Brightlingsea
Encyclopedia
Brightlingsea is a coastal town in the Tendring
district of Essex
, England
, located between Colchester
and Clacton-on-Sea
, situated at the mouth of the River Colne
, on Brightlingsea Creek. It has an estimated population of 8500.
Its traditional industries included fishery (with a renowned oyster
fishery
) and shipbuilding. With the decline of these industries, the town is largely a dormitory town for Colchester, and a popular retirement destination.
Brightlingsea is a limb of Sandwich
, one of the Cinque Ports
.
The town retains an active ceremonial connection with the Cinque Ports, electing a Deputy from a guild of Freemen
.
Brightlingsea was for many years twinned with French oyster fishery port Marennes, Charente-Maritime
, but the relationship fell into disuse.
In the mid 1990s, the port of Brightlingsea was used for the export of live animals for slaughter, leading to a protest campaign dubbed "The Battle of Brightlingsea".
In the centre of the town is Jacob's Hall, reputedly the oldest timber-framed building in England, built during the fourteenth century. Also in the town centre is Victoria Place, where many local businesses are based.
To the west, on the creek is Western Promenade. It has lines of beach huts, a skate park, swimming pool, boating lake, and paddling pool. It is a popular destination for tourists and London
ers. Bateman's Tower, a local landmark by the sea, has recently been renovated by the Colne Yacht Club with help from a Lottery Fund grant.
The port came to prominence in the 1984-85 Miners' Strike, where attempts were made to import coal through the Port (as with the small port at Wivenhoe
further up the river Colne). However the efforts of picketing miners prevented coal imports through Brightlingsea. The construction of the Gunfleet Sands Offshore Wind Farm operates from the port.
" it comprised a series of protests against the live export of animals from the town for slaughter in Europe. Many people believed that the conditions in which the animals were exported were cruel and inhumane. The protest began on 16 January 1995 and ended on 25 October 1995. During this nine-month period, over 150 convoys passed through the town and 250,000 animals were exported; of these, 24 died, 28 were destroyed by the M.A.F.F., and 38 could not be exported. 598 people were arrested by the police, of whom 421 were local residents. The campaigners eventually won and the live exports ceased. Over 1,000 complaints were made against the police and the estimated cost of policing the protest was over £4,000,000.
as a folly
for his daughter to recuperate from consumption. The tower is sited on Westmarsh point at the entrance to Brightlingsea Creek on the River Colne
, and is often mistaken for a Martello Tower
.
During The Second World War
the original roof of the folly was removed so that the tower could be used as an observation post by the Royal Observer Corps
. In 2005, a restoration project funded by The Heritage Lottery Fund took place to restore the tower to its original condition, including the fitting of a replica of the original roof, refurbishing the interior of the tower and also painting the outside.
The tower is now used by many local sailing organizations to administer races. During race days, the public can visit the tower, whose new roof makes it a popular gallery from which to watch races.
Bateman's Tower is leaning slightly.
that operated rail services from the nearby town of Wivenhoe
into the town centre of Brightlingsea.
The service unfortunately fell victim to the Beeching cuts in the 1960s, and was eventually axed in 1964 supposedly prompted by the high maintenance costs of the swing bridge over Alresford Creek, which was necessary to allow boat traffic to the many sand and gravel pits in the area.
Brightlingsea railway station
was located on the southern side of Lower Park Road where the town's community centre now sits. It stayed in place for four years after the railway's closure until it was destroyed by fire in 1968.
The visible relics of the railway's presence today are the Railway public house
and micro-brewery, and the old embankment which is now a footpath. It is possible to walk along virtually the whole length of the former route from very near the site of the old station in Brightlingsea along the old embankment to the site of the former swing bridge. This makes for a pleasant, scenic walk alongside the River Colne with its the ecologically interesting salt marsh
environment.
The closest railway station with parking facilities is now Great Bentley
. The station at Alresford is closer but lacks parking.
Being almost totally surrounded by the Colne Estuary, Brightlingsea Creek & salt marsh
, Brightlingsea's road links are unusually limited for a town of its size, with only one road linking the town with the outside. During the North Sea Flood of 1953
Brightlingsea was cut off from the outside, though the town itself was not as severely affected as some neighbouring communities.
's Connect2 scheme is a new swing bridge over Alresford Creek. This is to give an alternative crossing over the waters around Brightlingsea.
