Bridlington things to do: ‘Don’t knock this Yorkshire seaside resort dubbed Britain’s Benidorm’
Bridlington is often depicted in the national press as a poor abandoned seaside resort which is a shadow of its former glory.
'Brid' as it is fondly known, is often described as ‘the worst’ coastal resort.
This however, is a point of view from those who have only had a snapshot of the town and dare I say it, haven’t even been or explored it properly. They can’t have.
Our reporter, who recently went on a weekend break to Bridlington, says there are many parallels with the ill-judged Benidorm.
When I told people I was off for a weekend away in Bridlington, I got the same look of disgust as when I went on holiday to Benidorm earlier this year.
Fresh from ‘Benners’ and off to ‘Brid, ‘ I realised how similar the two places are.
Bridlington has two miles of beaches and a stretching promenade connecting the old and new parts of this often shunned town.
While there are run-down parts of the coastal resort, I challenge you to find a northern seaside town that isn't struggling in current times.
Bridlington is the lobster capital of Europe, it's the second largest town on the Yorkshire coast, and has a population of 38,404. It’s often the underdog to the likes of Scarborough, which has a population of 59,505, and the historic gem of Whitby.
Whenever I visit Scarborough or Bridlington with the kids, they’re immediately attracted to the flashing lights of the fun fair rides and amusement, and on a daytrip, it’s hard to get them anywhere else.
This was our first full ‘weekender’ in Bridlington, so I wanted to expand our experience beyond the main seafront area and see what else there is to offer.
We normally park for our day trip at the harbour and head to the arcades, but as we were staying central at an Airbnb property, we had parked for the weekend outside of town. There is a park and ride, and a land train, which are super accessible. I also wanted an excuse to jump on a land train, which would allow me with the kids, to visit Sewerby Gardens and Bondville Model village.
First, the kids wanted a pitstop in town.
Normally, we head to Jerome’s, which has stunning views of the sea, but you have to pay for the soft play area next door, and it’s right outside the arcades. I knew this would mean we’d spend the day in this part. Instead, I ushered the kids to the nearest land train stop outside the leisure centre. We popped into East Riding Leisure where there’s also a waterpark and climbing wall.
Here we enjoyed a cheap and cheerful snack and drink with stunning views from inside this clean hubbub of family activities.
The land train comes every half hour and it runs across the coast. You jump on board and buy tickets. For a family return it cost us £15.
My toddler loved waving at the passersby by and even our two tweens couldn’t help but smile with the sea air and stunning coastline drifting past us on this gentle journey.
You can head to Sewerby Hall and Gardens on the train, which is a stunning 50 acres of 19th-century parkland where you can also venture inside the Grade 1 listed Georgian Sewerby Hall.
It’s either a ten-minute train ride or a beautiful one-and-a-half-mile walk on the coastal path, which is well-kept and spacious for those with mobility issues.
We stopped before the hall at Bondville Model Village, Yorkshire’s only surviving model village. As you enter, it feels as if you’ve entered another world. It’s well worth a wander and a trip to the cafe or the outdoor street food area.
There, I met a regular customer who moved to the area a year ago.
She said: “When I told people I was moving from Nottingham to Sewerby, they didn’t know where I meant until I said Bridlington. Then they would ask why there? But look at it.”
With this gesture, I turned my head and had a moment of appreciating the stunning area and the idyllic nature of this rare model village.
I spoke to another new resident to the area, Nick Hall. He was sitting supping a mug of tea from the cafe bar overlooking the harbour.
He moved from Pontefract to Bridlington a couple of years ago. He said: “Bridlington has everything you need and more. You’ve got the arcades and fun fair for the kids, you’ve got the harbour and boat trips to Flamborough, you’ve got beaches, and then just 15 15-minute drive and you’ve got Bempton Cliffs.”
For us as a family of all ages, it really does have something for everyone. The kids always love the ice cream and sweet shops, the slot machines, as well as trying to win teddies and tickets.
For me, as a child, I also loved the arcades, crazy golf, and donkey derby, but now I enjoy taking part in these activities to watch my children’s faces.
Arcade owner and entrepreneur Andrew Chapman said: “Scarborough may be bigger, but we’ve got just as much to offer and as many amusement arcades, just in a smaller space. We’ve also got lots of independent businesses and shops here.”
Nowadays, I love going on long walks on the beach, the stunning views, it feels open and safe, and unlike other seaside resorts, it’s extremely affordable. Bowling and Crazy Golf cost us £3 per person on the seafront, and even the food prices in the centre of the town are extremely cheap. While we were there, we stumbled on Kings Street market, which takes place on Wednesdays and Fridays. It was a fabulous British bazaar of independent shops and traders, not to mention discovering The Attic team room just around the corner.
It was our last day, so we made our way back to the South Beach area where we had parked.
Here you'll find the likes of Bridlington Spa, first built in 1896, and it welcomes an array of events all year round.
You're met by a clean promenade with plenty of benches, a kids paddling area, beach huts and a row of shops. The spa and pleasure grounds were originally built to accommodate tourists flocking to the spa town.
While the sandy beach and blue sea look inviting, locals warn me to enjoy the beach but not to bathe in the water. Sadly, Bridlington has not had a blue flag status for the past few years despite promises to address the water quality issue. This year the council didn’t apply for the status for the South Beach due to ongoing issues, whilst Bridlington's North Beach does have a blue flag.
One person said: "It hasn't met clean water levels for the past couple of years, they say it's down to seagulls polluting the water, but that would impact all of the coast, not just here.
“Unlike in nearby Filey or Flamborough who have retained blue flags. They’ve been saying they're investigating for years."
Despite the water quality issues, I can’t help but appreciate how accessible Bridlington is compared to other seaside resorts. It’s flat, paths are wide, and every age is accommodated for. I think it is one of the most accessible seaside resorts I’ve been to. We have a large family of different generations and people with accessibility needs, and I appreciated how accommodating the landscape has been designed to be.
Bridlington may not have as much eye-catching architecture compared to the likes of Scarborough and Whitby, but it certainly does have its unique appeal, just like Benidorm.