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{{Short description|Market town in North Lincolnshire, England}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2014}}
{{Infobox UK place
 | country                  = England
 | static_image_name        = Market Place, Brigg.jpg
 | static_image_caption     = Brigg Market Place
 | coordinates              = {{coord|53.5529|-0.4850|display=inline,title}}
 | official_name            = Brigg
 | population               = 5,626
 | population_ref           = ([[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 census]])
 | unitary_england          = [[North Lincolnshire]]
 | lieutenancy_england      = [[Lincolnshire]]
 | region                   = Yorkshire and the Humber
 | constituency_westminster = [[Brigg and Immingham (UK Parliament constituency)|Brigg and Immingham]]
 | post_town                = BRIGG
 | postcode_district        = DN20
 | postcode_area            = DN
 | dial_code                = 01652
 | os_grid_reference        = TA003073
 | london_distance_mi       = 140<!-- straight line per MOS – constant and comparable with other place distances -->
 | london_direction         = S
}}

'''Brigg''' ([[Wikipedia:IPA for English#Key|/'brɪg/]]) is a [[market town]] in [[North Lincolnshire]], England, with a population of 5,076 in the [[United Kingdom Census 2001|2001 UK census]],<ref name="2001 census">{{cite web
 |url = http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=791109&c=brigg&d=16&e=15&g=392208&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1236020292562&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779
 |title = 2001 Census: Key Statistics: Parish Headcounts: Area: Brigg CP (Parish)
 |access-date = 2 March 2009
 |work = Neighbourhood Statistics
 |publisher = [[Office for National Statistics]]
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110526041253/http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=791109&c=brigg&d=16&e=15&g=392208&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1236020292562&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779
 |archive-date = 26 May 2011
 |url-status = dead
 }}</ref> the population increased to 5,626 at the 2011 census.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11121182&c=Brigg&d=16&e=62&g=6382220&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1461003775739&enc=1|title=Town population 2011|access-date=18 April 2016|publisher=Office for National Statistics|work=Neighbourhood Statistics}}</ref>  The town lies at the junction of the [[River Ancholme]] and east–west transport routes across northern Lincolnshire. As a formerly important local centre, the town's full name of '''Glanford Brigg'''<ref name=g>{{PastScape|mnumber=922373|mname=Glanford Brigg|access-date=22 March 2010}}</ref> is reflected in the surrounding area and local government district of the [[Glanford|same name.]] The town's [[urban area]] includes the neighbouring hamlet of Scawby Brook.

==History==
[[File:Discovery of logboat in Brigg in 1886.jpg|thumb|left|Discovery of Iron Age dugout in 1886.]]
The area of present-day Brigg has been used for thousands of years as both a [[ford (crossing)|crossing point]] of the Ancholme and for access to the river itself. Prehistoric boats of [[sewn boat|sewn&ndash;built]]<ref>{{cite book|last=McGrail|first=Sean|title=The Brigg 'Raft' and her Prehistoric environment|year=1981|publisher=British Archaeological Reports}}</ref> and [[dugout (boat)|dugout]]<ref name="autogenerated1991">{{cite book|last=Dodd|first=Edward|title=Brigg|year=1991}}</ref> construction have been found in the town, both dating to around 900 BC. A [[causeway]] or [[jetty]] also stood on the riverside during the late [[Bronze Age Britain|Bronze Age]], although its exact use is uncertain.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Wylie|first=William|title=Prehistoric Road at Brigg, Lincolnshire|journal=Proceedings of the Society of Antiquitaries|year=1884|volume=10|series=2nd series|pages=110–115}}</ref>

During the [[Anglo-Saxon]] period the area became known as ''Glanford''. The second element of the name is not disputed, but the origin of the first element is unclear. It is possibly derived from the [[Old English]] ''gleam'' meaning joy or revelry, and thus the full word is interpreted as "ford where sports are held".<ref name=k/> Another suggestion is that the first element refers to a 'glamping' track&mdash;a walkway formed by placing interlocking planks or logs over boggy ground&mdash;and thus describes a ford crossed in this manner.<ref>{{cite book|last=Cooper|first=C H|title=Historical origins of Lincolnshire villages: and Lincoln street names|year=1994|publisher=Lincolnshire Publishing}}</ref> A third possibility is that it means "smooth ford"<ref>{{cite book|title=Like a dream remembered: a short history of the Borough of Glanford|year=1988|publisher=Glanford Borough Council|author=Glanford Borough Council Leisure Services Department}}</ref> although its etymology is not specified.

