The Bayle Museum – Bridlington

Dating back to at least the 14th century, the Bayle Gate was the entrance to the nearby Priory grounds and is still in use today for meetings by the Lords Feoffes (pronounced fee-fees), an organisation set up in 1636 to purchase the Manor of Bridlington.

Aside from the Feoffes, this building has a wealth of history within its ancient walls and is today a museum celebrating the rich history of the town and holds some incredible objects while telling some equally incredible stories. Although I have been here before a few years back, I wanted my wife and children to enjoy the experience and upon entry we were immediately greeted by three of the friendliest faces I have ever seen in a museum, people who were obviously passionate about their role in keeping this historic monument alive.

Monk on the toilet
PHOTOGRAPH BY Richard Jones

Directed to the door opposite the archway entrance and up a very cramped spiral staircase you go past what is a mock up of the medieval toilet with a monk looking like he is in a bit of discomfort in the exact place where the human waste would simply fall down the shaft outside, much to the amusement of my children of course! Up this staircase there are single rooms off to the side with artefacts on display from a period of time that Bridlington has not seen for hundreds of years. Probably the most amazing thing here are the gloves worn by Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of King Charles I, who came to the town by boat during the English Civil War and gifted these to the owner of a house who allowed her to stay until it was time to head off again.

Gloves of Queen Henrietta Maria
PHOTOGRAPH BY Richard Jones

On the wall is a game for the children to play, match the historical soldier to the description…..to make it a bit more fun if you get it wrong the voice of Captain Mainwaring of Dad’s Army (or at least it sounds like that) lets you know by the rendition of “Stupid Boy!” which was hilarious to all those who purposely got it wrong just to hear it again. Onwards to other cabinets and here are the medals of heroes of the two World Wars, a time when even Bridlington did not escape the wrath of the aerial bombardments as their sons and husbands were shipped off to war and the women were on the nearby land keeping the arteries of the nation open.

Top floor which is also todays meeting room for Lords Feoffes
PHOTOGRAPH BY Richard Jones
Top floor which is also todays meeting room for Lords Feoffes
PHOTOGRAPH BY Richard Jones

The top floor is the meeting room of the Lords Feoffes and surrounding the main table are a host of cabinets detailing the history of the modern tourist town, posters of the beach and relics of the holiday seasons gone by. A display about the Great Gale of 1871 tells the tragic story of when dozens of ships were stranded in the “Bay of Safety” with many of them succumbed to the storms and groundings leaving 50 dead and two lifeboats out of action. The history of the Feoffes is prominently displayed along with a board listing all the Chief Lords, starting with William Corbett in 1636-8 and regularly updated when a new Chief Lord is elected.

Figureheads from two ships wrecked in the Great Gale of 1871
PHOTOGRAPH BY Richard Jones

Back down a wooden staircase and two figureheads also from the wrecks of the Great Gale are prominent by the window, further down a cell containing a “prisoner” with the history of law and order going back hundreds of years, an impressive collection of police equipment nearby in the area that has both the exit and the souvenir shelf. Obviously, I couldn’t leave without getting everyone a novelty keyring to remind us of the trip to the Bayle. With free entry the Bayle is open throughout the Summer and there are plenty of roadside parking places between the Bayle and the Priory Church.

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Richard M. Jones

Richard M. Jones is an author and historian specialising in disasters and shipwrecks along with two World Wars. Spending his time between Hampshire and Yorkshire, he has put up 12 memorials to victims of forgotten tragedies and published 19 books along the way.