlington
Royal Air Force Bridlington, or more simply RAF Bridlington, was a Royal Air Force station located in Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, between 1929 and 1978. Several units operated at Bridlington, Air Gunnery Schools, Initial Trai ...
, with one unit, No. 1104 Marine Craft Unit, continuing until 1980.
Manor
''
Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
'', with the earliest known reference to Bridlington, records that headed the
Hunthow Hundred held by
Earl Morcar
Morcar (or Morkere) ( ang, Mōrcǣr) (died after 1087) was the son of Ælfgār (earl of Mercia) and brother of Ēadwine. He was the earl of Northumbria from 1065 to 1066, when he was replaced by William the Conqueror with Copsi.
Dispute with t ...
, which passed to
William the Conqueror
William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...
by
forfeiture.
It also records the effect of the
Harrying of the North
The Harrying of the North was a series of campaigns waged by William the Conqueror in the winter of 1069–1070 to subjugate northern England, where the presence of the last House of Wessex, Wessex claimant, Edgar Ætheling, had encouraged An ...
: the annual value of the land had fallen from £32 in the time of
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor ; la, Eduardus Confessor , ; ( 1003 – 5 January 1066) was one of the last Anglo-Saxon English kings. Usually considered the last king of the House of Wessex, he ruled from 1042 to 1066.
Edward was the son of Æth ...
to eight
shilling
The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 12 pence o ...
s (£0.40) at the time of the survey, comprising two
villeins
A villein, otherwise known as ''cottar'' or ''crofter'', is a serf tied to the land in the feudal system. Villeins had more rights and social status than those in slavery, but were under a number of legal restrictions which differentiated them f ...
and one
socman with one and a half
Carucate
The carucate or carrucate ( lat-med, carrūcāta or ) was a medieval unit of land area approximating the land a plough team of eight oxen could till in a single annual season. It was known by different regional names and fell under different forms ...
, the rest being waste.
The land was given to Gilbert de Gant, uncle of
King Stephen, in 1072.
It was inherited by his son Walter and thereafter appears to follow the normal descent of that family. After the
Dissolution of the Monasteries, the manor remained with the Crown until 1624, when
Charles I Charles I may refer to:
Kings and emperors
* Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings
* Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily
* Charles I of ...
passed it to Sir John Ramsey, who had recently been created Earl of Holderness.
In 1633, Sir George Ramsey sold the manor to 13 inhabitants of the town, on behalf of all the manor tenants. In May 1636, a deed was drawn up empowering the 13 men as
Lords Feoffees
The charitable trust known as The Lords Feoffees and Assistants of the Manor of Bridlington, based in Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, was created in 1636.
The Manor of Bridlington had been confiscated by Henry VIII from the monk ...
or trust holders of the Manor of Bridlington.
Social and political
Walter de Gant founded an
Augustinian Augustinian may refer to:
*Augustinians, members of religious orders following the Rule of St Augustine
*Augustinianism, the teachings of Augustine of Hippo and his intellectual heirs
*Someone who follows Augustine of Hippo
* Canons Regular of Sain ...
priory on the land in 1133, confirmed by
Henry I Henry I may refer to:
876–1366
* Henry I the Fowler, King of Germany (876–936)
* Henry I, Duke of Bavaria (died 955)
* Henry I of Austria, Margrave of Austria (died 1018)
* Henry I of France (1008–1060)
* Henry I the Long, Margrave of the No ...
in a charter. Several succeeding kings confirmed and extended Walter de Gant's gift: King Stephen granted an additional right to have a port,
King John in 1200 gave permission for a weekly market and an annual fair, and
Henry VI allowed three annual fairs, on the
Nativity of Mary
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Nativity of Mary, the Marymas or the Birth of the Virgin Mary, refers to a Christian feast day celebrating the birth of Mary, mother of Jesus.
The modern canon of scripture does not record Mary's bir ...
and the Deposition and Translation of
St John of Bridlington in 1446.
In 1415
Henry V Henry V may refer to:
People
* Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026)
* Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125)
* Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161)
* Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227)
* Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (121 ...
visited the Priory to give thanks for victory at the
Battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt ( ; french: Azincourt ) was an English victory in the Hundred Years' War. It took place on 25 October 1415 (Saint Crispin's Day) near Azincourt, in northern France. The unexpected English victory against the numerica ...
.
The town began to grow in importance and size around the site of the dispersed priory.
In 1643 Queen
Henrietta Maria of France
Henrietta Maria (french: link=no, Henriette Marie; 25 November 1609 – 10 September 1669) was Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland from her marriage to King Charles I on 13 June 1625 until Charles was executed on 30 January 1649. She wa ...
landed there with troops to support the Royalist cause in the
English Civil War
The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
, before moving on to
York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
, which became her headquarters.
Industrial
![Bridlington 4](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Bridlington_4.jpg)
The town was originally two settlements: the Old Town about inland and the Quay area where the modern harbour lies. In 1837, an Act of Parliament enabled the wooden piers to be replaced with two stone piers to the north and south.
Apart from landing fish, the port was used to transport corn: the 1826 Corn Exchange can still be seen in Market Place. There used to be mills in the town for grinding it, which led in turn to some breweries starting locally, but like most industry, these had petered out by the latter part of the 20th century.
Governance
![Bridlington Town Hall](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Bridlington_Town_Hall.jpg)
Bridlington is within the unitary authority of the East Riding of Yorkshire. Its three wards are Bridlington North, Bridlington South and Bridlington Old Town and Central, returning eight councillors out of 67. The civil parish consists of the town of Bridlington and the villages of
Bessingby
Bessingby is a village in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It lies immediately south-east from the A614, approximately south-west from Bridlington. The village forms part of Bridlington civil parish.
History
Bessingby appears to be a s ...
and
Sewerby
Sewerby is a village in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England approximately north-east of Bridlington on the North Sea coast. The village is on Bridlington Bay and is the only south-facing resort in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
Sewerby forms ...
