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Brigg ( /'brɪg/) is a
market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...
in
North Lincolnshire North Lincolnshire is a unitary authority area in Lincolnshire, England, with a population of 167,446 in the 2011 census. The borough includes the towns of Scunthorpe, Brigg, Haxey, Crowle, Epworth, Bottesford, Kirton in Lindsey and Barton ...
, England, with a population of 5,076 in the
2001 UK census A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194. The 2001 UK census was organised by the Office for National ...
, the population increased to 5,626 at the 2011 census. The town lies at the junction of the
River Ancholme The River Ancholme is a river in Lincolnshire, England, and a tributary of the Humber. It rises at Ancholme Head, a spring just north of the village of Ingham and immediately west of the Roman Road, Ermine Street. It flows east and then north ...
and east–west transport routes across northern Lincolnshire. As a formerly important local centre, the town's full name of Glanford Brigg is reflected in the surrounding area and local government district of the same name. The town's
urban area An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities, t ...
includes the neighbouring hamlet of Scawby Brook.


History

The area of present-day Brigg has been used for thousands of years as both a crossing point of the Ancholme and for access to the river itself. Prehistoric boats of sewn–built and dugout construction have been found in the town, both dating to around 900 BC. A
causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet Tra ...
or
jetty A jetty is a structure that projects from land out into water. A jetty may serve as a breakwater, as a walkway, or both; or, in pairs, as a means of constricting a channel. The term derives from the French word ', "thrown", signifying somet ...
also stood on the riverside during the late
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 ...
, although its exact use is uncertain. During 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- ...
period the area became known as ''Glanford''. The second element of the name is not disputed, but the origin of the first element is unclear. It is possibly derived from the
Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
''gleam'' meaning joy or revelry, and thus the full word is interpreted as "ford where sports are held". Another suggestion is that the first element refers to a 'glamping' track—a walkway formed by placing interlocking planks or logs over boggy ground—and thus describes a ford crossed in this manner. A third possibility is that it means "smooth ford" although its etymology is not specified. Local lore has it that the original name was "Glamis' Ford," i.e. a ford beside which a man named Glamis lived (and who possibly charged a toll for crossing the ford?). This became corrupted to Glamford and then to Glanford. When a bridge was finally built, the name of the town became Glanford Bridge. Bridge then became corrupted to Briggs and then Brigg, and the Glanford part was dropped. Glanford Brigg was founded at the crossing place of the Ancholme before 1183, its first mention being a Pipe roll entry for that year. The town's formal charter for a weekly
market Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: *Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand *Market economy *Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market Geography *Märket, an ...
and yearly
fair A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Types Variations of fairs incl ...
date from a royal grant to Hugh Nevil in 1205, in which the founder's name is given as his father–in–law Stephen de Camera. The fair began on 25 July—the feast of Saint James—and continued for three days afterward. The grant of a market and fair were subsequently reconfirmed to Hugh's son Ernisius in 1235. The second part of the town's full name dates to this time, coming from the new bridge built to replace the existing ford across the river. Its non-standard form of ''Brigg'' is due to influence from
Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...
''bryggja'', which although usually describes a jetty or quay here refers to a bridge. The name of a place spelt "Glawemfordbrigge" in Lincolnshire, appears in 1418. Brigg originally sat at the meeting point of four parishes ( Broughton, Kettleby,
Scawby Scawby is a village and civil parish in North Lincolnshire, England. It is situated south-west from Brigg, and just east from the A15 road, and south from the M180 motorway. According to the 2001 Census, Scawby population (including Sturton) ...