Glanford Brigg was founded at the crossing place of the Ancholme before 1183, its first mention being a [[Pipe roll]] entry for that year.<ref>{{cite book |last=Beresford |first=Maurice |title=New Towns of the Middle Ages: Town Plantation in England, Wales and Gascony |year=1988 |publisher=Alan Sutton |location= Gloucester, England |isbn=0-86299-430-6 |edition=2nd |page=465}}</ref> The town's formal charter for a weekly [[market (place)|market]] and yearly [[fair]] date from a royal grant to Hugh Nevil in 1205, in which the founder's name is given as his father&ndash;in&ndash;law Stephen de Camera.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.briggmarkettown.co.uk/history.php |title=Brigg Market Town: History |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101012170351/http://www.briggmarkettown.co.uk/history.php |archive-date=12 October 2010 }}</ref> The fair began on 25 July&mdash;the [[Feast of Saint James]]&mdash;and continued for three days afterward. The grant of a market and fair were subsequently reconfirmed to Hugh's son Ernisius in 1235. The second part of the town's full name dates to this time, coming from the new bridge built to replace the existing ford across the river. Its non-standard form of ''Brigg'' is due to influence from [[Old Norse]] ''bryggja'', which although usually describes a jetty or quay here refers to a bridge.<ref name=k>{{cite book |first=Kenneth |last=Cameron |year=1991 |title=The Place-Names of Lincolnshire |volume=Part Two}}</ref> The name of a place spelt "Glawemfordbrigge" in Lincolnshire, appears in 1418.<ref>''Plea Rolls of the Court of Common Pleas''; National Archives; CP 40/629; http://aalt.law.uh.edu/H5/CP40no629/bCP40no629dorses/IMG_1702.htm; 4th entry, line 1, home of John Barton, yeoman</ref>

Brigg originally sat at the meeting point of four parishes ([[Broughton, Lincolnshire|Broughton]], [[Kettleby, Lincolnshire|Kettleby]], [[Scawby]] and [[Wrawby]]), although it lay mainly in the last, and was officially regarded as part of that village. In the 1190s, the lord of the manor of Broughton, Adam Paynel, founded a hospital for the poor within the town.<ref name="Dodd1990">{{cite book|last=Dodd|first=Edward|title=The History of Catholicism in Brigg and District|year=1990}}</ref> Several small [[chapel]]s also existed during medieval times, with another hospital and chapel founded by [[William Tyrwhitt]] in 1441.<ref name="Dodd1990" /> However, the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries|dissolution of the monasteries]] in 1536&ndash;41 also affected hospitals and chapels, leaving the town without ecclesiastical coverage except the parish church in nearby Wrawby.<ref name="Dodd1990" />

[[File:Brigg Marketplace in 1836.png|thumb|left|Brigg Marketplace in 1836]]
Due to its strategic position, Brigg was fortified by [[Cavalier|Royalist]] forces during the [[English Civil War|civil war]]. After the [[Battle of Winceby]] in 1643, [[Roundhead|Parliamentarian]] forces attacked and seized the garrison on their way to help relieve the [[Siege of Hull (1643)|siege of Hull]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Holmes|first=Clive|title=Seventeenth-Century Lincolnshire|url=https://archive.org/details/seventeenthcentu0007holm|url-access=registration|year=1980|publisher=History of Lincolnshire Committee|isbn=978-0-902668-06-5 }}</ref> Sir John Nelthorpe, a local landowner who had been a member of Parliament during the [[The Protectorate|Protectorate]], bequeathed some of his estate in 1669 for the foundation and maintenance of a free school in the town. Four other local gentlemen established a [[chapel of ease]] in Bigby Street in 1699, restoring church presence in the town after 150 years of absence.<ref name="Dodd1990" />