. It is run by a town council of twelve councillors, of which the three wards each return four.
The Town Council coat of arms is described as:
''Per Sable and Argent three Gothic Capital letters B counterchanged on a Chief embattled of the second two Barrulets wavy Azure and for the Crest Issuant from a Coronet composed of eight Roses set upon a rim of a Sun rising Gules.''
with the motto:
''Signum Salutis Semper''
meaning ''Always the bringer of good health''.
Bridlington lies in the large
East Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a ceremonial county and unitary authority area in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, South Yorkshire to th ...
parliamentary constituency that covers the mostly rural, northern part of the county, including the towns of
Driffield
Driffield, also known as Great Driffield, is a market town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The civil parish is formed by the town of Driffield and the village of Little Driffield. By road, it is north-east of Leeds ...
,
Market Weighton
Market Weighton ( ) is a town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is one of the main market towns in the East Yorkshire Wolds and lies midway between Hull and York, about from either one. According to the 2011 UK cen ...
and
Pocklington
Pocklington is a market town and civil parish situated at the foot of the Yorkshire Wolds in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The 2011 Census recorded its population as 8,337. It is east of York and northwest of Hull.
The town's sk ...
. Its size and shape correspond to the East Yorkshire/North Wolds District under the earlier county of Humberside.
The town has been subject to several changes in parliamentary representation. From 1290 to 1831 it was part of the large
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
constituency, sending two members until 1826, when it gained an additional two. Thereafter it was part of the
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a ceremonial county and unitary authority area in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, South Yorkshire to t ...
constituency until 1885, returning two members. Further reform reduced the boundaries again, to a single-member
Buckrose
Buckrose was a wapentake of the historic East Riding of Yorkshire, England consisting of the north-west part of the county; its territory is now partly in the modern East Riding and partly in North Yorkshire. Established in medieval times, it ...
seat until 1950. From 1950 to 1997,
Bridlington
Bridlington is a coastal town and a civil parish on the Holderness Coast of the North Sea in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is about north of Hull and east of York. The Gypsey Race enters the North Sea at its harbour. The 2011 Cen ...
had its own MP, until reform extended the boundary to include more countryside, as the single-seat East Yorkshire constituency.
Bridlington was designated a municipal
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle Ag ...
in 1899. Local government reorganisation in 1974 included it in the new county of
Humberside
Humberside () was a non-metropolitan and ceremonial county in Northern England from 1 April 1974 until 1 April 1996. It was composed of land from either side of the Humber Estuary, created from portions of the East Riding of Yorkshire, West ...
, which caused resentment among residents against being excluded from Yorkshire. The town became the administrative centre of a local government district, initially called the Borough of
North Wolds but later changed to the Borough of
East Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a ceremonial county and unitary authority area in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, South Yorkshire to th ...
. The district disappeared when the county of Humberside was abolished in the 1990s, the new
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a ceremonial county and unitary authority area in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, South Yorkshire to t ...
unitary authority absorbing it and the neighbouring county districts, and Bridlington no longer having any formal local-government administrative status above town-council level.
Geography
![Beach of Bridlington 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Beach_of_Bridlington_01.jpg)
Bridlington lies north-north-east of
Beverley
Beverley is a market town, market and minster (church), minster town and a civil parishes in England, civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, of which it is the county town. The town centre is located south-east of York's centre ...
, south-east of
Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to:
People
* Scarborough (surname)
* Earl of Scarbrough
Places Australia
* Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth
* Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong
* Scarborough, Queensland, su ...
, north-east of
Driffield
Driffield, also known as Great Driffield, is a market town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The civil parish is formed by the town of Driffield and the village of Little Driffield. By road, it is north-east of Leeds ...
and north of
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull, usually abbreviated to Hull, is a port city and unitary authority in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.
It lies upon the River Hull at its confluence with the Humber Estuary, inland from the North Sea and south-east ...
, the principal city in the county. It is north of
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. The height above sea level ranges from the beaches to on Bempton Lane on the outskirts. The
Gypsey Race
The Gypsey Race is a winterbourne stream that rises to the east of Wharram-le-Street and flows through the villages of Duggleby, Kirby Grindalythe, West Lutton, East Lutton, Helperthorpe, Weaverthorpe, Butterwick, Foxholes, Wold Newton, ...
river flows through the town, the last being below ground from the Quay Road Car Park. The solid geology of the area is mainly from the
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of th ...
period, consisting of
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous, sedimentary carbonate rock. It is a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite and originally formed deep under the sea by the compression of microscopic plankton that had settled to the sea floor. Chalk ...
overlain by Quaternary
Boulder clay
Boulder clay is an unsorted agglomeration of clastic sediment that is unstratified and structureless and contains gravel of various sizes, shapes, and compositions distributed at random in a fine-grained matrix. The fine-grained matrix consists ...
. The chalk is exposed as the land rises to the north of the town, where a cliff, probably formed in the last
interglacial
An interglacial period (or alternatively interglacial, interglaciation) is a geological interval of warmer global average temperature lasting thousands of years that separates consecutive glacial periods within an ice age. The current Holocene in ...
, extends inland at right angles to the present sea cliff, and forms the promontory of Flamborough Head.
Bridlington is in an area said to have the highest
coastal erosion
Coastal erosion is the loss or displacement of land, or the long-term removal of sediment and rocks along the coastline due to the action of waves, currents, tides, wind-driven water, waterborne ice, or other impacts of storms. The landward ...
rate in Europe.