and
Wrawby Wrawby is a village in North Lincolnshire, England. It lies east of Brigg and close to Humberside Airport, on the A18. The 2001 Census recorded a village population of 1,293, in around 600 homes, which increased to 1,469 at the 2011 census. W ...
), although it lay mainly in the last, and was officially regarded as part of that village. In the 1190s, the lord of the manor of Broughton, Adam Paynel, founded a hospital for the poor within the town. Several small
chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...
s also existed during medieval times, with another hospital and chapel founded by
William Tyrwhitt William Tyrwhitt (died 1591) was an English landowner and politician who sat as Member of Parliament (MP) for Huntingdon in March 1553 but took no further part in public life under Queen Elizabeth I because of his Roman Catholicism, for which he ...
in 1441. However, the dissolution of the monasteries in 1536–41 also affected hospitals and chapels, leaving the town without ecclesiastical coverage except the parish church in nearby Wrawby. Due to its strategic position, Brigg was fortified by
Royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governme ...
forces during the
civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
. After the
Battle of Winceby The Battle of Winceby took place on 11 October 1643 during the First English Civil War near the village of Winceby, Lincolnshire. In the battle, a Royalist relieving force under the command of Sir William Widdrington was defeated by the P ...
in 1643, Parliamentarian forces attacked and seized the garrison on their way to help relieve the siege of Hull. Sir John Nelthorpe, a local landowner who had been a member of Parliament during the
Protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a State (polity), state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over m ...
, bequeathed some of his estate in 1669 for the foundation and maintenance of a free school in the town. Four other local gentlemen established 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 ...
in Bigby Street in 1699, restoring church presence in the town after 150 years of absence. The town was substantially improved and rebuilt in the late 1700s and early 1800s, partly through the demands of the Elwes family, the largest landowner in the town. The old town hall—now known as the
Buttercross A buttercross, also known as butter cross or butter market, is a type of market cross associated with English market towns and dating from medieval times. Its name originates from the fact that they were located at the market place, where peopl ...
—was built in 1817. Later, in 1842–43, the existing chapel of ease was replaced by a full–sized church dedicated to
St John the Evangelist John the Evangelist ( grc-gre, Ἰωάννης, Iōánnēs; Aramaic: ܝܘܚܢܢ; Ge'ez: ዮሐንስ; ar, يوحنا الإنجيلي, la, Ioannes, he, יוחנן cop, ⲓⲱⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ or ⲓⲱ̅ⲁ) is the name traditionally given t ...
,Cox, J. Charles (1916) ''Lincolnshire'' p. 81; Methuen & Co. Ltd and a cemetery was established on Wrawby Road in 1857, following significant controversy over the burial of non–conformists. Brigg's ecclesiastical parish was established in 1872, finally separating the town from Wrawby, but also incorporating neighbouring parts of Scawby, Broughton, and Bigby parishes. A workhouse was built at the east end of the town in 1835, and was the responsibility of the Glanford Brigg Poor Law Union. Its architect was
William Adams Nicholson William Adams Nicholson (1803–1853) was an English architect who worked in Lincoln and was a founding member of the Royal Institute of British Architects. Life Born on 8 August 1803 at Southwell, Nottinghamshire, he was the son of James Nicho ...
who also designed the similar building in Lincoln, and replaced an earlier alms house dating back to 1701. The workhouse at Brigg is one of the best known and best documented of its type, probably because of the national interest that arose after
Percy Grainger Percy Aldridge Grainger (born George Percy Grainger; 8 July 188220 February 1961) was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist who lived in the United States from 1914 and became an American citizen in 1918. In the course of a long an ...
collected traditional songs from the inmates. An infirmary was later built attached to the workhouse, and this portion remained open as a hospital until 1991.