The town was substantially improved and rebuilt in the late 1700s and early 1800s, partly through the demands of the Elwes family, the largest landowner in the town.<ref name="Henthorn1987">{{cite book|last=Henthorn|first=Frank|title=History of 19th Century Brigg|year=1987|publisher=Spiegl}}</ref> The old town hall—now known as the [[Buttercross, Brigg|Buttercross]]—was built in 1817.<ref name="Henthorn1987" /> Later, in 1842–43, the existing chapel of ease was replaced by a full–sized church dedicated to [[St John the Evangelist]],<ref name=Cox>Cox, J. Charles (1916) ''Lincolnshire'' p. 81; Methuen & Co. Ltd</ref> and a cemetery was established on Wrawby Road in 1857, following significant controversy over the burial of non–conformists. Brigg's ecclesiastical parish was established in 1872,<ref name="Henthorn1987" /> finally separating the town from Wrawby, but also incorporating neighbouring parts of Scawby, Broughton, and Bigby parishes.

A workhouse was built at the east end of the town in 1835, and was the responsibility of the Glanford Brigg Poor Law Union.<ref name=g/><ref>{{PastScape|mnumber=1451999|mname=Glanford Brigg Union Workhouse|access-date=22 March 2010}}</ref> Its architect was [[William Adams Nicholson]] who also designed the similar building in Lincoln, and replaced an earlier alms house dating back to 1701. The workhouse at Brigg is one of the best known and best documented of its type, probably because of the national interest that arose after [[Percy Grainger]] collected traditional songs from the inmates. An infirmary was later built attached to the workhouse, and this portion remained open as a hospital until 1991.<ref name="autogenerated1991"/>

==Governance==
[[File:The Old Town Hall, Brigg - geograph.org.uk - 1772199.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The [[Buttercross, Brigg]]]]
Brigg lies within the [[unitary authority]] of [[North Lincolnshire]], the majority of the town being within the Brigg and Wolds electoral ward, and represented by three councillors. The town also has a [[Civil parishes in England|civil parish]] governed by Brigg Town Council. The council has nineteen members, serving four year terms.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.briggmarkettown.co.uk/brigg-town-council/councillors/|title=Brigg Town Council: Councillors and Staff}}</ref> However, part of the town's urban area lies in Scawby Brook, which is split between the civil parishes of Scawby and Broughton. The area is likewise split between Ridge ward and Broughton & Appleby wards within North Lincolnshire Council. There is no joint body that covers Brigg and Scawby Brook.

Historically, the town was part of the county of [[Lincolnshire]], and remains part of the [[Ceremonial counties of England|ceremonial county]] today. Within Lincolnshire, the town was mostly in the [[Hundred (country subdivision)#wapentake|wapentake]] of Yarborough in the [[North Riding of Lindsey]]. Local government in the town began with the establishment of a local government board in 1864, which was replaced with an urban district in 1894.<ref name="Dodd1974">{{cite book|last=Dodd|first=Edward|title=Brigg 1973|year=1974|publisher=John Corah & Son, Loughborough}}</ref> On the creation of [[Humberside]] in 1974, the town's urban district was merged with the surrounding rural district to create [[Glanford]] borough,<ref name="Dodd1974" /> named after the town which was at its centre. The dissolution of Humberside in 1996 saw the town transferred to [[North Lincolnshire]].

Brigg is part of the [[Brigg and Immingham (UK Parliament constituency)|Brigg and Immingham]] parliamentary constituency, and is represented by [[Martin Vickers]] of the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]].<ref>{{cite web| url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/3957/career |title=Parliamentary career for Martin Vickers - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:River Ancholme, Brigg.jpeg|thumb|left|The Old River Ancholme in Brigg]]
{{climate chart
| Brigg
|1|6|48
|1|6|38
|2|9|48
|4|11|48
|7|15|51
|10|18|53
|11|20|53
|11|20|64
|10|18|48
|7|14|48
|3|9|56
|1|7|53
|float=right
|source=[http://www.intellicast.com/Local/History.aspx?unit=C&location=UKXX0749 Intellicast]
}}Brigg is roughly {{convert|230|km|mi|order=flip}} directly north of [[London]]. The nearest big towns are [[Lincoln, England|Lincoln]] {{convert|35|km|mi|order=flip}} to the south, [[Scunthorpe]] {{convert|11|km|mi|order=flip}} to the west, [[Grimsby]] {{convert|27|km|mi|order=flip}} to the east, and [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]] {{convert|23.5|km|mi|order=flip}} to the north. The local area is broadly the south bank of the [[Humber]] estuary.