, a secondary school
which serves an extended catchment area which includes Wivenhoe
, Alresford
, Great Bentley
, Thorrington
as well as Brightlingsea itself. Ex-principal Terry Creissen, who now resides in China with his family, was honoured (whilst still in the position of headmaster at the Colne) with an OBE.
level. The club is one of the oldest, largest dinghy and certainly friendliest sailing clubs in the East of England. The Club is situated on the north east coast of Essex where the Colne Estuary meets the North Sea and offers sailing in sheltered waters at all times of the tide for, dinghies, catamarans, and windsurfers and caters for novices to national champions. An active Sailing School provides training.
Brightlingsea Waterside Yacht Club is a co-operative venture between the University of Essex it's sports centre and Brightlingsea sailors. The Colne Yacht Club caters mainly to cruising
members. It has an active cruiser racing fleet. There is also a waterski and wakeboard club that operates on Brightlingsea creek.
Brightlingsea Regent plays its matches at North Road in the Eastern Counties Football League
.
Brightlingsea Cricket Club plays home matches at the Recreation Ground, and competes in the Two Counties Championship during the summer months. The Rugby Club plays its matches at Strangers Corner.
The boats are of clinker construction, originally planked in elm and later boats in mahogany. The boats numbered 5x boats are constructed in GRP.
Boats 1 - 14 were built before the war. The use of the symbol 'C' on the sail has never been fully explained, although it is thought to stand for the river Colne.
The last wooden boat built, C32 'Avocet', was built in 1989 by Malcolm Goodwin.
The numbers do not run in sequence. The Stone built boats are 1 - 30 (27, 29 & 30 by T. C. White). 31 was built by John Mullins and 32 by Malcolm Goodwin. Another series starting at 40 was built in West Mersea. The new GRP boats built by John Mullins are 5x and 75 was the only boat built by the Aldous yard.
In 1951 a new rig was designed for the boat, and caused a split between the advocates of the new rig and the supporters of the old. The class raced as two different fleets until the end of the 1950s, when most of the boats racing converted to the new rig.
The new rig has no bowsprit, a shorter boom and a taller mast. This rig is to be seen on most of the boats sailing today, although C28 has an original rig. Two other boats are expected to fit the original rig after restoration.
In 2004 C1 'Jean' was relaunched 77 years after being built as the BOD prototype, after a ten year restoration by Malcolm Goodwin.
In 2007 the first GRP BOD C51 'Greta' built by John Mullins was launched.
In 1986 the BOD became a film star appearing in 'The Ted Kennedy Jr. Story', Billed as a profile in courage, the film examines the trauma and effort that Senator Edward Kennedy's (Craig T. Nelson) son (Kimber Shoop) went through after losing his leg to a rare form of cancer and with the rehabilitation that was required. Apparently the BODs are the nearest to those used by the Kennedy family at Cape Cod.
Tendring
Tendring is a local government district in North East Essex, England. It extends from the River Stour in the north, to the coast and the River Colne in the south, with the coast to the East and the town of Colchester to the west. Its council is based in Clacton-on-Sea. Towns in the district...
district of Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, located between Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
and Clacton-on-Sea
Clacton-on-Sea
Clacton-on-Sea is the largest town on the Tendring peninsula, in Essex, England and was founded in 1871. It is a seaside resort that attracted many tourists in the summer months between the 1950s and 1970s, but which like many other British sea-side resorts went into decline as a holiday...
, situated at the mouth of the River Colne
River Colne, Essex
The River Colne is a small river that runs through Colchester, England. It is not a tributary of any other river, instead having an estuary that joins the sea near Brightlingsea.-Source:...
, on Brightlingsea Creek. It has an estimated population of 8500.
Its traditional industries included fishery (with a renowned oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
fishery
Fishery
Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats,...
) and shipbuilding. With the decline of these industries, the town is largely a dormitory town for Colchester, and a popular retirement destination.
Brightlingsea is a limb of Sandwich
Sandwich, Kent
Sandwich is a historic town and civil parish on the River Stour in the Non-metropolitan district of Dover, within the ceremonial county of Kent, south-east England. It has a population of 6,800....
, one of the Cinque Ports
Cinque Ports
The Confederation of Cinque Ports is a historic series of coastal towns in Kent and Sussex. It was originally formed for military and trade purposes, but is now entirely ceremonial. It lies at the eastern end of the English Channel, where the crossing to the continent is narrowest...
.
The town retains an active ceremonial connection with the Cinque Ports, electing a Deputy from a guild of Freemen
Freeman (Colonial)
Freeman is a term which originated in 12th century Europe and is common as an English or American Colonial expression in Puritan times. In the Bay Colony, a man had to be a member of the Church to be a freeman. In Colonial Plymouth, a man did not need to be a member of the Church, but he had to be...