Governance

Brigg lies within the
unitary authority A unitary authority is a local authority responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are usually performed by a higher level of sub-national government or the national governmen ...
of
North Lincolnshire North Lincolnshire is a unitary authority area in Lincolnshire, England, with a population of 167,446 in the 2011 census. The borough includes the towns of Scunthorpe, Brigg, Haxey, Crowle, Epworth, Bottesford, Kirton in Lindsey and Barton ...
, the majority of the town being within the Brigg and Wolds electoral ward, and represented by three councillors. The town also has 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 ...
governed by Brigg Town Council. The council has nineteen members, serving four year terms; the last elections took place in May 2011. However, part of the town's urban area lies in Scawby Brook, which is split between the civil parishes of Scawby and Broughton. The area is likewise split between Ridge ward and Broughton & Appleby wards within North Lincolnshire Council. There is no joint body that covers Brigg and Scawby Brook. Historically, the town was part of the county of
Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...
, and remains part of the
ceremonial county The counties and areas for the purposes of the lieutenancies, also referred to as the lieutenancy areas of England and informally known as ceremonial counties, are areas of England to which lords-lieutenant are appointed. Legally, the areas i ...
today. Within Lincolnshire, the town was mostly in the
wapentake A hundred is an administrative division that is geographically part of a larger region. It was formerly used in England, Wales, some parts of the United States, Denmark, Southern Schleswig, Sweden, Finland, Norway, the Bishopric of Ösel–Wiek, C ...
of Yarborough in the
North Riding of Lindsey The North Riding of Lindsey was a division of the Lindsey part of Lincolnshire in England. It consisted of the north-eastern part of the county, and included the Bradley-Haverstoe, Ludborough, Walshcroft and Yarborough wapentake A hundred is ...
. Local government in the town began with the establishment of a local government board in 1864, which was replaced with an urban district in 1894. On the creation 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 ...
in 1974, the town's urban district was merged with the surrounding rural district to create
Glanford Glanford was, from 1974 to 1996, a districts of England, local government district with borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in the shire county, non-metropolitan county of Humberside, England. Creation The district was created o ...
borough, named after the town which was at its centre. The dissolution of Humberside in 1996 saw the town transferred to
North Lincolnshire North Lincolnshire is a unitary authority area in Lincolnshire, England, with a population of 167,446 in the 2011 census. The borough includes the towns of Scunthorpe, Brigg, Haxey, Crowle, Epworth, Bottesford, Kirton in Lindsey and Barton ...
. Brigg is part of the Brigg and Goole parliamentary constituency, and is represented by
Andrew Percy Andrew Theakstone Percy (born 18 September 1977) is a British Conservative Party politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Brigg and Goole since 2010. He is an active member of many groups in Parliament, including All Part ...
of the
Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...
.


Geography

Brigg is roughly directly 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 nearest big towns are
Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincoln ...
to the south,
Scunthorpe Scunthorpe () is an industrial town and unparished area in the unitary authority of North Lincolnshire in Lincolnshire, England of which it is the main administrative centre. Scunthorpe had an estimated total population of 82,334 in 2016. A pre ...
to the west,
Grimsby Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town and the administrative centre of North East Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, England. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes directly to the south-east forming a conurbation. Grimsby is north-east of Linco ...
to the east, and Hull to the north. The local area is broadly the south bank of the
Humber The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal rivers Ouse and Trent. From there to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between th ...
estuary. The town itself sits on a gravel spur of the
Lincolnshire Wolds The Lincolnshire Wolds are a range of low hills in the county of Lincolnshire, England which run roughly parallel with the North Sea coast, from the Humber Estuary in the north-west to the edge of the Lincolnshire Fens in the south-east. They a ...
that juts out into the valley of the Ancholme—a tributary of the Humber—which historically provided a narrow crossing point of the river and its flood plain. The Wolds proper rise to the east, reaching a maximum of roughly about from the town, although with a lower pass at the Kirmington Gap. To the west the land gently slopes up to roughly on the Lincolnshire Edge about away. Between these low ranges of hills the Ancholme river runs south to north through its flat, low–lying flood plain, with a north–south height difference of only a few metres. The town sits on alluvial soils of the Ancholme, and the area surrounding the town was previously a semi–flooded marsh known as carrs. A series of drainage improvements from the 1630s to the 1820s transformed the whole of the valley into arable land. The largest of the drainage channels is also a
canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow un ...
known as the New River Ancholme. The original course of the river has been obliterated in places by the drainage works, but its discontinuous surviving length is known as the Old River Ancholme. The town itself lies mostly on the east bank of the old river, with a small amount to the west. A portion of the west bank is cut off from the rest by the new river, forming an island–like piece of land known as Island Carr. Due to nearness of the river, the town regularly suffers minor flooding, and concerns over flood plain development are a major issue in local planning. The only other watercourse of reasonable size is Candley Beck, which runs through the very southern parts of the town. There are also about half a dozen clayponds along the riverside in Brigg where clay was formerly extracted for brick–making.


