Brigg

infobox UK place
country = England
map_type=Lincolnshire
latitude= 53.5529
longitude= -0.4850
official_name= Brigg
population = 5,075 (2001 census)
unitary_england= North Lincolnshire
lieutenancy_england= Lincolnshire
region= Yorkshire and the Humber
constituency_westminster= Brigg and Goole
post_town= BRIGG
postcode_district = DN20
postcode_area= DN
dial_code= 01652
os_grid_reference= TA003073

Brigg (fully Glanford Brigg) in North Lincolnshire, England, is a small market town on the River Ancholme with a population of 5,076 (2001 census). Earliest references date from the 12th century, the name derived from the old Norse "briggja" meaning a jetty.

History

The parish [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/661300 church] is dedicated to St John the Evangelist.

Commerce

Brigg has been a thriving market town for centuries, serving the largely rural villages on both sides of the river with a corn exchange and livestock market. Road communications were good with the old Roman road Ermine Street passing not far away. There are many old coaching inns, most notably " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/528222 The Angel] " on the route from Lincoln via Caenby Corner to the River Humber (The Angel now is home to Brigg Town Council). The [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/138768 Ancholme] also gave access to the River Humber and the port of Kingston upon Hull.

Brigg became the administrative centre for the local area with a grammar school founded in 1669 by Sir John Nelthorpe, after whom the [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/637410 school] , a comprehensive since 1976, is named. With the coming of the railways the town grew rapidly. Indeed it could have been still more important had Brigg been selected as junction for north-south lines with the east-west link to Grimsby. However, local opposition from the influential Carey family pushed much of the traffic through the nearby village of Barnetby-le-Wold.

Pubs include the " [http://www.pub-explorer.com/olpg/the-blackbull/brigg/index.htm Black Bull] " on " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/661856 Wrawby Street] ", the " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/359267 Exchange Hotel] " on " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/365969 Bigby Street] ", the " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/158076 White Horse Inn] " on "Wrawby Street", the " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/43801 Nelthorpe Arms] ", the " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/239305 White Hart] " on "Bridge Street", the " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/528239 Yarborough Hunt] " on "Bridge Street", the " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/116275 Woolpack Inn] " and the " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/427458 Dying Gladiator] " on "Bigby Street".

Industry

Past industries included Springs jam factory and the beet sugar factory to the west of the town. The sugar factory site to the south-west now contains a power station owned by Centrica. The jam factory, and the neighbouring livestock market, have been replaced by supermarkets (Tesco). The town is also home to the Falcon Cycles factory, the company having relocated to Brigg from near by Barton on Humber in the early 20th century. The company owns and uses a number of different brands including Falcon, British Eagle, Coventry Eagle, Townsend, Optima, Boss, Shogun, CBR and the flagship brand Claud Butler.

Today with the building of a bypass and the pedestrianisation of the town centre, Brigg has regained some of the relaxed qualities of a country market town with a small marketplace at its heart, still with a traditional street market on Thursdays and Saturdays. In recent years a thriving farmers' market has developed, held on the fourth Saturday each month selling a wide variety of local produce from pork and organic vegetables to ostrich meat and locally produced condiments. The main shopping street is " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/637258 Wrawby Street] ".

North Lincolnshire Council has its education [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/377230 offices] on "Bigby Street".

Education

Brigg has two secondary schools - the Vale of Ancholme School, a former secondary modern, and the Sir John Nelthorpe School, a former grammar school. Lincolnshire (West Lindsey), only a mile away to the south has selective education, but Brigg went comprehensive in 1977 when the boys' and girls' grammar schools were merged.

There is also [http://www.brigg-pri.n-lincs.sch.uk Brigg County] primary school and [http://www.st-marys.n-lincs.sch.uk St Mary's] Catholic primary school, and Brigg Preparatory School.

Brigg also has a sixth form college which is combination of Vale of Ancholme and Sir John Nelthorpe. The college is very friendly and receives excellent results, most leavers attend university following there A-Levels.

port

Brigg is home to Brigg Town Football Club, which formed in 1864, only seven years after the first, Sheffield F C, making it one of the oldest clubs in the world.

Nearly as old as the football club is the Ancholme Rowing Club which is based in Manley Gardens. It was founded in 1868 and still flourishes to this day.

Also available in Brigg is GO-KAN-RYU Karate (GKR) which takes place at St Mary's church hall on Saturday mornings from 10.30 until 12.0.

[http://www.northlincs.gov.uk/NorthLincs/Leisure/leisurecentres/AncholmeLC/ Ancholme Leisure Centre] is on "Scawby Road" (A18) towards Scawby Brook, west of the town.

Transport

The M180 [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/178093 bypassed] the town on September 2 1977. The A15 Brigg & Redbourne Bypass (the extension to the M180 from Hibaldstow) opened in December 1989. The A18 passes east-west through the town, with the A1084 ("Bigby Road") heading south-east to Caistor. Brigg also had the A15 north-south route passing through the town.

The New River Ancholme diverts the river away from the town to the west.

Brigg railway station is on a branch of the Sheffield to Lincoln Line (Grimsby Branch), but receives only six trains a week, all on Saturdays. There is a level crossing over the [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/148054 A1084] .

Brigg people

Joan Plowright, Joan Ann Olivier, The Lady Olivier, DBE (born October 28, 1929 in Brigg), known by her maiden name as Dame Joan Plowright, is a British actress, widow of Laurence Olivier. She was made a Dame (DBE) in the New Year's Honours for 2004. Joan was born on Central Square, Brigg. The Plowright Theatre in Scunthorpe (near Brigg) was also named after her.

Revd Richard Enraght (1837-1898), religious controversialist, Curate of St. John the Evangelist, Brigg, 1866-1867.

The great concert and oratorio singer Gervase Elwes had a family home at Brigg Manor. He and Lady Winifrede helped to establish the musical events and singing contests at which their friend Percy Grainger collected a number of early folk-songs from the singing of Joseph Taylor of Saxby-All-Saints, and others.

David Yelland, former editor of "The Sun" from 1998-2003, went to the Sir John Nelthorpe School from 1976-81.

External links

* [http://www.briggmarkettown.co.uk/information.html Brigg Town Council]
* [http://www.brigg.com/index.html Brigg's First Original Website Resource]
* [http://www.briggmarkettown.co.uk/history.html Brigg Town History]
* [http://www.briggtownfc.co.uk/ Brigg Town Football Club]
* [http://www.thisisbrigg.co.uk This is Brigg - a website of the Scunthorpe Telegraph]
* [http://www.thisisbrigg.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=252228&command=newPage Nigel Fisher's Brigg Blog - updated most days - offering news, views, nostalgia, sport and comment on what's going on in the town]

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