Southwards the coast becomes low, but northwards it is steep and very fine, where the great spur of
Flamborough Head
Flamborough Head () is a promontory, long on the Yorkshire coast of England, between the Filey and Bridlington bays of the North Sea. It is a chalk headland, with sheer white cliffs. The cliff top has two standing lighthouse towers, the olde ...
projects eastwards. The sea front is guarded by a sea wall and a wide beach with wooden
groyne
A groyne (in the U.S. groin) is a rigid hydraulic structure built perpendicularly from an ocean shore (in coastal engineering) or a river bank, interrupting water flow and limiting the movement of sediment. It is usually made out of wood, concre ...
s to trap the sand.
Offshore, the Smithic Sands
sandbank stretches out into the bay, as an important habitat for many marine species.
Bridlington north and south beaches have won EU environmental quality awards over the years.
The Hull to Scarborough railway line divides the town from south-west to north-east and marks where the Old Town begins to its north. The Old Town has retail firms and industrial estates along with large residential areas. To the south the tourist attractions are accompanied by holiday accommodation and residential areas. The town's growth has enveloped the village of Hilderthorpe.
Climate
The climate is temperate with warm summers and cool, wet winters. The hottest months are from June to September, with temperatures reaching an average high of and falling to at night. The average daytime temperatures in winter are in the day and at night.
Demography
2001 census
The 2001 UK census showed a population 47.4 per cent male and 52.6 per cent female. The religious affiliations were 77 per cent Christian, 0.14 per cent Buddhist, 0.03 per cent Jewish, 0.196 per cent Hindu, 0.04 per cent Sikh, 0.22 per cent other, and the rest, over 22 per cent stating no religion or not declaring one. The ethnic make-up was 98.7 per cent White, 0.43 per cent Mixed, 0.08 per cent Black/Black British, 0.19 per cent Chinese/Other Ethnic and 0.49 per cent Asian/British Asian. There were 16,237 dwellings.
2011 census
The 2011 UK census showed that a population split of 48.2 per cent male to 51.8 per cent female. The religious breakdown was 66.2 per cent Christian, 0.2 per cent Buddhist, 0.1 per cent Muslim, 0.1 per cent Hindu, 0.1 per cent Sikh, 0.0 per cent Other, and the remaining 33.3 per cent stating no religion or not declaring one. The ethnic make-up was 98.5 per cent White British, 0.7 per cent Mixed Ethnic, 0.2 per cent Black British, 0.5 per cent Chinese/Other Ethnic and 0.6 per cent British Asian. There were 17,827 dwellings.
Economy
![Bridlington Harbour - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Bridlington_Harbour_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1270326.jpg)
From the early history of Bridlington, a small fishing port grew up near the coast, later known as Bridlington Quay. After the discovery of a
chalybeate
Chalybeate () waters, also known as ferruginous waters, are mineral spring waters containing salts of iron.
Name
The word ''chalybeate'' is derived from the Latin word for steel, , which follows from the Greek word . is the singular form of ...
spring, the Quay developed in the 19th century into a seaside resort.
Bridlington's first hotel was opened in 1805 and it soon became a popular resort with industrial workers from the
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county County of York, West Riding (the area under the control of West Riding County Council), abbreviated County ...
. A new railway station opened on 6 October 1846 between the Quay and the historic town. The area round it was developed and the two areas of the town were combined.
![The Station public house, Bridlington - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/The_Station_public_house%2C_Bridlington_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1428544.jpg)
Bridlington's popularity declined along with the industrial parts of the north and the rising popularity of cheap foreign holidays. Although the fishing fleet also declined, the port remains popular with
sea anglers for trips along the coast or further out to local
shipwreck
A shipwreck is the wreckage of a ship that is located either beached on land or sunken to the bottom of a body of water. Shipwrecking may be intentional or unintentional. Angela Croome reported in January 1999 that there were approximately ...
s. Bridlington has lucrative shellfish exports to France, Spain and Italy, said to be worth several million pounds a year.
Culture and community
Bridlington is served by the ''
Bridlington Free Press
The ''Bridlington Free Press'' is a newspaper that was launched in 1859, is now owned by Johnston Press (Johnston Press New Media) and is distributed in the Bridlington area of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.
A new edition of the paper i ...
'' and the ''
East Riding Mail''.
BBC Radio Humberside
BBC Radio Humberside is the BBC's local radio station serving East Yorkshire and North & North East Lincolnshire.
It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios at Queen's Gardens in Hull.
According to RAJAR, the stat ...
and
Viking FM
Viking FM is an Independent Local Radio station based in Sheffield, England, owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to the East Riding of Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire.
As of September 2022, the s ...
are radio stations which broadcast to the town, and to the Hull and East Riding region.
Bridlington gold
Bridlington is a coastal town and a civil parish on the Holderness Coast of the North Sea in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is about north of Kingston upon Hull, Hull and east of York. The Gypsey Race enters the North Sea at its har ...
and
This is The Coast also broadcast to the town and up the coast as far north as Whitby.
Jake Thackray
John Philip "Jake" Thackray (27 February 1938 – 24 December 2002) was an English singer-songwriter, poet, humourist and journalist. Best known in the late 1960s and early 1970s for his topical comedy songs performed on British television, hi ...
's song "The Hair of the Widow of Bridlington" mocks Bridlington for the ostensible small-mindedness of its inhabitants.
![Bridlington Leisure Centre](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Bridlington_Leisure_Centre.jpg)
The town is twinned with
Millau
Millau (; oc, Milhau ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Aveyron Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region in Southern France. One of two Subprefectures in France, subp ...
in France and until 2020 with
Bad Salzuflen
Bad Salzuflen is a town and thermal spa resort in the Lippe district of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. At the end of 2013, it had 52,121 inhabitants.
Geography
Bad Salzuflen lies on the eastern edge of the Ravensberg Basin, at the confluence o ...
in Germany,
under a triple twinning arrangement reached in 1991. Visits in each direction occur in alternate years.