Townscape

The old town is centred on the
marketplace A marketplace or market place is a location where people regularly gather for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other goods. In different parts of the world, a marketplace may be described as a '' souk'' (from the Arabic), ' ...
and the adjoining streets of Bridge Street, Wrawby Street, and Bigby Street. The marketplace and Wrawby Street, where much of the town's retail is located, were pedestrianized in the early 1990s. A significant number of buildings in the town centre date to the late 1700s or early 1800s and are
listed Listed may refer to: * Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm * Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic * Endangered species in biology * Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historicall ...
, with the old town as a whole designated a Conservation Area. The marketplace is dominated by the
Buttercross A buttercross, also known as butter cross or butter market, is a type of market cross associated with English market towns and dating from medieval times. Its name originates from the fact that they were located at the market place, where peopl ...
an
the Angel
a former
coaching inn The coaching inn (also coaching house or staging inn) was a vital part of Europe's inland transport infrastructure until the development of the railway, providing a resting point ( layover) for people and horses. The inn served the needs of tra ...
with an early
mock Tudor Tudor Revival architecture (also known as mock Tudor in the UK) first manifested itself in domestic architecture in the United Kingdom in the latter half of the 19th century. Based on revival of aspects that were perceived as Tudor architecture ...
façade, which is now home to Brigg Town Council and various North Lincolnshire Council services. Another former coaching inn, the Exchange, stands in Bigby Street, opposite the former manor house of the Elwes family. The
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 ...
church of Saint John the Evangelist, built in 1843, also lies on Bigby Street. Its style is of the
Gothic Revival architecture Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
popular at the time, but
Pevsner Pevsner or Pevzner is a Jewish surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Aihud Pevsner (1925–2018), American physicist * Antoine Pevsner (1886–1962), Russian sculptor, brother of Naum Gabo * David Pevsner, American actor, singer, da ...
notes the curious construction where the stone has first been carved into the shape of
brick A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...
s before being laid in courses. Much of the town's poorer housing formerly lay in a series of narrow yards that ran northward from the marketplace and Wrawby Street. The yards were considered unsanitary
slum A slum is a highly populated urban residential area consisting of densely packed housing units of weak build quality and often associated with poverty. The infrastructure in slums is often deteriorated or incomplete, and they are primarily inh ...
s by the late 1800s, but the housing was not finally vacated and demolished until the 1950s. However, the yards themselves remain in use, with the larger ones repurposed for retail and services, and the smaller for public passageways. The
A18 A18 or A-18 is a three-character acronym that may refer to: * A18 road (disambiguation), in several countries * A-18 Shrike, a Curtiss Model 76A twin radial engine monoplane service test aircraft of the mid-1930s * Aero A.18, a Czech fighter aircra ...
bisects the town, running just north of the town centre. To the north and east of this road, housing development throughout the 1900s expanded the town significantly in size. To the west beyond the New River Ancholme, the town's urban area continues into the neighbouring hamlet of Scawby Brook. The settlement is substantially bounded by the
M180 motorway The M180 is a motorway in eastern England, starting at junction 5 on the M18 motorway in Hatfield, within the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, and terminating at Barnetby, Lincolnshire, some from the port of Immingham an ...
to the north and the Grimsby branch of the Sheffield to Lincoln railway line to the south.


