Bridlington
Get in
By road
The usual approach is to follow M62 east to Howden (J37), then take A614. From the north, take A64 or A19 to York, then A166 east to meet A614 at Driffield. By any route, expect congestion on summer weekends.For travel news tune in to Yorkshire Coast Radio (102.4FM).
By rail
Bridlington railway stationTrains run from Hull every hour or so, taking 40 mins - this is the surest route from points south. From the west or north, there is an hourly service from Liverpool via Manchester, Leeds and York to Scarborough, but then you have to connect at middle-of-nowhere Seamer with the infrequent Scarborough to Bridlington train. If you are delayed and likely to miss this connection, then stay on the train to Scarborough and take Bus 12 / 13 onward.
By bus
Transdev Coastliner Bus 843 runs hourly from Leeds via York to Scarborough. Change at Scarborough for East Yorkshire Bus 12 / 13, which runs daily every 20 mins via Filey to Brid; it takes an hour as it visits all the caravan parks dotted along the coast. A branch route of the Coastliner used to run direct to Filey and Brid but was axed in 2018.There's an hourly East Yorkshire Bus 121 from Hull, taking 90 mins. Summer only, the Express X21 takes about 1 hr 20 mins but there's only one per day, leaving Hull around 9 am and heading back from Brid around 5 pm.
National Express coach NX563 runs direct from London Victoria taking 7 hours to Bridlington. This leaves London daily around noon, with the return southbound leaving Brid around 8 am. This coach runs via Leeds and York, so change at Leeds for travel north eg to & from Newcastle.
Get around
East Yorkshire Bus 14 runs hourly M-Sat between Brid and Flamborough North Landing, near the Head. There's no bus to Bempton, for the seabird centre, but Bempton railway station on the Hull-Brid-Scarborough line is a mile or so away.
Access: Bridlington is a very accessible town for people with mobility issues. It is flat, unlike Filey or Scarborough further along the rugged coast - the cliffs rear up just north of town but gradients are mild between the centre and the beaches. The harbour area can be a little tricky to negotiate as much of it is cobbled or has steps. Mobility scooters can be hired by the day or week and many can be seen on the promenades on the front. Several guest houses and self-catering places have spaces for scooters to be kept by guests.
See
- The harbour and fishing port.
- The Old Town, about half a mile inland from the harbour.
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address: Church Green, Bridlington YO16 7JXBuilt on the site of the Augustinian Priory dissolved by Henry VIII in 1538. Part of it continued in use as a church then it was rebuilt in the 19th C by Sir George Gilbert Scott. Note the Victorian organ (restored 2004-6), monument to the Great Storm of 1871 (which led to the "Plimsoll Line" and other marine safety measures), and plaque to George Symons VC (wounded in the Crimea). Modern features are the plaque to WW2 pilot “Ginger” Lacey, leger stone to 14th C prior St John of Bridlington, the applique tapestries, and “Lamb of God” tree carving.
Flamborough HeadThis spectacular line of chalk cliffs begins just north of town and juts out for six miles into the North Sea. Admire them from below from the Prom or beach. Do not attempt the shore walk round the Head unless you have checked the tide times, and are confident that you can walk the six miles to the next access point before the tide rolls in - the sea will come right up to the cliffs, with no escape path. To admire the views from above, drive or cycle the minor roads out to the Head or to the "North Landing". This northern part is called "Bempton Cliffs" and there's a wild-life centre.
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phone: +44 1262 673769address: Bridlington YO15 1EAGeorgian mansion incorporating the East Yorkshire Museum (with a room dedicated to aviator Amy Johnson) and Coastguard Museum. Gardens, putting green, family-oriented events. A “land-train” runs here from central Brid, if you don’t have kids you could still use it ironically.
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phone: +44 1262 490324address: Driffield YO25 5NBFine Elizabethan Mansion House plus remains of its Norman predecessor. Extensive gardens, hosting the National Collection of Campanulas.
