Bridlington Old Town

Bridlington Old Town is a charming pocket of Yorkshire - full, on the one hand of fascinating architecture and cultural history and other the other with new, modern shops and stylish galleries. It is well worth taking the time to visit.

Accommodation

There is plenty of options when planning a visit to Bridlington Old Town. With a wide choice, visitors can opt to stay in the Old Town, on the traditional seafront or in nearby villages and countryside.
One Old Town option is Bestworth House, a Grade II* listed building, which offers a very special experience.
With only two rooms, both kingsize, you are assured of personal attention.
Dating from around 1690, Bestworth House stands on the High Street, in the centre of the historic Bridlington Old Town.
Surrounded by tearooms, galleries, antique shops and restaurants, Bestworth House offers a relaxing alternative to the hustle and bustle of the sea front resort.
Also try The Belmont in Bridlington.

A comfortable B&B Guest House Accommodation in the heart of the town and just a five minute walk to the town centre,
Bridlington's water park and leisure facility, "Leisure World" and North Promenade.
Here they are renowned for their welcoming atmosphere and home cooked food and have a friendly licensed bar and TV lounge for the guests to use.
Alternatively you can stay at High Barn Cottages, located just outside of the Old Town in Sewerby.
 The five luxury holiday cottages at High Barn offer the promise of an ideal self-catering cottage holiday in Yorkshire.

Events

Bridlington Dickensian Festival -Each year the Dickensian Festival takes place in Bridlington's Old Town.
The streets will be filled with stalls and amusements of all kinds - including many offering food and craft gifts - and there will be performers and musicians.
Many of the Old Town shopkeepers, stall holders and residents will be in Victorian dress and everyone is invited to join them in their own Dickensian outfits!

Eating and Drinking

The people of Bridlington Old Town are spoilt by an array of fantastic eateries - ranging from places to stop by for a snack, take-away food options and full-blown meals in restaurants.
One place that most certainly is worth the visit is The Georgian Rooms.

 Here they are committed to providing that increasingly rare phenomenon, namely good quality food, cooked on the premises. T
hey are members of Les Routiers as well as the Tea Council and the AA Guide and recently were placed in the Independent Newspaper's survey of the "Top 50 Tea Rooms in Great Britain".
All their meat and fish items are sourced locally too.
They also make all their own cakes, pastries and desserts.
Also popular in the Old Town is Ellie Mae's.
This authentic Victorian Restaurant in located right in the heart of the charming Old Town and has been providing delicious food to families of East Yorkshire since 1987.
Surrounded by beautiful buildings steeped in history, Ellie Mae's is well known with the locals as a fantastic restaurant that offers high quality food, exceptional hospitality service and a relaxing atmosphere.

Shopping

It's fair to say the Old Town is a unique shopping experience.

 The key to this is, unlike the majority of Britain's high streets, the Old Town has kept it's personality and has succeeded in not succumbing to the endless chain store options.
As such, the High Street is a delightful mix of places to shop, places to eat and places to wander.
 For those in need of a little retail therapy there is plenty on offer including antique shops and fashion shops.


The Old Town has two main festivals throughout the year, the Summer and the Winter Festivals, and both give visitors the opportunity to explore the Old Town and experience a good old-fashioned, thriving Market Place.
The summer festival provides a wealth of concerts, exhibitions and events to suit all.
The Christmas festival provides a wonderful Dickensian feel to the Old Town area and is well worth taking time out to experience.
Artists have also taken up residence in this picturesque quarter and there are several galleries and studios that will appeal to your creative side.
Exhibitions range from works by local artists to world-renown ones like Matisse.
Situated in the market place of the Old Town area of Bridlington, Gallery Forty-Nine occupies two floors of a Georgian listed building and has four exhibition spaces with an exciting range of paintings, sculpture, jewellery and ceramics by contemporary British artists.
Here you will regularly see displays of original work by Yorkshire-based artists Sharon Winter, Claire West, Giuliana Lazzerini, Lynne Roebuck, Barry Carter and Shirley Vauvelle.

Places to visit

It's fair to say that Bridlington Old Town is a relatively quiet place due to the fact that a lot of tourists who visit Bridlington are unaware that this part of the town exists.
 However, the Old Town really is a must visit for anyone keen on history as it is steeped in Medieval charm which can be seen just by rambling through the streets and alleyways.
The stand out piece of architecture however is most definitely the Priory Church.
Dating from 1113 AD, the Bridlington Priory Church was originally part of one of England's leading monasteries.
The surviving nave of the church is now a thriving parish church with a wealth of historic features.
Also worth a visit, and very nearby the Priory Church is Bayle Museum.
 Bayle Museum was once the entrance to Bridlington Priory and is a Grade I Listed Building and Scheduled Ancient Monument which makes it of great interest historically and architecturally.
The museum incorporates collections with interactive games, listening posts, CD - ROMs, and life-size figures to interpret the social history of Bridlington. Amongst the many treasures within the museum are medieval manuscripts and Queen Henrietta Maria's gloves from 1642.

Just 30 minutes down the road is Sledmere House, a Grade I listed Georgian country house that has has captivated visitors for over 200 years, this very special place brings new devotees every year.