Economy

The economy of Brigg is substantially
retail Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholesaler, and t ...
and
service Service may refer to: Activities * Administrative service, a required part of the workload of university faculty * Civil service, the body of employees of a government * Community service, volunteer service for the benefit of a community or a pu ...
based, according with its traditional position of a
market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...
, and acts as a service centre for the surrounding rural area. The main shopping street is Wrawby Street, although retail is present throughout much of the old town. Many of the businesses are independent, retaining the character of the traditional
high street High Street is a common street name for the primary business street of a city, town, or village, especially in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. It implies that it is the focal point for business, especially shopping. It is also a metonym fo ...
, although some chain retailers, namely
Tesco Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues and the ninth-largest in th ...
,
Lidl Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG (; ) is a German international discount retailer chain that operates over 11,000 stores across Europe and the United States. Headquartered in Neckarsulm, Baden-Württemberg, the company belongs to the Schwarz Group, whi ...
, Wilko and Boyes have large stores in the town. A general market is held on Thursdays and Saturdays, and a
farmers' market A farmers' market (or farmers market according to the AP stylebook, also farmer's market in the Cambridge Dictionary) is a physical retail marketplace intended to sell foods directly by farmers to consumers. Farmers' markets may be indoors or o ...
is also held on the fourth Saturday of each month, selling local produce from pork and organic vegetables to ostrich meat, and locally produced condiments. Artisan breads baked in a nearby mill using traditional French bread making techniques are also available as is local cheese including the very tasty Lincolnshire Poacher vintage. Light industry is present on the Island Carr and Atherton Way industrial estates. A 260 MW gas–fired
power station A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electrical grid. Many p ...
, owned by
Centrica Centrica plc is a British multinational energy and services company with its headquarters in Windsor, Berkshire. Its principal activity is the supply of electricity and gas to consumers in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is the largest su ...
, sits to the south–west of the town. A second, 40 MW straw–fired, power station has been approved for construction alongside. A significant number of residents
commute Commute, commutation or commutative may refer to: * Commuting, the process of travelling between a place of residence and a place of work Mathematics * Commutative property, a property of a mathematical operation whose result is insensitive to th ...
to work in nearby
Scunthorpe Scunthorpe () is an industrial town and unparished area in the unitary authority of North Lincolnshire in Lincolnshire, England of which it is the main administrative centre. Scunthorpe had an estimated total population of 82,334 in 2016. A pre ...
and
Grimsby Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town and the administrative centre of North East Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, England. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes directly to the south-east forming a conurbation. Grimsby is north-east of Linco ...
, although the town is not characterized as a
dormitory town A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...
. Past industries were more strongly connected to the rural economy, such as a beet sugar factory in Scawby Brook, a livestock market, and Spring's jam factory; the latter being a nationally known brand. A
corn exchange A corn exchange is a building where merchants trade grains. The word "corn" in British English denotes all cereal grains, such as wheat and barley; in the United States these buildings were called grain exchange. Such trade was common in towns ...
was built in the town in the 1800s, and the local corn prices were quoted nationally. Scawby Brook was also home to Bratleys roller flour mill, which was demolished in the 1940s although several of the old houses built for the mill owners in the 1830s remain, formerly known as mill place, now numbers 83-91 Scawby Road. The town was home to the
Falcon Cycles Falcon Cycles is a British bicycle manufacturer which was based in Brigg, North Lincolnshire, owned by Tandem Group. History In the 1880s, Hotchkiss, Mayo & Meek Ltd was established in Coventry as a manufacturer of bicycles. In 1897, the c ...
factory for much of its independent existence, the company having moved to Brigg from nearby
Barton-upon-Humber Barton-upon-Humber () or Barton is a town and civil parish in North Lincolnshire, England. The population at the 2011 census was 11,066. It is situated on the south bank of the Humber Estuary at the southern end of the Humber Bridge. It is s ...
in the early 1900s. Other small independent businesses exist, including several accounts and a stationers. These generally operate out of private residences.


Culture and community

Culture in Brigg is mostly small–scale and self–organized, although there are a few larger events. Currently, there are three yearly general fairs: the Summer Fest in June, the Horse Fair in August (''see below''), and a Christmas Fair at the end of November. More specialized events include the North Lincolnshire Music and Drama Festival in March, a
beer festival A beer festival is an event at which a variety of beers are available for purchase. There may be a theme, for instance beers from a particular area, or a particular brewing style such as winter ales. Asia * Singapore holds an annual Beer Festiva ...
in May, and the Briggstock Acoustic Music Festival in early September. Brigg Live Arts also hold a two–yearly cultural festival and art exhibition in the town. Brigg has numerous traditional pubs: th
Black Bull
Britannia an
the White Horse Inn
on Wrawby Street, th
Woolpack Inn
and Lord Nelson in the Market Place, th
Exchange Hotel
an
the Dying Gladiator
on Bigby Street, and th
Nelthorpe Armsthe White Hart
an
the Yarborough Hunt
on Bridge Street, which is very old and formerly the tap for the attached Sargents Brigg Brewery, which has long since been demolished. The pub recently won the local CAMRA "pub of the season" award for Winter 2014 for its extensive selection of quality real ales, many of which are produced locally by Tom Wood's brewery in nearby Melton Ross. Public facilities in the town include two health centres, a library, heritage centre, three children's playgrounds, and a
Sure Start Sure Start is a UK Government area-based initiative, announced in 1998 by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, applying primarily in England with slightly different versions in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The initiative o ...
centre. There is also a Tourist Information Centre in the marketplace.