There are three main parks. Queen's Park is a small open area at the junction of the B1254 and Queensgate. Westgate Park is a mostly wooded area between Westgate and the A165 on the outskirts of the town. The largest open area is Duke's Park, between Queensgate and the railway line. It hosts Bridlington Sports and Community Club, a skate park and Bridlington Town Football Club. In addition, there is a Sports Centre on the outskirts, in Gypsey Road, with a general-purpose sports hall, a gymnasium and squash courts. In January 2014, Bridlington Leisure World on the Promenade, with its swimming facilities, gymnasium and indoor bowling rinks, closed for redevelopment. A temporary Olympic legacy pool was opened by
Jo Jackson in January 2014 at the Bridlington Sports Centre in Gypsey Road, while Leisure World was rebuilt. The new centre opened on 23 May 2016, with an official opening on 1 July 2016 by
Rebecca Adlington
Rebecca Adlington (born 17 February 1989) is a British former competitive swimmer who specialised in freestyle events in international competition. She won two gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 400-metre freestyle and 800-metre ...
,
Gail Emms
Gail Elizabeth Emms Order of the British Empire, MBE (born 23 July 1977) is a retired English badminton player who has achieved international success in doubles tournaments. A badminton player since the age of four, Emms was first chosen to rep ...
and
Dean Windass
Dean Windass (born 1 April 1969) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. He played spells at Bradford City and contributed to his hometown team Hull City's promotion to the Premier League in 2008.
Windass started ...
.
The town has a public library in King Street. Within the triangle of Station Avenue, Station Road and Quay Road are the
Town Hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
, Magistrates Court and several other government buildings. On South Marine Drive there is an
RNLI
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. It i ...
Life Boat Station. There has been a life boat since 1805, manned wholly by volunteers. It received a new Shannon-class lifeboat in 2018, with some redevelopment to accommodate it.
Close to the A165/A614 junction is
Bridlington Hospital
Bridlington Hospital is a health facility in Bessingby Road, Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is managed by York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
History
The hospital was commissioned to replace three f ...
and the Ambulance Station. On the opposite side, closer to the town centre, is the fire station, established in 1960, with a mix of full-time and on-call crew. There is a post office and depot not far from the level crossing in Quay Road.
Town crier
![David Hinde Bridlington Town Crier -The World's Loudest Recorded Town Crier 114](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/David_Hinde_Bridlington_Town_Crier_-The_World%27s_Loudest_Recorded_Town_Crier_114.8_decibels_Cirrus_Research.jpg)
David Hinde, who lived in the nearby village of
Bempton
Bempton is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, near the border with North Yorkshire. It is near the North Sea coast and Flamborough Head, and is situated about north of Bridlington. It lies on the B1229 road b ...
and was a member of the Ancient and Honourable Guild of Town Criers and the Loyal Company of Town Criers, was appointed in the
Queen's Diamond Jubilee Year of 2012 by Bridlington Town Council. He was the first
town crier
A town crier, also called a bellman, is an officer of a royal court or public authority who makes public pronouncements as required.
Duties and functions
The town crier was used to make public announcements in the streets. Criers often dress ...
in Bridlington since 1901. On 23 July 2013 Hinde gave a special proclamation outside Bridlington Priory, before a visit from
Prince Charles
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...
and
Camilla Parker-Bowles
Camilla (born Camilla Rosemary Shand, later Parker Bowles, 17 July 1947) is Queen Consort of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms as the wife of King Charles III. She became queen consort on 8 September 2022, upon the acc ...
as part of the special "Priory 900" celebrations.
On 17 August 2013, at the town's Sewerby Park, Hinde's cry was recorded at 114.8
decibel
The decibel (symbol: dB) is a relative unit of measurement equal to one tenth of a bel (B). It expresses the ratio of two values of a power or root-power quantity on a logarithmic scale. Two signals whose levels differ by one decibel have a po ...
s. He appeared as the
Walmington-on-Sea
Walmington-on-Sea is a fictional seaside resort that is the setting of ''Dad's Army'', including the BBC Television sitcom (1968-1977), the BBC Radio 4 series and two feature films ( 1971 and 2016).
Walmington-on-Sea is on the south coast of E ...
town crier in the 2016 film ''
Dad's Army
''Dad's Army'' is a British television British sitcom, sitcom about the United Kingdom's Home Guard (United Kingdom), Home Guard during the World War II, Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft (TV producer), David Crof ...
''.
Landmarks
Bridlington Priory
Priory Church of St Mary, Bridlington, , commonly known as Bridlington Priory Church is a parish church in Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, in the Diocese of York. It is on the site of an Augustinian priory founded in 1113 which w ...
, also known as the Priory Church of St Mary, is a Grade I listed building named after the Augustinian Priory on which it was built. It was once fortified; the Bayle (gate) nearby is what remains of that fortification and also a Grade I listed building. It has a ring of eight bells (tenor c. 24 cwt, 05 t) with a long draft. It also has a large four-manual organ that boasts the widest "scaled" 32-foot reed (contra tuba) in the United Kingdom. Bridlington's war memorial is located in a triangular patch of garden at the junction of Prospect Street and Wellington Road. It was unveiled on 10 July 1921 by Captain S. H. Radcliffe, C. M. G., R. N.
Bridlington Cemetery in Sewerby Road dates from the 19th century and includes 73
Commonwealth War Graves
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations mi ...
. The Grade II listed Gothic cemetery chapels, gatehouse and lodge were built in 1869 by the architect Alfred Smith of Nottingham.
Bridlington Spa
Bridlington Spa is a dance hall, theatre and conference centre in Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Refurbished between 2006 and 2008 and further updated with a new branding in 2016, the venue boasts a large Art Deco ball room, Edwa ...
opened in 1896, when Bridlington in its heyday was a leading entertainment resort and a nationally famous dance venue, where many well-known entertainers appeared, including
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
and
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey (; born 22 May 1959), known professionally as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. Since then ...