.
Brightlingsea was for many years twinned with French oyster fishery port Marennes, Charente-Maritime
Marennes, Charente-Maritime
Marennes is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.For a long time it was one of the most prosperous cities of the Saintonge due to its location in the middle of the salt-water marshes at a time where salt was a valuable commodity.Marennes is a center for oyster...
, but the relationship fell into disuse.
In the mid 1990s, the port of Brightlingsea was used for the export of live animals for slaughter, leading to a protest campaign dubbed "The Battle of Brightlingsea".
In the centre of the town is Jacob's Hall, reputedly the oldest timber-framed building in England, built during the fourteenth century. Also in the town centre is Victoria Place, where many local businesses are based.
To the west, on the creek is Western Promenade. It has lines of beach huts, a skate park, swimming pool, boating lake, and paddling pool. It is a popular destination for tourists and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
ers. Bateman's Tower, a local landmark by the sea, has recently been renovated by the Colne Yacht Club with help from a Lottery Fund grant.
Brightlingsea Port
Although Brightlingsea has a long shipbuilding history, it was never particularly developed for sea traffic, although it does have a small port.The port came to prominence in the 1984-85 Miners' Strike, where attempts were made to import coal through the Port (as with the small port at Wivenhoe
Wivenhoe
Wivenhoe is a town in north eastern Essex, England, approximately south east of Colchester. Historically Wivenhoe village, on the banks of the River Colne, and Wivenhoe Cross, on the higher ground to the north, were two separate settlements but with considerable development in the 19th century the...
further up the river Colne). However the efforts of picketing miners prevented coal imports through Brightlingsea. The construction of the Gunfleet Sands Offshore Wind Farm operates from the port.
'The Battle of Brightlingsea'
Brightlingsea port came to national prominence again in the 1990s with an attempt to use the port again for a controversial cargo. Dubbed the "Battle of BrightlingseaBattle of Brightlingsea
The Battle of Brightlingsea refers to the series of protests held in Brightlingsea, England, in 1995 to prevent the export of livestock through the town. The name was first used by the media in The Independent newspaper, after Essex Police used riot control measures against peaceful demonstrators...
" it comprised a series of protests against the live export of animals from the town for slaughter in Europe. Many people believed that the conditions in which the animals were exported were cruel and inhumane. The protest began on 16 January 1995 and ended on 25 October 1995. During this nine-month period, over 150 convoys passed through the town and 250,000 animals were exported; of these, 24 died, 28 were destroyed by the M.A.F.F., and 38 could not be exported. 598 people were arrested by the police, of whom 421 were local residents. The campaigners eventually won and the live exports ceased. Over 1,000 complaints were made against the police and the estimated cost of policing the protest was over £4,000,000.
The Mignonette and Cannibalism
In 1867 the yacht Mignonette was built by Aldhous Successors in Brightlingsea. The Marionette foundered on its way to Australia in 1884. In desperation, three of the four shipwrecked crew killed and ate the sickest member. The subsequent trial, R. v. Dudley and Stephens, established the common law principle that necessity is not a valid defence against a charge of murder.Landmarks
Bateman's Tower
Bateman's tower was built in 1883 by John BatemanBateman's 'Great Landowners' (1883)
John Bateman FRGS published the fourth edition of his The Great Landowners of Great Britain and Ireland, A list of all owners of Three thousand acres and upwards, worth £3,000 a year; Also, one thousand three hundred owners of Two thousand acres and upwards, in England, Scotland, Ireland, & Wales,...
as a folly
Folly
In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but either suggesting by its appearance some other purpose, or merely so extravagant that it transcends the normal range of garden ornaments or other class of building to which it belongs...
for his daughter to recuperate from consumption. The tower is sited on Westmarsh point at the entrance to Brightlingsea Creek on the River Colne
River Colne, Essex
The River Colne is a small river that runs through Colchester, England. It is not a tributary of any other river, instead having an estuary that joins the sea near Brightlingsea.-Source:...
, and is often mistaken for a Martello Tower
Martello tower
Martello towers are small defensive forts built in several countries of the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the Napoleonic Wars onwards....
.
During The Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the original roof of the folly was removed so that the tower could be used as an observation post by the Royal Observer Corps
Royal Observer Corps
The Royal Observer Corps was a civil defence organisation operating in the United Kingdom between 29 October 1925 and 31 December 1995, when the Corps' civilian volunteers were stood down....