The town itself sits on a gravel spur of the [[Lincolnshire Wolds]] that juts out into the valley of the Ancholme—a tributary of the Humber—which historically provided a narrow crossing point of the river and its flood plain.<ref>{{cite book|last=Leahy|first=Kevin|title=The Anglo–Saxon Kingdom of Lindsey|year=2010|publisher=History Press|edition=2nd}}</ref>  The Wolds proper rise to the east, reaching a maximum of roughly {{convert|100|m|ft|order=flip}} about {{convert|5|km|mi|order=flip}} from the town, although with a lower pass at the Kirmington Gap. To the west the land gently slopes up to roughly {{convert|70|m|ft|order=flip}} on the Lincolnshire Edge about {{convert|5|km|mi|order=flip}} away.

Between these low ranges of hills the Ancholme river runs south to north through its flat, low&ndash;lying flood plain, with a north&ndash;south height difference of only a few metres. The town sits on alluvial soils of the Ancholme, and the area surrounding the town was previously a semi&ndash;flooded marsh known as [[carr (topography)|carrs]]. A series of drainage improvements from the 1630s to the 1820s transformed the whole of the valley into arable land. The largest of the drainage channels is also a [[canal]] known as the New River Ancholme. The original course of the river has been obliterated in places by the drainage works, but its discontinuous surviving length is known as the Old River Ancholme.

The town itself lies mostly on the east bank of the old river, with a small amount to the west. A portion of the west bank is cut off from the rest by the new river, forming an island&ndash;like piece of land known as Island Carr. Due to nearness of the river, the town regularly suffers minor flooding, and concerns over flood plain development are a major issue in local planning.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thisisscunthorpe.co.uk/163-60-000-scheme-cut-flood-risk-gets-way/story-11177823-detail/story.html|title=This is Scunthorpe: £60,000 scheme to cut flood risk in Brigg gets under way|url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930095142/http://www.thisisscunthorpe.co.uk/163-60-000-scheme-cut-flood-risk-gets-way/story-11177823-detail/story.html|archive-date=30 September 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The only other watercourse of reasonable size is Candley Beck, which runs through the very southern parts of the town. There are also about half a dozen clayponds along the riverside in Brigg where clay was formerly extracted for brick&ndash;making.

===Townscape===
[[File:The Exchange, Bigby Street, Brigg - geograph.org.uk - 359267.jpg|thumb|The Exchange in Bigby Street. The town's only Grade II* listed building.]]
The old town is centred on the [[marketplace]] and the adjoining streets of Bridge Street, Wrawby Street, and Bigby Street. The marketplace and Wrawby Street, where much of the town's retail is located, were pedestrianized in the early 1990s. A significant number of buildings in the town centre date to the late 1700s or early 1800s and are [[listed building|listed]], with the old town as a whole designated a Conservation Area.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.northlincs.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/0B80F20E-C360-442F-9F7F-A7B908CB70B2/48232/BRIGGDIRECTIONSEALEDCOPY.pdf|archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20111015122403/http%3A//www.northlincs.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/0B80F20E%2DC360%2D442F%2D9F7F%2DA7B908CB70B2/48232/BRIGGDIRECTIONSEALEDCOPY.pdf|url-status = dead|archive-date=15 October 2011|title=North Lincolnshire Council (Brigg) Conservation Area Direction 2011 (pdf)}}</ref> The marketplace is dominated by the [[Buttercross]] and [https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/951485 the Angel], a former [[coaching inn]] with an early [[Tudor Revival architecture|mock Tudor]] façade, which is now home to Brigg Town Council and various North Lincolnshire Council services. Another former coaching inn, the Exchange, stands in Bigby Street, opposite the former manor house of the [[Gervase Elwes|Elwes family]]. The [[Anglican]] church of Saint John the Evangelist, built in 1843, also lies on Bigby Street. Its style is of the [[Gothic Revival architecture]] popular at the time, but [[Nikolaus Pevsner|Pevsner]] notes the curious construction where the stone has first been carved into the shape of [[brick]]s before being laid in courses.<ref>{{cite book|last=Pevsner|first=Nikolaus|title=Lincolnshire|year=1989|publisher=Penguin|edition=2nd}}</ref>