. By 2005 the condition of the building had deteriorated to a point where
East Riding of Yorkshire Council
East Riding of Yorkshire Council is the local authority of the East Riding of Yorkshire. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. It provides a full range of local government serv ...
had to undertake a thorough refurbishment in 2006–2008. It has since begun to attract well-known names again: in 2013
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
bands the
Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who formed in 2000 as Parva, releasing one studio album, ''22'', in 2003, before renaming and establishing themselves in their current name that same year. Since their formation the band h ...
and
Kasabian
Kasabian ( ) are an English rock band formed in Leicester in 1997 by lead vocalist Tom Meighan, guitarist and occasional vocalist Sergio Pizzorno, guitarist Chris Karloff, and bassist Chris Edwards. Drummer Ian Matthews joined in 2004. Karlof ...
, Irish band
The Script
The Script are an Irish rock band formed in 2001 in Dublin, consisting of lead vocalist and keyboardist Danny O'Donoghue, lead guitarist Mark Sheehan, and drummer Glen Power. The band moved to London after signing to Sony Label Group imprint ...
and
Joe McElderry
Joseph McElderry (; born 16 June 1991) is an English singer and songwriter. He won the sixth series of the ITV show ''The X Factor'' in 2009. His first single " The Climb" reached number one on both the UK Singles Chart and the Irish Single ...
all performed there.
In 2014 blue plaques went up for
Herman Darewski
Herman Darewski (17 April 1883 – 2 June 1947) was a British composer and conductor of light music. His most successful work was perhaps ''The Better 'Ole'', which ran for over 800 performances in its original London production in 1917. Some o ...
, composer and conductor of light music,
and
Wallace Hartley
Wallace Henry Hartley (2 June 1878 – 15 April 1912) was an English violinist and bandleader on the on its maiden voyage. He became famous for leading the eight-member band Sinking of the RMS Titanic, as the ship sank on 15 April 1912. He died ...
, leader of the orchestra playing as the
Titanic
RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United ...
sank.
Hartley had led an orchestra in the town in 1902.
Darewski was musical director for the town in 1924–1926 and 1933–1939.
Transport
![Bridlington Station - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Bridlington_Station_-_geograph.org.uk_-_835959.jpg)
Bridlington is served by
a railway station on the
Yorkshire Coast Line
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...
between Hull and Scarborough. It opened on 6 October 1846 between the Quay and the Old Town.
East Yorkshire Motor Services
East Yorkshire operates both local and regional bus services in the East Riding of Yorkshire and North Yorkshire, England. Prior to acquisition by the Go-Ahead Group in June 2018, the company was known as East Yorkshire Motor Services.
History
...
has a depot, running nine local and six out-of-town bus routes, including York, Scarborough, Driffield, Beverley and Hull. The company operates a summer
Beachcomber
A beachcomber is a person who practices beachcombing.
Beachcomber or Beachcombers may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''The Beachcomber'' (1915 film), an American drama
* ''The Beachcomber'' (1938 film), starring Charles Laughton and a ...
open-top bus service in Bridlington.
Yorkshire Coastliner
Transdev York & Country (also known as Yorkshire Coastliner) operates both local and regional bus services in North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, England. It is a subsidiary of Transdev Blazefield, which operates bus services across Greater Manc ...
runs a service to
Filey
Filey () is a seaside town and civil parish in the Borough of Scarborough in North Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the East Riding of Yorkshire, it is located between Scarborough and Bridlington on Filey Bay. Although it was a fishing ...
,
Malton,
York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
,
Tadcaster
Tadcaster is a market town and civil parish in the Selby district of North Yorkshire, England, east of the Great North Road, north-east of Leeds, and south-west of York. Its historical importance from Roman times onward was largely as the ...
and
Leeds
Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...
.
The town lies at the junction of two trunk roads: the
A165 between Hull and Scarborough and the
A614 between Bridlington and Nottingham. The A614 was extended in 1996 to include the length previously known as the
A166 to York.
Four
land trains run in Bridlington: the Yorkshire Rose, Yorkshire Lass and Yorkshire Lad and the Spalight Express. Two run on the North Promenade between Leisure World and
Sewerby Hall
Sewerby Hall (also known as Sewerby House) is a Grade I listed Georgian country house set in of landscaped gardens in the village of Sewerby, from the seaside town of Bridlington in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.
The main block was bu ...
and Gardens linking Bridlington town centre with the summer car parks. One runs on the South Promenade linking Bridlington town centre to the park and ride and South Cliff Caravan Park. In the 1970s and 1980s there were two other trains — the Burlington Bertie and Bridlington Belle.
Education
Primary
Bridlington Civil Parish has seven
primary school
A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...
s, counting Burlington Infant and Junior together. All are mixed gender, for pupils between three or four and eleven years of age.
Bay Primary School in St Alban Road had 335 pupils in 2013. Burlington Infant School in Marton Road had 239. Burlington Junior School, also in Marton Road, had 320 pupils. Hilderthorpe Primary School in Shaftesbury Road had 328 pupils. Martongate Primary School in Martongate had 424 pupils. Quay Academy in Oxford Street had 390 pupils. Our Lady and Saint Peter RC Primary School, built in 1977 (formerly St Mary's R.C. Primary School) is located in George Street and had 210 pupils. New Pasture Lane Primary School in Burstall Hill had 177 pupils.
Secondary
Bridlington School
Bridlington School is a secondary school and sixth form located on ''Bessingby Road'' ( A165), in Bridlington in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.
History Grammar school
The school was formed from Bridlington School (a grammar school foun ...
is a mixed-gender specialist Sports and Design and Technology College for 11–18-year-olds. Located in Bessingby Road on the outskirts of the town, it had a 2013 capacity of 1,244 pupils. There have been many
notable past pupils.
Headlands School in Sewerby Road caters for mixed-gender eleven to 18-year-olds. It partners the town's other secondary school and had a 2013 capacity of 1,485 pupils.