. In 2005, a restoration project funded by The Heritage Lottery Fund took place to restore the tower to its original condition, including the fitting of a replica of the original roof, refurbishing the interior of the tower and also painting the outside.
The tower is now used by many local sailing organizations to administer races. During race days, the public can visit the tower, whose new roof makes it a popular gallery from which to watch races.
Bateman's Tower is leaning slightly.
Brightlingsea open air swimming pool
Brightlingsea open air swimming pool was built in 1933 and is one of the few remaining lidos (open air swimming pools built mainly in the art-deco period) still in use in the UK. Brightlingsea Lido was originally a salt water pool, but is now a two-level, non-heated freshwater facility. The pool has recently been threatened with closure, but local opposition to this seems to have saved it. The pool comprises a 15m children's pool and a 50m main swimming pool. To this day, the facility is popular with residents and visitors to the town.Transport
The Wivenhoe and Brightlingsea railway opened in 1866 and was a branch lineBranch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
that operated rail services from the nearby town of Wivenhoe
Wivenhoe
Wivenhoe is a town in north eastern Essex, England, approximately south east of Colchester. Historically Wivenhoe village, on the banks of the River Colne, and Wivenhoe Cross, on the higher ground to the north, were two separate settlements but with considerable development in the 19th century the...
into the town centre of Brightlingsea.
The service unfortunately fell victim to the Beeching cuts in the 1960s, and was eventually axed in 1964 supposedly prompted by the high maintenance costs of the swing bridge over Alresford Creek, which was necessary to allow boat traffic to the many sand and gravel pits in the area.
Brightlingsea railway station
Brightlingsea railway station
Brightlingsea railway station was located in Brightlingsea, Essex. It was on the single track branch line of the Wivenhoe and Brightlingsea Railway which opened in 1866 and closed in 1964.-History:...
was located on the southern side of Lower Park Road where the town's community centre now sits. It stayed in place for four years after the railway's closure until it was destroyed by fire in 1968.
The visible relics of the railway's presence today are the Railway public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
and micro-brewery, and the old embankment which is now a footpath. It is possible to walk along virtually the whole length of the former route from very near the site of the old station in Brightlingsea along the old embankment to the site of the former swing bridge. This makes for a pleasant, scenic walk alongside the River Colne with its the ecologically interesting salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
environment.
The closest railway station with parking facilities is now Great Bentley
Great Bentley railway station
Great Bentley railway station is a staffed railway station serving Great Bentley in Essex, England. The station is located north east of London Liverpool Street on the Sunshine Coast Line, a branch of the Great Eastern Main Line. The station is located at street level on Station Road in the...
. The station at Alresford is closer but lacks parking.
Being almost totally surrounded by the Colne Estuary, Brightlingsea Creek & salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
, Brightlingsea's road links are unusually limited for a town of its size, with only one road linking the town with the outside. During the North Sea Flood of 1953
North Sea flood of 1953
The 1953 North Sea flood was a major flood caused by a heavy storm, that occurred on the night of Saturday 31 January 1953 and morning of 1 February 1953. The floods struck the Netherlands, Belgium, England and Scotland.A combination of a high spring tide and a severe European windstorm caused a...
Brightlingsea was cut off from the outside, though the town itself was not as severely affected as some neighbouring communities.