Much of the town's poorer housing formerly lay in a series of narrow yards that ran northward from the marketplace and Wrawby Street.<ref name="Lyons1983">{{cite book|last=Lyons|first=Nick|title=The Courts and Yards of Brigg|year=1983|publisher=Scunthorpe Museum Society}}</ref> The yards were considered unsanitary [[slum]]s by the late 1800s, but the housing was not finally vacated and demolished until the 1950s.<ref name="Lyons1983" /> However, the yards themselves remain in use, with the larger ones repurposed for retail and services, and the smaller for [[alley|public passageways]].

The [[A18 road (England)|A18]] bisects the town, running just north of the town centre. To the north and east of this road, housing development throughout the 1900s expanded the town significantly in size. To the west beyond the New River Ancholme, the town's urban area continues into the neighbouring hamlet of Scawby Brook. The settlement is substantially bounded by the [[M180 motorway]] to the north and the Grimsby branch of the [[Sheffield to Lincoln Line|Sheffield to Lincoln railway line]] to the south.

==Economy==
[[File:Crowds in Wrawby Street, Brigg.jpg|thumb|right|Wrawby Street, the main retail area]]
The economy of Brigg is substantially [[retail]] and [[service (economics)|service]] based, according with its traditional position of a [[market town]], and acts as a service centre for the surrounding rural area. The main shopping street is Wrawby Street, although retail is present throughout much of the old town. Many of the businesses are independent, retaining the character of the traditional [[High Street|high street]], although some chain retailers, namely [[Tesco]], [[Lidl]], [[Poundland]] and [[Boyes (retailer)|Boyes]] have large stores in the town. A general market is held on Thursdays and Saturdays, and a [[farmers' market]] is also held on the fourth Saturday of each month, selling local produce from pork and organic vegetables to ostrich meat, and locally produced condiments.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visitlincolnshire.com/site/things-to-do/brigg-farmers-market-p16331|title=Visit Lincolnshire: Brigg Farmer's Market}}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Artisan breads baked in a nearby mill using traditional French bread making techniques are also available as is local cheese including the very tasty Lincolnshire Poacher vintage.

Light industry is present on the Island Carr and Atherton Way industrial estates. A 260 MW gas–fired [[Glanford Brigg Power Station|power station]], owned by [[Centrica]], sits to the south–west of the town.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.centrica.com/index.asp?pageid=924|title=Centrica: Gas fired power stations|url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406052955/http://www.centrica.com/index.asp?pageid=924|archive-date=6 April 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref> A second, 40 MW straw–fired, power station has been approved for construction alongside.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eco2uk.com/en/our_projects/project_detail.asp?project_id=11|title=Eco2: Brigg Renewable Energy Plant|access-date=21 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928153420/http://www.eco2uk.com/en/our_projects/project_detail.asp?project_id=11|archive-date=28 September 2015|url-status = dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> A significant number of residents [[commuting|commute]] to work in nearby [[Scunthorpe]] and [[Grimsby]], although the town is not characterized as a [[commuter town|dormitory town]].

Past industries were more strongly connected to the rural economy, such as a beet sugar factory in Scawby Brook, a livestock market, and Spring's jam factory; the latter being a nationally known brand. A [[corn exchange]] was built in the town in the 1800s, and the local corn prices were quoted nationally. Scawby Brook was also home to Bratleys roller flour mill, which was demolished in the 1940s although several of the old houses built for the mill owners in the 1830s remain, formerly known as mill place, now numbers 83-91 Scawby Road. The town was home to the [[Falcon Cycles]] factory for much of its independent existence, the company having moved to Brigg from nearby [[Barton-upon-Humber]] in the early 1900s.

