THE CHANGING FACE OF BRIGG - BRIDGE STREET FROM THE WHITE HART TO THE A18 JUNCTION

Packed with interesting and historic Brigg buildings, the upper part of Bridge Street - close to the town centre - took on its current cul-de-sac form in the early 1990s with the re-routing of the A18 via the newly-built Ancholme Way Bridge and Barnard Avenue.
Some of Bridge Street's buildings are of such significance they really merit individual articles.
Among them are the White Hart pub and the former Nelthorpe Arms hostelry. Pictured above, they are very close to the early 19th century County Bridge and the Old River Ancholme.
It's now many months since the 18th century White Hart served any customers, but dozens of local people still hope to see it reopen at some point.
Perhaps history will repeat itself; back in the early 1980s - after the pub had been closed for considerable time - local man Ray Neall acquired it, made many improvements and reopened the White Hart very successfully. It was later sold on to a brewery.
The Nelthorpe Arms closed two years ago and has since been transformed inside to provide residential accommodation without altering the external appearance of the historic building.
The Nelthorpe started out as the Greyhound before the name was changed in the mid-19th century. From the mid-1960s through to the early 2000s it was run by Myles and Mary Scanlon - very popular mine hosts. Many Brigg folk continued to call the pub Scanlon's right up to the final pint being served on May 27, 2018.
The former Merchants' House nearby, externally looks much as it did many decades ago.  

Closed for about 40 years from the mid-1960s, the Yarborough Hunt returned as a real ale hostelry of note - without food on the menu, TV, jukebox, pool table or dart board. It was targeted at customers wanting to sit and chat to friends over a pint or three. The Hunt, as it looks today, is on the left of the picture above.
Sadly, the distinctive Gwen's Bargain Shop, located near the White Hart, and the wine shop on the other side of Bridge Street, are now long gone. But many Brigg folk of a certain age still remember them.

It remains to be seen what the future holds for the former Sherwood cycle shop (on the right of this picture) following its sale, and the ex-Tutty's barber's premises of the 1960s and 1970s next door.
The same applies to the spacious former chapel very recently vacated by AF Carpets and placed on the freehold property market. AF has opened a new showroom nearby. off Ancholme Way.
Dunham's bakery/shop (seen above) has been a feature of Bridge Street for many decades - this business having been established in the town at the very end of the 19th century.
The China Royal Restaurant, also offering a takeaway service, is another well-established business. Years ago this part of Bridge Street featured a well-remembered cafe from which, over a cuppa and a leisurely breakfast, people would watch every day Brigg life unfolding on the other side of the glass window overlooking the pavement.
Staff still cater for people's medical needs from the Bridge Street doctors' surgery, housed in one of the biggest and most distinctive historic buildings in this area of the town, just as 'Doc' Willis (John) did many years ago.
Veteran shopkeeper Harold Green's shop later became a fast food (chicken) emporium (currently closed), while Ron's former greengrocery became part of the  Yarborough Hunt next door.
Miss White had a long-established sweet shop on Bridge Street - still remembered with fondness by Brigg residents who were children in the 1950s and 1960s.
On the other side of the street, Barnard's butchers is no longer managed by the founding family but remains popular with customers.
 

The by-pass which turned the upper part of Bridge Street into a cul-de-sac meant the demolition of various terraced properties - one of which had housed Keal's chip shop years earlier. Keal's was located in the property to the left  but had departed the scene by the time this picture was taken in the 1970s.
 

Re-routing the A18 ended the seemingly non-stop procession of heavy goods vehicles rumbling their way past the traditional buildings on this section of Bridge Street - remembered in our picture above, taken circa 1970/1, and showing a truck cresting the County Bridge in the distance. Peacock & Binnington's premises on the left were later demolished. Also in view to the left is the White Hart.
Just in case you missed the previous articles in this new series about the changing face of Brigg, here are some links.
Glebe Road...
Queen Street...
Features about other Brigg streets of note are now being prepared for posting in the near future. The initial articles were well read, our site statistics show - encouraging Brigg Blog to pen some more.

An early 1970s picture showing, from left to right, the Nelthorpe Arms, Merchants' House, Barnard's, wine shop,  Bridge Street Cafe, the former chapel and Dunham's.

 

Another early 1970s view of the chapel, Dunham's, W. Sherwood & Sons (established in the early 1960s) and barber Ike Tutty's 'short, back & sides' shop with traditional red and white pole on display and a trendy sports car parked outside.