Buses
| Route Number |
From | To | Via | Operator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78 | Brightlingsea Brightlingsea Brightlingsea is a coastal town in the Tendring district of Essex, England, located between Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea, situated at the mouth of the River Colne, on Brightlingsea Creek. It has an estimated population of 8500.... |
Colchester Town Centre Colchester Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the... |
Alresford Alresford Alresford may refer to:* Alresford, Essex, a village in Essex, England* New Alresford, a small town in Hampshire, England* Old Alresford, a village in Hampshire, England* the deanery of Alresford that includes the last two and other parishes... , Wivenhoe Wivenhoe Wivenhoe is a town in north eastern Essex, England, approximately south east of Colchester. Historically Wivenhoe village, on the banks of the River Colne, and Wivenhoe Cross, on the higher ground to the north, were two separate settlements but with considerable development in the 19th century the... |
Network Colchester Network Colchester Network Colchester is a Tellings-Golden Miller bus operating company. TGM have upgraded the fleet, and it is no longer the second from bottom bus company, profit wise... |
Mon-Sat (mornings & evenings only), Sun (every 120 mins) |
| 78X | Brightlingsea Brightlingsea Brightlingsea is a coastal town in the Tendring district of Essex, England, located between Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea, situated at the mouth of the River Colne, on Brightlingsea Creek. It has an estimated population of 8500.... |
Colchester Town Centre Colchester Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the... |
Alresford Alresford Alresford may refer to:* Alresford, Essex, a village in Essex, England* New Alresford, a small town in Hampshire, England* Old Alresford, a village in Hampshire, England* the deanery of Alresford that includes the last two and other parishes... , Wivenhoe Wivenhoe Wivenhoe is a town in north eastern Essex, England, approximately south east of Colchester. Historically Wivenhoe village, on the banks of the River Colne, and Wivenhoe Cross, on the higher ground to the north, were two separate settlements but with considerable development in the 19th century the... |
Cedric's | Mon-Fri (every 30 mins), Sat (every 60 mins) |
| 79 | Brightlingsea Brightlingsea Brightlingsea is a coastal town in the Tendring district of Essex, England, located between Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea, situated at the mouth of the River Colne, on Brightlingsea Creek. It has an estimated population of 8500.... |
Clacton Town Centre | Great Bentley Great Bentley Great Bentley is a village and civil parish in the Tendring district of North East Essex, England, located midway between the towns of Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea. It is home to the largest village green in the country, at a size of and has won 'Village of the Year' several times... , St Osyth |
New Horizon Travel | Mon-Fri (starts 7th March) |
| 85 | Brightlingsea Brightlingsea Brightlingsea is a coastal town in the Tendring district of Essex, England, located between Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea, situated at the mouth of the River Colne, on Brightlingsea Creek. It has an estimated population of 8500.... |
Mistley Mistley Mistley is a large village and civil parish in the Tendring district of northeast Essex. It is around 11 miles northeast of Colchester and is east of, and almost contiguous with, Manningtree. The parish consists of Mistley and New Mistley, both lying beside the Stour Estuary, and Mistley Heath a... |
Great Bentley Great Bentley Great Bentley is a village and civil parish in the Tendring district of North East Essex, England, located midway between the towns of Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea. It is home to the largest village green in the country, at a size of and has won 'Village of the Year' several times... , Manningtree Manningtree Manningtree is a town and civil parish in the Tendring district of Essex, England, which lies on the River Stour. It adjoins built-up areas of Lawford to the west and Mistley to the east and the three parishes together are sometimes referred to as "Manningtree".Manningtree is a claimant for the... |
Hedingham (ECC Contract) | Wednesdays only. No return journey. |
Brightlingsea to Alresford
One of the reserve schemes of SustransSustrans
Sustrans is a British charity to promote sustainable transport. The charity is currently working on a number of practical projects to encourage people to walk, cycle and use public transport, to give people the choice of "travelling in ways that benefit their health and the environment"...
's Connect2 scheme is a new swing bridge over Alresford Creek. This is to give an alternative crossing over the waters around Brightlingsea.
Education
Brightlingsea is home to the Colne Community SchoolColne Community School
The Colne Community School and Sixth Form College is a comprehensive school located in Brightlingsea, Essex, England and plays a major part in the town's activities...
, a secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
which serves an extended catchment area which includes Wivenhoe
Wivenhoe
Wivenhoe is a town in north eastern Essex, England, approximately south east of Colchester. Historically Wivenhoe village, on the banks of the River Colne, and Wivenhoe Cross, on the higher ground to the north, were two separate settlements but with considerable development in the 19th century the...
, Alresford
Alresford
Alresford may refer to:* Alresford, Essex, a village in Essex, England* New Alresford, a small town in Hampshire, England* Old Alresford, a village in Hampshire, England* the deanery of Alresford that includes the last two and other parishes...
, Great Bentley
Great Bentley
Great Bentley is a village and civil parish in the Tendring district of North East Essex, England, located midway between the towns of Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea. It is home to the largest village green in the country, at a size of and has won 'Village of the Year' several times...
, Thorrington
Thorrington
Thorrington is a village and civil parish in the Tendring district of Essex, England. It lies 5 km east of Wivenhoe and 3 km north of Brightlingsea. The striking medieval flint church is dedicated to Mary Magdalene, and the patrons of the church are St John's College, Cambridge.On the...
as well as Brightlingsea itself. Ex-principal Terry Creissen, who now resides in China with his family, was honoured (whilst still in the position of headmaster at the Colne) with an OBE.