Sport and leisure

Brigg is home to Brigg Town Football Club, known locally as the Zebras for their black and white striped home kit. The team has won 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 ...
twice—once in 1996 and again in 2003. The Ancholme Rowing Club, founded in 1868, is based in Manley Gardens. It holds an Annual Head Race every October, attracting crews from across the eastern Midlands and Northern England. Lincsquad hold two triathlons and a quadrathlon in and around the town every year. Ancholme Leisure Centre is on
Scawby Scawby is a village and civil parish in North Lincolnshire, England. It is situated south-west from Brigg, and just east from the A15 road, and south from the M180 motorway. According to the 2001 Census, Scawby population (including Sturton) ...
Road (
A18 A18 or A-18 is a three-character acronym that may refer to: * A18 road (disambiguation), in several countries * A-18 Shrike, a Curtiss Model 76A twin radial engine monoplane service test aircraft of the mid-1930s * Aero A.18, a Czech fighter aircra ...
) in Scawby Brook, to the west of the town. Its facilities include swimming pools, a sports hall, a gym and a
skatepark A skatepark, or skate park, is a purpose-built recreational environment made for skateboarding, BMX, scootering, wheelchairs, and aggressive inline skating. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, handrails, funboxes, vert ramps, stairsets, q ...
. The Recreation Ground on Wrawby Road provides an area for field sports.


Horse Fair

The town hosts a yearly
horse fair A horse fair is a (typically annual) fair where people buy and sell horses. In the United Kingdom there are many fairs which are traditionally attended by Romani people and travellers who converge at the fairs to buy and sell horses, meet with fri ...
on the first Saturday of August. Large numbers of
Romani Romani may refer to: Ethnicities * Romani people, an ethnic group of Northern Indian origin, living dispersed in Europe, the Americas and Asia ** Romani genocide, under Nazi rule * Romani language, any of several Indo-Aryan languages of the Roma ...
and
Irish Travellers Irish Travellers ( ga, an lucht siúil, meaning "the walking people"), also known as Pavees or Mincéirs (Shelta: Mincéirí), are a traditionally List of nomadic peoples#Peripatetic, peripatetic indigenous Ethnic group, ethno-cultural group ...
come from across England to attend the event. The fair is partly an opportunity to buy and sell horses, but also presents a significant opportunity for community socializing. For several decades local volunteers organized the official fair and promoted it as a
tourist Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mo ...
event, but in recent years it has been left unorganized and unofficial. The fair has been claimed to be the second largest horse fair in England, after
Appleby Horse Fair The Appleby Horse Fair, also known as Appleby New Fair, is "an annual gathering of Gypsies and Travellers in the town of Appleby-in-Westmorland in Cumbria, England." The horse fair is held each year in early June, attracting roughly 10,000 Gy ...
. It is also the surviving continuation of the medieval fair which was in existence at least as early as 1205, meaning it is now over 800 years old. The difference in date—from 25 July to early August—is a result of the eleven days 'skipped' upon the
adoption of the Gregorian calendar The adoption of the Gregorian Calendar was an event in the early modern history of most cultures and societies, marking a change from their traditional (or "old style") dating system to the modern (or "new style") dating system the Gregorian ...
in 1752. The fair is also the subject of a well–known folk song
Brigg Fair Brigg Fair is a traditional English folk song sung by the Lincolnshire singer Joseph Taylor. The song, which is named after a historical fair in Brigg, Lincolnshire, was collected and recorded on wax cylinder by the composer and folk song colle ...
, ''see below''.


