The Quay Walk
The Quay, named Castleburn in the Middle Ages, was settled around the Gypsey Race that enters the sea at Clough Hole, with the Moor separating it from the Old Town. Bridlington Quay began to be the place to go for sea bathing when a spring was discovered in 1738 in the area now covered by the Spa buildings. By 1765 a new road had been built to allow entry to the south sands. A new assembly rooms was opened at the Ship Inn in 1766 and before long people began to stay for the whole summer, with the Sykes family from Sledmere building a large summer residence on the south side near Wilsthorpe. The area grew rapidly in the 1800’s and the arrival of the railway in 1846 made it possible for many more people to come, so that by 1850 the Old Town and the Quay began to join along Quay Road, with the railway station about halfway between the two communities.
We will start in South Marine Drive with the Spa building complex. Named the New Spa and Gardens this was built, together with the adjoining sea wall, in 1896 by Whitaker Brothers of Horsforth, Leeds, who also built the estate of houses opposite stretching as far as Cardigan Road. After paying at the turnstile people could enter five acres of flower beds, walks and grassed areas, have meals in the refreshment rooms, go to the theatre or a concert, or just sit and listen to the band playing in the glass domed bandstand. Children would sail boats in the lake that was kept filled by the iron rich water of a chalybeate spring. Lit at night by multi coloured electric lights the spa had 80,000 visitors in one month.
The theatre burnt down in October 1906, but was renovated and reopened in 1907 as the New Spa Opera House.
The complex was bought by the Corporation in 1919 and people could stay all day for sixpence. It was decided to replace the old buildings in 1925 and the Spa Royal Hall was built at a cost of £50,000. This became the most popular place along the East coast to go for dancing and concerts, with Herman Darewski and his Radio Band playing there from 1926 until 1937. Another fire in January 1932 destroyed the hall, but once again it was rebuilt in the record time of 52 days and reopened in July 1932. This time there were two cafes, a Palm Court, a solarium and a dance hall. There was a charge at the turnstiles until the 1950s to enter the gardens. The sea wall was extended and built 25 metres away from the eroding cliffs in 1928 and named Princess Mary Promenade. At the same time a slipway was built by Levitts of Hull from South Marine Drive to the beach, named Levitt’s Hill, giving easy access to the beach for the lifeboat. The Spa closed in 2005 for extensive renovation and is expected to reopen in Spring 2008.