Sports
The town has an active recreational boating scene. Brightlingsea Sailing Club runs an active competitive sailing programme, and has produced many champions at international and OlympicOlympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
level. The club is one of the oldest, largest dinghy and certainly friendliest sailing clubs in the East of England. The Club is situated on the north east coast of Essex where the Colne Estuary meets the North Sea and offers sailing in sheltered waters at all times of the tide for, dinghies, catamarans, and windsurfers and caters for novices to national champions. An active Sailing School provides training.
Brightlingsea Waterside Yacht Club is a co-operative venture between the University of Essex it's sports centre and Brightlingsea sailors. The Colne Yacht Club caters mainly to cruising
Cruising (maritime)
Cruising by boat is a lifestyle that involves living for extended time on a boat while traveling from place to place for pleasure. Cruising generally refers to trips of a few days or more, and can extend to round-the-world voyages.- History :...
members. It has an active cruiser racing fleet. There is also a waterski and wakeboard club that operates on Brightlingsea creek.
Brightlingsea Regent plays its matches at North Road in the Eastern Counties Football League
Eastern Counties Football League
The Eastern Counties Football League is an English football league at levels 9 and 10 of the English football league system. It currently contains clubs from Norfolk, Suffolk, northern Essex and eastern Cambridgeshire, and is a feeder to the regional divisions of the Isthmian League and Southern...
.
Brightlingsea Cricket Club plays home matches at the Recreation Ground, and competes in the Two Counties Championship during the summer months. The Rugby Club plays its matches at Strangers Corner.
Brightlingsea One Design
The Brightlingsea One Design is a class of wooden dinghy designed in 1927 by Robbie Stone of Stone's shipyard (now the waterside marina).The boats are of clinker construction, originally planked in elm and later boats in mahogany. The boats numbered 5x boats are constructed in GRP.
Boats 1 - 14 were built before the war. The use of the symbol 'C' on the sail has never been fully explained, although it is thought to stand for the river Colne.
The last wooden boat built, C32 'Avocet', was built in 1989 by Malcolm Goodwin.
The numbers do not run in sequence. The Stone built boats are 1 - 30 (27, 29 & 30 by T. C. White). 31 was built by John Mullins and 32 by Malcolm Goodwin. Another series starting at 40 was built in West Mersea. The new GRP boats built by John Mullins are 5x and 75 was the only boat built by the Aldous yard.
In 1951 a new rig was designed for the boat, and caused a split between the advocates of the new rig and the supporters of the old. The class raced as two different fleets until the end of the 1950s, when most of the boats racing converted to the new rig.
The new rig has no bowsprit, a shorter boom and a taller mast. This rig is to be seen on most of the boats sailing today, although C28 has an original rig. Two other boats are expected to fit the original rig after restoration.
In 2004 C1 'Jean' was relaunched 77 years after being built as the BOD prototype, after a ten year restoration by Malcolm Goodwin.
In 2007 the first GRP BOD C51 'Greta' built by John Mullins was launched.
In 1986 the BOD became a film star appearing in 'The Ted Kennedy Jr. Story', Billed as a profile in courage, the film examines the trauma and effort that Senator Edward Kennedy's (Craig T. Nelson) son (Kimber Shoop) went through after losing his leg to a rare form of cancer and with the rehabilitation that was required. Apparently the BODs are the nearest to those used by the Kennedy family at Cape Cod.
Notable residents
- Christine WalkdenChristine WalkdenChristine Helen Walkden is a British television presenter and gardener, best known for her appearances on gardening programmes and The One Show...
, TV gardener, lives in Brightlingsea. - Reginald WhiteReginald WhiteReginald James White, usually Reg White , was a British boat builder, sailor, Olympic champion and world champion...
and John OsbornJohn Osborn (sailor)John Osborn is a British sailor, Olympic champion and world champion. He won a gold medal in the Tornado class with Reg White at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.He became world champion in the tornado class in 1976, with Reg White....
, Olympic gold medalists in the Tornado catamaran sailing class, both awarded MBEs in 1997 Osborn subsequently emigrated to Canada.
External links
- Brightlingsea Town Website
- Brightlingsea Museum Website
- Brightlingsea Sailing Club
- Save Brightlingsea's Open Spaces
- Live weather from Brighlingsea from a weather station at Brightlingsea Sailing Club
- Brightlingsea Regent football club
- Colne Yacht Club
- Brightlingsea Cricket Club
- The Battle of Brightlingsea - Photos of the 1995 live export protests
- Brightlingsea live exports - Photos and figures of the Battle of Brightlingsea protest
- Gunfleet Sands Offshore Wind Farm - Tendring District Council