Do
- Sandy beaches.
- Small fanfare and amusement arcades by the North Beach.
- Boat trips from the harbour, including speedboat rides.
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phone: +44 1262 678258 (Box Office)Main venues are the Royal Hall (1930s décor), 3800 standing, often used for rock concerts; Spa Theatre (Edwardian) seats 676; and Harbour Suite with 120 seats. Rebuilt several times (most recently in 2016) after fires, floods and other calamity, but preserving the original features. Often hosts conferences.
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Bridlington Birds of Prey and Animal Park
phone: +44 1262 673653address: Carnaby Covert LaneSurprising number of pigs for a bird centre. -
address: Moor Lane, Carnaby YO16 7UTTour the factory where they make seaside rock and other confectionery, have a go at making your own.
Annual Events
- Dance at the Northern Soul Weekender in June
- Check out the Custom Scooter Rally in October
Buy
- Freshly caught fish.
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Farmer's Market
phone: +44 1262 404200address: Christ Church, 2 Quay Road, Bridlington, YO15 2APOpen air market selling fresh local produce, straight from the farm, on the third Friday of every month
Eat
- There are several Fish and Chip shops near the harbour.
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phone: +44 1262 678378address: 149 Marton Road, Bridlington, YO16 7DJUK National Fish and Chip Shop Award winner 2011.
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phone: +44 1262 678565address: 29 Quay RoadAll food cooked to order so can cater to special dietary needs. Full vegetarian menu available.
Drink
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phone: +44 1262 675347address: Expanse Hotel, North Marine Drive, Bridlington YO15 2LSCAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) recommended pub, serving Wold Top, Timothy Taylor's and at least two other real ales throughout the year. Besides serving real ale, the Marine Bar has a wide range of services including disabled access, free wifi, Live music, quizzes, a DJ and both food and accommodation available.
Sleep
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phone: +44 1262 674589address: 36 Windsor Crescent YO15 3HYAccess information for the building is available on the web site. The units are rated 2 and 3 Stars. Central heating is included in the cost, as is parking and wi-fi access. The property is non-smoking, although guests can smoke in the front yard. The flats are close to the train station and supermarket and within walking distance of the town centre and the coach station.
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phone: +44 1262 677791address: 6 Summerfield Road YO153LF
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address: 8 Summerfield Road YO153LFBoth of the above are family-run guest houses situated in a quiet residential area with unrestricted road side parking 50 yards from South Beach and 250 yards to the Spa Complex.
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address: 25-27 Victoria RoadFamily run B&B offering daily or weekly mobility scooter hire and a free wifi service. Wheelchair access from street direct to one of ground floor rooms.
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phone: +44 1262 676218address: 8 The CrescentSelf catering apartments with excellent sea views.
Connect
- Many hotels, Bed and Breakfasts and self-catering rentals now provide free wifi.
- You can relax in one of several pubs with free Wi-Fi
Go next
- To the north, Scarborough and are agreeable nearby beach resorts, easily done as day trips by bus or train. The coast further north is rugged and scenic, with the little harbour of Robin Hood's Bay, and then gothic Whitby.
- Inland, explore the North York Moors National Park.
- To the south is the small resort of Hornsea, a 1950s time-warp, then come the strange "toffee-castle" cliffs of East Yorkshire. Here the soft hills of the Wolds are being rapidly eroded by the sea, leaving farm buildings dangling over the edge or crumpled sideways on the shore, while humbug-hued turrets of ground await the next high tide. Erosion is so rapid that even a recent map is likely to be out of date, with access roads closed off, or gone over the edge to join the medieval villages drowned offshore. These 15-30 foot high cliffs stretch for some 20 miles, then the coast becomes sand hills. It culminates in Spurn Point, a nature reserve - look out for birds, moths, butterflies, and huge ships churning past the lighthouse along the Humber.
- York, some 40 miles east, is a must-see, and for big city amusements head for Leeds.