Further and higher education
East Riding College
East Riding College is a further education college located in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.
History
East Riding College was formed following the merger of two colleges in March 2002, ''Beverley College'' and ''East Yorkshire College. ...
provides tertiary education for students from 16. Located in St Mary's Walk, it is close to Bay Primary School. Courses cover both academic and vocational subjects.
Health service
All six GP practices closed their lists to new patients in 2016 due to problems with premises and staff shortages. The town has an elderly population, which adds to demand. In May 2018 they were obliged by
NHS England
NHS England, officially the NHS Commissioning Board, is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care. It oversees the budget, planning, delivery and day-to-day operation of the commissioning side of the ...
to reopen their lists, but there was no funding for a proposed Health and Wellbeing Centre, which was to have housed five surgeries. In October 2022 it was announced that three of the five practices would be closed because of challenges recruiting and retaining staff. Two larger practices, Humber Primary Care and Practice Three will take over and each serve around 19,000 patients.
Religious sites
![Holy Trinity Church, Bridlington - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Holy_Trinity_Church%2C_Bridlington_-_geograph.org.uk_-_287381.jpg)
The main
Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
place of worship is the Priory Church of St Mary in Church Green. Christ Church in Quay Road, next to the
war memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war.
Symbolism
Historical usage
It has ...
, was built in 1841 by
Gilbert Scott. Originally a
chapel of ease
A chapel of ease (or chapel-of-ease) is a church architecture, church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently.
Often a chapel of ea ...
, it became a
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
in 1871 and is now a Grade II
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
. Emmanuel Church in Cardigan Road is a modern red-brick building, also part of the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
.
The Harbourside
Evangelical Church
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual exper ...
stands in a side road off Bridge Street. The Kingdom Hall of
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved in ...
is in Station Avenue. The Cornerstone Church, once known as ''The Chapel Hall'', is an Evangelical Church in St John's Walk. There has been a
Baptist church
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
in the town since 1698, the current place of worship being on the corner of Quay Road and Portland Place. On the corner of St John Street and Brett Street is the
Free Presbyterian Church. The independent Evangelical Church in Ferndale Terrace is called Calvary Chapel by the Sea.
The strong
Methodist Church
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related Christian denomination, denominations of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John W ...
presence in the town since 1770 is covered in various locations. St John's Burlington Methodist Church in St John's Street remains. The chapel in the Promenade lasted from 1852 until 1957 as part of the United Methodist Free Church. The
Primitive Methodists
The Primitive Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination with the holiness movement. It began in England in the early 19th century, with the influence of American evangelist Lorenzo Dow (1777–1834).
In the United States, the Primiti ...
established a chapel in St John Street in 1833, but moved to a nearby location in 1849. This in turn was rebuilt in 1877 and lasted until 1970. The Primitive Methodists also had a chapel known as the Central Methodist Church on the Quay in 1833. It moved to Chapel Street in 1870 and built itself larger premises there in 1878. In 1969 it joined with the Chapel Street Methodist Church, which was in existence in 1810 in what was originally Back Street. This was rebuilt in 1873 and lasted until 1999, when it became the final Methodist congregation to unite with the present church.
The
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
Church of Our Lady and St Peter stands in Victoria Road. The Catholics had long lacked a permanent mission in the town. A previous 1886 building in Wellington Road had not provided sufficient space when a mission was eventually granted. Modern premises were built in 1893–1894 by Arthur Lowther. The
church hall
A church hall or parish hall is a room or building associated with a church, generally for community and charitable use. adjacent was added in 1963. The connection to the sea is evident on the dedication to Our Lady, also known as the ''Star of the Sea'', and to St Peter, ''Patron Saint of Fishermen''. The convent in the High Street is associated with the church and though now run by the
Sisters of Mercy
The Sisters of Mercy is a religious institute of Catholic women founded in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland, by Catherine McAuley. As of 2019, the institute had about 6200 sisters worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations. They a ...
, was originally Dominican.
Sport
The town has a semi-professional
Bridlington Town A.F.C., founded in 1918, refounded in 1994, and now playing in the
Northern Counties East League Premier Division
The Northern Counties East Football League is a semi-professional English football league. It has two divisions – Premier Division and Division One – which stand at the ninth and tenth levels of the football pyramid respectively.
History
Th ...
(NCEL). Its home ground is a stadium in Queensgate. The team's honours include the
FA Vase
The Football Association Challenge Vase, usually referred to as the FA Vase, is an annual football competition for teams playing in Steps 5 and 6 of the English National League System (or equivalently, tier 9 or 10 of the overall English footbal ...
in 1993, three NCEL Premier Division titles and 15
East Riding Senior Cup
East Riding Senior Cup is the foremost football cup competition for teams affiliated to the East Riding County Football Association
The East Riding County Football Association is the governing body of football in the historic East Riding of Y ...
's. The town also has a junior football club, Bridlington Rangers, with teams playing in various age groups of the Hull Boys Sunday Football League. Bridlington Sports Club plays in the
Humber Premier League
The Humber Premier League is a football competition for clubs in the East Riding of Yorkshire and north Lincolnshire areas of England.
History
The league was formed in 2000. Reckitts won the league five times in the first six seasons of its ex ...
.
In cricket, the top team of Bridlington Cricket Club plays in the York and District Senior League Division 1. It also runs three Saturday league teams and junior teams.
Bridlington Rugby Union Football Club plays next to Bridlington Town A.F.C. at Dukes Park. It fields two senior men's teams, a women's team and numerous junior sections. The Men's 1st XI played in
Yorkshire 1
Yorkshire Division One is an English rugby union division, the seventh tier of the domestic competition, and the top level for local rugby union in parts of Yorkshire. The champions are automatically promoted to North 1 East, a division with a ...
for the 2019 season, after spending three years in
North East 1
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.