Folk Song

Brigg is the source of several early recordings of English folk song, which subsequently inspired other composers. At competitions arranged by
Gervase Elwes Gervase Henry Cary-Elwes, DL (15 November 1866 – 12 January 1921), better known as Gervase Elwes, was an English tenor of great distinction, who exercised a powerful influence over the development of English music from the early 1900s up un ...
in 1905–06, several folk singers from the surrounding area—including Joseph Taylor and George Gouldthorpe—sang for the composer
Percy Grainger Percy Aldridge Grainger (born George Percy Grainger; 8 July 188220 February 1961) was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist who lived in the United States from 1914 and became an American citizen in 1918. In the course of a long an ...
songs such as ''
Brigg Fair Brigg Fair is a traditional English folk song sung by the Lincolnshire singer Joseph Taylor. The song, which is named after a historical fair in Brigg, Lincolnshire, was collected and recorded on wax cylinder by the composer and folk song colle ...
'' and ''Lisbon''. He also collected ''
Horkstow Grange ''Horkstow Grange'' is an album by British folk rock band Steeleye Span. Released in 1998, it is the band's 15th album, and the first album the band recorded without founding member Maddy Prior. Gay Woods provides most of the lead vocals, al ...
'' at nearby Redbourne. These songs inspired Grainger's work ''Lincolnshire Posy'' and subsequently Frederick Delius's own ''Brigg Fair''.


Transport

The main transport to and from Brigg is by road. The
A18 A18 or A-18 is a three-character acronym that may refer to: * A18 road (disambiguation), in several countries * A-18 Shrike, a Curtiss Model 76A twin radial engine monoplane service test aircraft of the mid-1930s * Aero A.18, a Czech fighter aircra ...
passes east–west through the town, connecting into the national road network, with the A1084 ( Bigby Road) heading south–east to
Caistor Caistor is a town and civil parish in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. As its name implies, it was originally a Roman castrum or fortress. It lies at the north-west edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds, on the Viking Way, and jus ...
. The M180 bypasses the town carrying longer distance traffic, including the A15 between Lincoln and Hull. A few bus services operate in the town, most of which travel to Scunthorpe and stop in intermediate villages. On Thursdays a bus service travels solely within the town, carrying passengers to and from the weekly market. Brigg railway station is on the Grimsby branch of the
Sheffield to Lincoln Line Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and ...
. The passenger service is limited, with only six trains a week, all on Saturdays. However, the line is still used regularly for freight transport. There is a
level crossing A level crossing is an intersection where a railway line crosses a road, Trail, path, or (in rare situations) airport runway, at the same level, as opposed to the railway line crossing over or under using an Overpass#Railway, overpass ...
over th
A1084
Humberside International Airport Humberside Airport is an international airport at Kirmington in the Borough of North Lincolnshire, England, from three large settlements: Grimsby (east), Hull (north) and Scunthorpe (west), on the A18, the latter two places reached by lon ...
, near the village of
Kirmington Kirmington is a village in North Lincolnshire, England. It is part of the civil parish of Kirmington and Croxton. From the 2011 census the village became a civil parish in its own name. Kirmington is situated just north from the A18 road, wes ...
, is about 5 miles away. The Ancholme river, although once extensively used for transport, is now mostly used for leisure. There is no significant transport of either passengers or freight on the river.


Education

Primary education in Brigg is provided by Brigg County Primary School and St Mary's Catholic Primary Voluntary Academy. There was also previously a private preparatory school, which closed in 2009 and was replaced by Demeter House Special School. Secondary education in Brigg also covers the surrounding villages and is provided by two comprehensive schools: The Vale Academy, formerly the Vale of Ancholme School, and the
Sir John Nelthorpe School The Sir John Nelthorpe School is a secondary school and sixth form on Grammar School Road and Wrawby Road in Brigg, North Lincolnshire, England. The present school was established in 1976, and has a timeline through earlier schools to that est ...
, a former
grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...
, which has been a comprehensive since 1976. These two schools also collaborate to provide
further education Further education (often abbreviated FE) in the United Kingdom and Ireland is education in addition to that received at secondary school, that is distinct from the higher education (HE) offered in universities and other academic institutions. I ...
for post–16 pupils, although some attend colleges in nearby
Scunthorpe Scunthorpe () is an industrial town and unparished area in the unitary authority of North Lincolnshire in Lincolnshire, England of which it is the main administrative centre. Scunthorpe had an estimated total population of 82,334 in 2016. A pre ...
. Students of Sir John Nelthorpe School call themselves ''Briggensians'', after the town, and maintain a former students' association.


