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Bridlington is a popular southeast Yorkshire seaside resort with two broad sandy beaches separated by an ancient tidal harbour.

Bridlington Bay © Travel About Britain

The town is a mix of both old and new. All the traditional seaside amusements and entertainments can be found along the seafront, backed by hotels and fine shopping centre. The old town lies just inland from the sea and is noted for its ancient Augustinian Priory. Walter de Gaunt founded the priory at the beginning of the 12th-c. It was totally destroyed during the Reformation, except for the nave of the church (St. Mary) and the Bayle Gate (1388), now a museum.

Flat, sandy beaches stretch for miles on each side of the harbour. Bridlington Bay to the north is protected from the northeast by the great headland of Flamborough. Stones from the old priory were used in the construction of the harbour, which supports a small fishing fleet that still lands its daily catch at the quayside.

Bridlington Working Harbour © Travel About Britain

To the north on the cliffs is Sewerby Hall, a classical Georgian building with an art gallery and museum surrounded by extensive gardens. The grounds offer magnificent views over the bay, from Flamborough Head in the north-east to Spurn Head in the south.

Flamborough Head is a long spit of chalk cliffs, rising to 400ft (122m) above sea level to the north. It provides a home for several species of seabird including kittiwakes, herring gulls, guillemots and shags. The headland was used as a fort during the Iron Age, defended inland by extensive earthworks. Going further north from Flamborough is the coastal town of Filey, another fine sandy resort with splendid coastal views.

The Bempton Cliffs RSPB Reserve, on the far side of Flamborough Head, is home to thousands birds in summer including puffins and guillemots. Summer cruises are available from North Landing.

Attractions in Bridlington

Bridlington Priory & Bayle Museum

The Augustinian Priory, founded in 1119 by Waiter de Gant, on the site of a Saxon nunnery, was once one on of the most important ecclesiastical buildings in the East Riding. Destroyed during the Dissolution of 1538, all that remains today is the nave and the main gateway.

The Priory Church of St. Mary was restored in the mid-19th-c and is noted for its nave, which is an architectural gem.

The Bayle Gate (circa 1388), was originally the chief entrance to the priory grounds. At various times it has been a courtroom, sailors' prison, army barracks and a school. It is currently a local history museum, displaying weapons, jewellery, dolls' furniture and old maps.

Opening times: Tue, Wed, Thur, Fri: 11am to 4pm - Free Entry
Location: Baylegate, Old Town Bridlington, East Yorkshire YO16 7JT
Tel: 01262 674308
Website: baylemuseum.co.uk
Image Credit: Richard Croft (CC2)

Sewerby Hall & Gardens

The hall is a Grade I listed Georgian mansion (circa 1715), set in 50 acres of parkland and well tended gardens. Now owned by the borough council, it houses an art gallery and a museum that hosts an exhibition for the record-breaking female pilot Amy Johnson (1903-41).

The art gallery has a collection of local paintings and historical displays. The grounds hold several family events throughout the year.

Opening times: times vary see website for details - Admission Charge
Location: Sewerby, Bridlington YO15 1ED
Tel: 01262 673769
Website: sewerbyhall.co.uk

Map of Bridlington

North East England

Towns and Villages in Yorkshire

Attractions in Yorkshire