Etymology
The word ''north'' is ...
. It also reached the final of the RFU National Intermediate Cup at
Twickenham
Twickenham is a suburban district in London, England. It is situated on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames since 1965, and the boroug ...
on 4 May 2013, where it lost 22–30 to Brighton Blues.
Bridlington Hockey Club has existed for over a century. It currently plays home matches at Bridlington Astro Centre in Bessingby Road. It also fields two ladies' sides and a junior development section for girls and boys. An annual hockey festival is held, with both men's and women's tournaments. A new format added to the festival for 2014 gave chances for men and women to play together.
Other sports played around Bridlington include
tennis
Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...
,
pétanque
Pétanque (, ; oc, petanca, , also or ) is a sport that falls into the category of boules sports, along with raffa, bocce, boule lyonnaise, lawn bowls, and crown green bowling. In all of these sports, players or teams play their boules/balls ...
, fencing and archery.
Bridlington hosted the first Tour de Yorkshire in 2015, the start of the second stage in 2017, and of the third stage in 2019.
Notable people
Natives
*
William of Newburgh
William of Newburgh or Newbury ( la, Guilelmus Neubrigensis, ''Wilhelmus Neubrigensis'', or ''Willelmus de Novoburgo''. 1136 – 1198), also known as William Parvus, was a 12th-century English historian and Augustinian canon of Anglo-Saxon des ...
, a 12th-century English chronicler and historian, was born in Bridlington.
*
William Kent
William Kent (c. 1685 – 12 April 1748) was an English architect, landscape architect, painter and furniture designer of the early 18th century. He began his career as a painter, and became Principal Painter in Ordinary or court painter, but ...
(1686–1748), architect, landscape architect and furniture designer, was born in the town.
*
Sir John Major, 1st Baronet
Sir John Major, 1st Baronet (17 May 1698 – 22 February 1781) was a British merchant, Member of Parliament and Sheriff of Sussex. Major was born at Bridlington in the East Riding of Yorkshire, and started in business there, commanding a shi ...
of Worthlingworth Hall was born in Bridlington in 1698. The merchant and member of Parliament died in 1781.
*
Benjamin Fawcett
Benjamin Fawcett (December 1808, in Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire – January 1893) was an English nineteenth century woodblock colour printer.
Life
The son of a ship's master, Fawcett was apprenticed at age 14 for seven years to Wil ...
, a
woodblock colour printer and ornithologist, was born in the town in 1808.
*
Henry Freeman was a
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a maritime, mineral and tourist heritage. Its East Clif ...
fisherman and
lifeboatman
A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crew and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine. Lifeboats may be rigid, inflatable or rigid-inf ...
born in the town.
*
A. E. Matthews
Alfred Edward Matthews (22 November 186925 July 1960), known as A. E. Matthews, was an English actor who played numerous character roles on the stage and in film for eight decades. Already middle-aged when films began production, he enjoyed inc ...
, stage and film actor, was born in Bridlington in 1869. He featured in the 1956 version of ''
Around the World in 80 days
''Around the World in Eighty Days'' (french: link=no, Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours) is an adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne, first published in French in 1872. In the story, Phileas Fogg of London and his newly employe ...
'', ''
Doctor at Large'' and ''
Carry On Admiral''.
*
Thomas Fenby
Thomas Davis Fenby (1875 – 4 August 1956) was a British Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician and blacksmith.
Early life
Fenby was born in Bridlington in the East Riding of Yorkshire, the son of a master of a local blacksmith's forge. He wa ...
, a Liberal politician and
blacksmith
A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...
, was born in the town in 1875. He acted as Mayor of Bridlington and represented the town as MP. He died at his Bridlington home in 1956.
*
Cecil Burton
David Cecil Fowler Burton, better known as Cecil Burton, (13 September 1887 – 24 September 1971) was a first-class cricketer, who played for Cambridge University (1907-1908), Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) (1910-1922) and Yorkshire (1907-1921). ...
(1887–1971), cricketer and former Yorkshire County Cricket Club captain, was born in the town, as was his younger brother
Claude Burton (1891–1971), who also played for Yorkshire.
*
Francis Johnson CBE (1911–1995), born in Bridlington, was a renowned church architect.
*
Gordon Lakes, former Deputy Director General of the
Prison Service
His Majesty's Prison Service (HMPS) is a part of HM Prison and Probation Service (formerly the National Offender Management Service), which is the part of His Majesty's Government charged with managing most of the prisons within England and Wale ...
, was born in the town in 1928. He is credited with helping to achieve improved working conditions among UK prisons.
*
Bob Wallis
Robert Wallis (3 June 1934 – 10 January 1991) was a British jazz musician, who had a handful of chart success in the early 1960s, during the UK traditional jazz boom.
Biography
Wallis was born in Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire, where hi ...
(1934–1991), jazz musician, was born in Bridlington. He had some success in the British charts in the late 1950s and early 60s. His father was harbourmaster in the town.
*
David Pinkney
David Pinkney is a British businessman and auto racing driver. He competed in the British Touring Car Championship on and off between 1989 and 2011.
Racing career
James Weaver talked David into racing and he started out in the Uniroyal Saloon ...
, businessman and
auto racing
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition.
Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...
driver competing in the British Touring Car Championships, was born in the town on 5 July 1952.
*
Andrew Dismore
Andrew is the English form of a given name common in many countries. In the 1990s, it was among the top ten most popular names given to boys in English-speaking countries. "Andrew" is frequently shortened to "Andy" or "Drew". The word is derived ...
, the Labour politician and lawyer was born in the town on 2 September 1954. He was educated at
Bridlington School
Bridlington School is a secondary school and sixth form located on ''Bessingby Road'' ( A165), in Bridlington in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.
History Grammar school
The school was formed from Bridlington School (a grammar school foun ...
