Bridlington
OS grid reference:- TA 18 66
The coastal resort town of Bridlington in the the East Riding is situated around 16 miles to the south east of Scarborough and just to the south of Flamborough Head.
The town is referred to as Bretlinton in the Domesday Survey of 1086. The name possibly derives from the the Anglo-Saxon personal name Bretel, Bridla or Berhtel whilst tun was the Saxon name for a farmstead.
The town offers two sandy beaches, award-winning promenades and a historic working harbour. The Gypsey Race stream runs through the town and flows into the North Sea at the harbour, which is a hive of activity with fishing boats bringing in the day's catch. There is also a funfair, kids' corner and donkey rides and speedboat rides across the bay and North Sea fishing expeditions on offer.
The Bridlington Spa, the East Coast's premier entertainment venue, attracts visitors from throughout Britain. The impressive 1930's Royal Hall ballroom and Edwardian theatre have been retained and restored to their original glory; One of the many attractions at The Spa is the summer show, which runs from July to September.
Bridlington Old Town is brimming with character and has remained largely unchanged for centuries, with its olde worlde pubs, antique shops, art galleries and tearooms. The Bayle Museum (pictured above right) in the old town is housed in what was once the gatehouse of medieval Augustinian Bridlington Priory, a sheduled ancient monument. It contains information on the history of Bridlington, local artefacts, lifesize figures and reconstructions, a collection of dolls and interactive exhibits.
There are a multitude of accommodation options available in the town including guest houses, bed and breakfasts, hotels, apartments, flats, and camping and caravan sites.
Bridlington Priory Church
The Priory Church of St. Mary, in Bridlington's Old Town, otherwise known as Bridlington Priory occupies the site of an Augustinian priory founded in 1113.
The priory was founded by Walter de Gant, for Augustinian Canons Regular, one of the earliest Augustinian houses in England, with an adjoining convent. Its wealth and possessions made it a key monastery in the North.
The most famous of Bridlington's priors was John of Thwing, who led the Priory from 1362 to his death in 1379 and in 1401 became the last English saint to be created before the Reformation. His shrine attracted pilgrims from all over England including the Lancastrian kings Henry IV and Henry V.
It was dissolved in 1538 during King Henry VIII's religious reforms. The last Prior, William Wode, was interrogated and convicted of High Treason, he was hung drawn and quartered in June 1537 at Knavesmire in York for the part he played in the Pilgrimage of Grace, a northern uprising against the king's unpopular religious policies.
The jewels and plate from St. John's Shrine were carried off to London. All the priory buildings were destroyed with the exception of the nave which became the parish church and the Gate-house, which now serves as the Bayle Gate Museum.
The building was restored in the Victorian era out by the Lancaster architects Paley and Austin and later by Sir George Gilbert Scott. The organ was built in 1889 by the Belgian organ builder Charles Anneessens.
Yorkshire Churches, Abbeys and Priories
Towns and Villages of Yorkshire