Town in East Yorkshire, England
Bridlington
A queen once sheltered here while warships fired on the quay, and today 'Brid' is Yorkshire's classic seaside day out.
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Key information
- County
- East Yorkshire
- Nation
- England
- Known for
- Sandy bay, working harbour, lobster and crab, Bridlington Priory, Sewerby Hall
- Famous people
- William Kent, David Hockney (long-time resident), Henrietta Maria (famous visitor)
About Bridlington
The queen and the bombardment of Bridlington
On 22 February 1643, during the English Civil War, Queen Henrietta Maria landed at Bridlington after sailing from the Netherlands with arms and money for her husband, Charles I. She had a lot of cargo and not much peace. Two days later, on 24 February, Parliamentary warships under Admiral Batten reached the bay and bombarded the town, firing on the quay. The queen is said to have run from her lodging to shelter in a ditch. She went on to join the royalist forces, and Bridlington's brief turn on the national stage was over. It was a fitting arrival for a town that has always lived by its harbour.
Why a priory outlived its own destruction
Long before the deckchairs, Bridlington was a priory town. Bridlington Priory was founded around 1113 for Augustinian canons and grew into one of the major religious houses of the East Riding. Its last prior, William Wode, was executed in 1537 after the Pilgrimage of Grace, and the priory was dissolved. Most of the monastic buildings were lost, but the great nave was kept as the parish church. It still stands over the old town. Nearby, Bayle Gate, the priory's fortified gatehouse, survives too. It is one of the few medieval gatehouses of its kind to make it through the Reformation.
Two Bridlingtons: the old town and the Quay
The town grew in two parts. The old town sits inland around the priory, and Bridlington Quay grew up by the water. When the Victorians discovered sea air and railway excursions, the Quay turned into a resort. The result is a long, gently curved bay of sand with a harbour at one end, a promenade, amusements and plenty of fish and chip shops. Bridlington Spa, opened in 1896, gave the resort its grand seafront venue for concerts, dances and shows. Locals simply call the place Brid, and the shorthand is used with affection.
Lobster, crab and a working harbour
Bridlington is not just a postcard. The harbour is still home to a fishing fleet, and the town is best known for shellfish, especially lobster and crab, landed along this stretch of Yorkshire coast. Local fishermen have long used the Yorkshire coble, a sturdy boat designed to be launched from open beaches. That means a fish supper in Brid is rarely a throwaway line. Crab sandwiches, whole dressed crab and fresh fish are all part of the seafront scene, alongside the traditional chippy. The harbour also gives the town its seaside theatre: boats coming and going, pots stacked on the quay and gulls watching every move.
Gannets, gardens and a Georgian hall
A few minutes up the coast, Bempton Cliffs is one of the best places in England to see seabirds. Gannets and puffins nest on the chalk, and the cliffs are close enough to Brid to make an easy day out. Flamborough Head, with its lighthouse and sea caves, is just beyond. Sewerby Hall, a Georgian house in parkland on the cliff edge, is another local favourite. Amy Johnson, the pioneering aviator, opened the grounds to the public in 1936, and the hall still tells her story in its Amy Johnson collection. The wider scenery inspired David Hockney, who lived and worked in Bridlington and painted the Yorkshire Wolds. His huge painting Bigger Trees Near Warter was given to Tate.
Famous names and football
Bridlington's most celebrated native is William Kent, born here in 1685. He became one of Georgian Britain's most influential architects and garden designers, and helped to shape the English landscape garden. In modern times Hockney is the best-known artist to have made the town his base, and his Yorkshire work brought new attention to the East Riding. On the sporting side, Bridlington Town, the Seasiders, carry the football flag. The town's other sporting life revolves around the sea, with sailing, sea angling and, of course, a very long beach.