BRIGG BUILDINGS DEMOLISHED TO PAVE THE WAY

The old saying that there's no gain without pain certainly applied in Brigg during the early 1990s when the long-awaited inner-relief road via Barnard Avenue was constructed, together with the new Ancholme Way bridge over the Old River Ancholme - paving the way for pedestrianisation.
However, to make the re-routing of the A18 possible it was necessary to demolish a row of old buildings on Bridge Street.
Here we see 'Then & Now' scenes - the interesting colour one seen at the top of our montage above was taken around 1971 and features properties that would later be removed. Apart from Peacock & Binnington's presence on Bridge Street, these were old cottages - some of which had been converted to shops.
Then a domestic property, the building next to the Yarborough Hunt was a fortunate survivor and now forms part of the enlarged pub. However, the Yarborough was not a functioning hostelry in the early 1970s, having closed by then. Thankfully, it later reopened under the watchful eye of local brewer Tom Wood, following restoration, to serve real ale enthusiasts in the new millennium.
The Yarborough's hanging pub sign had been removed by 1970 but its metal bracket, overhanging Bridge Street, was still present. The alehouse/pub, managed by the Bell family for many decades, closed circa 1965.
Dunham's Bakery (still trading today) is just visible on the extreme right of our early 1970s view. The former chapel next door was vacant 50 years, and that's the case again today now AF Carpets has located to purpose-built premises nearby on Ancholme Way. The former chapel remains on the market, awaiting a new owner and possibly, in the future, a different use (subject to planning approval being obtained).
In the early 1970s, what's now Simon Ho's China Royal restaurant was still occupied by the Bridge Street Cafe. Beyond it were a wine shop (now an optical business), Barnard's butchery business (still operating) and the Nelthorpe Arms (since closed and the building converted to purely residential use).
Note the white-painted building in the far distance next to the County Bridge. This former warehouse was removed many years ago with some of the land it occupied near Bridge Street being transformed into the pub's beer garden.
On the other side of Bridge Street, two more buildings are set to be removed now North Lincolnshire Council has granted planning permission for new dwellings to be erected, together with a retail unit. 

The developers told Brigg Blog last year, when the application was submitted, that they intended to use reclaimed bricks to blend in with the area.
All Bridge Street - from the County Bridge to the A18 - is within today's Brigg Conservation Area and some of the older properties have listed building status.

Another early 1970s picture, immediately below, shows some of the old properties which were removed 20 years later. 

 

 

A picture taken on Bridge Street in March 2021 to show where old properties used to stand prior to the re-routing of the A18 (centre). The last house left standing, right, now forms part of the Yarborough Hunt pub.

Bridge Street today showing how the course of the A18 was altered in the early 1990s. This was designed to remove through traffic  from passing over the County Bridge and through the Market Place and Wrawby Street.