.
*
Mark Herman
Mark Herman (born 1954) is an English film director and screenwriter, best known for writing and directing the 2008 film ''The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas''.
Life and career
Herman was born in Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. He ...
, film director and screenwriter, was born in the town in 1954. Among his best-known works are ''
Brassed Off
''Brassed Off'' is a 1996 British comedy-drama film written and directed by Mark Herman and starring Pete Postlethwaite, Tara Fitzgerald and Ewan McGregor.
The film is about the troubles faced by a colliery brass band, following the closure of ...
'', ''
Little Voice'' and ''
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
''The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas'' is a 2006 Holocaust novel by Irish novelist John Boyne. Much like the process he undertakes when writing most of his novels, Boyne has said that he wrote the entire first draft in two and a half days, without ...
''.
*
Angela Eagle
Dame Angela Eagle DBE (born 17 February 1961) is a British Labour Party politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wallasey since 1992. Eagle was born in Yorkshire and studied PPE at the University of Oxford, before working for t ...
and her twin sister
Maria Eagle
Maria Eagle (born 17 February 1961) is a British politician who served in the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. She later served in the Shadow Cabinets of Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn. A member of the Labour Party, she has been Memb ...
, both
Labour
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the labour ...
politicians, were born in the town on 17 February 1961.
*
Craig Short
Craig Jonathan Short (born 25 June 1968) is a former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.
Playing career
Short was born in Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire, England and after attending Amotherby primary school and Lady Luml ...
, professional footballer and manager, born in Bridlington on 25 June 1968, has played at top levels in both the English and Turkish league systems, including Derby County, Everton, and Blackburn.
*
Richard Cresswell
Richard Paul Wesley Cresswell (born 20 September 1977) is an English football coach and former professional player who played as a striker. He played in the Premier League and Football League for York City, Mansfield Town, Sheffield Wednesda ...
, professional football player, was born in Bridlington on 20 September 1977. He started with
York City F.C.
York City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. As of the 2022–23 season, the team compete in the National League, at the fifth tier of the English football league ...
, before playing in higher divisions of the league system.
*
Adam Khan
Adam Khan (born 24 May 1985) is a British sportsman and racing driver of Pakistani descent. Having competed in the Euro3000 series in 2008, and despite missing the first four races he narrowly missed out on the championship. His performances ...
, racing driver, was born in the town on 24 May 1985.
*
Charlie Heaton
Charlie Ross Heaton (born 6 February 1994) is an English actor and musician. He is known for starring as Jonathan Byers in the Netflix science fiction horror series '' Stranger Things'' (2016–present) and for his roles in feature films like ' ...
, actor and musician, is known for playing Jonathan Byers in the Netflix supernatural drama series ''
Stranger Things
''Stranger Things'' is an American science fiction horror drama television series created by the Duffer Brothers, who also serve as showrunners and are executive producers along with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen. Produced by Monkey Massacre Prod ...
''.
*
Stephen W. Parsons, musician, composer, songwriter and music producer
*
Rosie Jones, comedian and writer
Residents
*
John Twenge
John Twenge (Saint John of Bridlington, John Thwing, John of Thwing, John Thwing of Bridlington) (1320–1379) is an English saint of the 14th century. In his lifetime he enjoyed a reputation for great holiness and for miraculous powers. St&nb ...
(St John of Bridlington), a 14th-century English saint, was a Canon of Bridlington Priory. He was born less than from the town in
Thwing.
*
David Hockney
David Hockney (born 9 July 1937) is an English painter, draftsman, printmaker, stage designer, and photographer. As an important contributor to the pop art movement of the 1960s, he is considered one of the most influential British artists o ...
used to own a house in Bridlington, at which an assistant drank a cleaning product and died in March 2013.
Twin towns – sister cities
*
Bad Salzuflen
Bad Salzuflen is a town and thermal spa resort in the Lippe district of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. At the end of 2013, it had 52,121 inhabitants.
Geography
Bad Salzuflen lies on the eastern edge of the Ravensberg Basin, at the confluence o ...
, Germany
*
Millau
Millau (; oc, Milhau ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Aveyron Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region in Southern France. One of two Subprefectures in France, subp ...
, France
The town's entrance sign shows the twin town names to motorists.
See also
*
Burlington, Ontario
Burlington is a city in the Regional Municipality of Halton at the northwestern end of Lake Ontario in Ontario, Canada. Along with Milton to the north, it forms the western end of the Greater Toronto Area and is also part of the Hamilton met ...
was named after Bridlington by
John Graves Simcoe
John Graves Simcoe (25 February 1752 – 26 October 1806) was a British Army general and the first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada from 1791 until 1796 in southern Ontario and the Drainage basin, watersheds of Georgian Bay and Lake Superior. ...
.
*
Burlington, New Jersey
Burlington is a city in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a suburb of Philadelphia. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 9,743.
Burlington was first incorporated on October 24, 1693, and was r ...
was named after Bridlington.
*
Burlington County, New Jersey
Burlington County is a county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The county is the largest by area in New Jersey. Its county seat is Mount Holly. was named after Bridlington.
References
{{Navboxes , list1=
{{Bridlington
{{East Yorkshire, state=collapsed
{{Coastal settlements
, place = the East Riding of Yorkshire
, settlement = Bridlington
, anticlockwise =
Sewerby
Sewerby is a village in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England approximately north-east of Bridlington on the North Sea coast. The village is on Bridlington Bay and is the only south-facing resort in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
Sewerby forms ...
, clockwise =
Wilsthorpe
{{Portalbar, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom
{{authority control
Seaside resorts in England
Beaches of the East Riding of Yorkshire
Towns in the East Riding of Yorkshire
Civil parishes in the East Riding of Yorkshire
Populated coastal places in the East Riding of Yorkshire
Fishing communities in England
Ports and harbours of Yorkshire