Notable residents

* Malcolm Flemyng, a Scottish physiologist, practised medicine in the town in the 1750s. While resident, Flemyng published his ''Introduction to Physiology'' and conducted research into amniotic fluid and obesity. * Joseph Kitchen English Footballer, who played as a striker for the FA cup winning
Sheffield United Sheffield United Football Club is a professional football club in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . They are nicknamed "the Blades" due to Sheffield's history of cutlery production. The team have played home games at ...
team in 1939 resided at The Gables, 91 Scawby Road and later owned the Wheatsheaf pub in Barton upon Humber. * Thomas Ball, member of the Parliament of New Zealand from 1866 to 1870, was born in Brigg in 1809. The son of a bookseller, Ball practised as a pharmacist in the town until 1859, when he led a party of 137 local people to settle in
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
. Most of the party settled near Mangonui on the
North Auckland Peninsula The Northland Peninsula, called the North Auckland Peninsula in earlier times, is in the far north of the North Island of New Zealand. It is joined to the rest of the island by the Auckland isthmus, a narrow piece of land between the Waitematā ...
of the
North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...
. * Revd Richard Enraght, who later became known as a religious controversialist, served as curate for St John's Church in Brigg from 1866 to 1867. *
Gervase Elwes Gervase Henry Cary-Elwes, DL (15 November 1866 – 12 January 1921), better known as Gervase Elwes, was an English tenor of great distinction, who exercised a powerful influence over the development of English music from the early 1900s up un ...
, concert and oratorio singer, had a family home at Brigg Manor in Bigby Street, where he would sometimes reside. North Lincolnshire Music and Drama Festival was founded by Elwes and his wife Winifrede in 1900. They twice hosted their friend
Percy Grainger Percy Aldridge Grainger (born George Percy Grainger; 8 July 188220 February 1961) was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist who lived in the United States from 1914 and became an American citizen in 1918. In the course of a long an ...
, who collected a number of early folksongs at the festival. One of the singers, George Gouldthorpe (1839–1910), was an inmate of Brigg workhouse. *
John Osborne John James Osborne (12 December 1929 – 24 December 1994) was an English playwright, screenwriter and actor, known for his prose that criticized established social and political norms. The success of his 1956 play ''Look Back in Anger'' tra ...
, writer and creator of Sky 1 show '' After Hours'', as well as several storytelling shows for BBC Radio 4 grew up in Brigg, attending Sir John Nelthorpe school from 1993 to 1998 and Brigg Sixth Form (1998-2000). *
Joan Plowright Joan Ann Olivier, Baroness Olivier, (née Plowright; born 28 October 1929), professionally known as Dame Joan Plowright, is an English retired actress whose career has spanned over seven decades. She has won two Golden Globe Awards and a Ton ...
, actress and wife of
Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...
, was born on Central Square in 1929. Her brother
David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
, a television executive, was born a year later. Their father William was a local journalist and newspaper editor. The Plowright Theatre in nearby
Scunthorpe Scunthorpe () is an industrial town and unparished area in the unitary authority of North Lincolnshire in Lincolnshire, England of which it is the main administrative centre. Scunthorpe had an estimated total population of 82,334 in 2016. A pre ...
is named after her. * Matthew Sparrow, footballer, playing for
Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England. The side currently competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The tea ...
and Brighton and Hove Albion grew up in Brigg, where he played football for Sir John Nelthorpe school from 1993 to 1998. He carried on living in Brigg while playing for Scunthorpe United. * David Yelland, journalist and editor of ''The Sun'' from 1998 to 2003, was a student at Sir John Nelthorpe School from 1976 to 1981.


References


External links


Brigg Heritage Centre - Visitor Attraction



This is Brigg - a website of the Scunthorpe Telegraph


* ttp://briggbash.org.uk/ Brigg Amateur Social Historians (BASH) {{authority control Market towns in Lincolnshire Civil parishes in Lincolnshire Towns in Lincolnshire Borough of North Lincolnshire