Other small independent businesses exist, including several accounts and a stationers. These generally operate out of private residences. Brigg is also the home of Piper's Crisps.<ref>https://www.pepsico.co.uk/our-stories/story/we-re-investing-8-million-in-our-brigg-factory-to-meet-growing-demand-for-pipers-crisps {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2025}}</ref>

==Culture and community==
Culture in Brigg is mostly small–scale and self–organized, although there are a few larger events. Currently, there are three yearly general fairs: the Summer Fest in June, the Horse Fair in August (''see below''), and a Christmas Fair at the end of November. More specialized events include the North Lincolnshire Music and Drama Festival in March, a [[beer festival]] in May, and the Briggstock Acoustic Music Festival in early September. Brigg Live Arts also hold a two–yearly cultural festival and art exhibition in the town.

[[File:The Sign of the Nelthorpe Arms - geograph.org.uk - 776680.jpg|thumb|right|The Sign of the Nelthorpe Arms, Bridge Street]]Public facilities in the town include two health centres, a library, heritage centre, three children's playgrounds, and a [[Sure Start]] centre. There is also a Tourist Information Centre in the marketplace.

===Sport and leisure===
Brigg is home to [[Brigg Town F.C.]], known locally as the Zebras for their black and white striped home kit. The team has won the [[FA Vase]] twice&mdash;once in 1996 and again in 2003.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/FACompetitions/TheFAVase/TheFAVaseWinners|title=The FA.com: The FA Vase Finals 1975&ndash;present}}</ref>  They are members of the {{English football updater|BriggTow}}

The Ancholme Rowing Club, founded in 1868,<ref>{{cite book|last=Henthorn|first=Frank|title=History of the Ancholme Rowing Club 1868-1976|year=1980|publisher=Humberside County Council: Libraries and Amenities}}</ref> is based in Manley Gardens. It holds an Annual Head Race every October, attracting crews from across the eastern Midlands and Northern England.

Lincsquad hold two triathlons and a quadrathlon in and around the town every year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lincsquad.co.uk/|title=LINCSQUAD–Lincolnshire Quadrathlon Club}}</ref>

Ancholme Leisure Centre is on [[Scawby]] Road ([[A18 road (England)|A18]]) in Scawby Brook, to the west of the town.<ref>[http://www.northlincs.gov.uk/NorthLincs/Leisure/leisurecentres/AncholmeLC/ Ancholme Leisure Centre] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080220222343/http://www.northlincs.gov.uk/NorthLincs/Leisure/leisurecentres/AncholmeLC/ |date=20 February 2008 }}</ref> Its facilities include swimming pools, a sports hall, a gym and a [[skatepark]]. The Recreation Ground on Wrawby Road provides an area for field sports.

===Horse Fair===
The town hosts a yearly [[horse fair]] on the first Saturday of August. Large numbers of [[Romani people|Romani]] and [[Irish Travellers]] come from across England to attend the event. The fair is partly an opportunity to buy and sell horses, but also presents a significant opportunity for community socializing. For several decades local volunteers organized the official fair and promoted it as a [[tourism|tourist]] event, but in recent years it has been left unorganized and unofficial.

The fair has been claimed to be the second largest horse fair in England, after [[Appleby Horse Fair]]. It is also the surviving continuation of the medieval fair which was in existence at least as early as 1205, meaning it is now over 800 years old. The difference in date&mdash;from 25 July to early August&mdash;is a result of the eleven days 'skipped' upon the [[Gregorian calendar#Adoption by country|adoption of the Gregorian calendar]] in 1752. The fair is also the subject of a well&ndash;known folk song [[Brigg Fair]], ''see below''.

===Folk Song===
{{further|Brigg Fair|Lincolnshire Posy}}
Brigg is the source of several early recordings of English folk song, which subsequently inspired other composers. At competitions arranged by [[Gervase Elwes]] in 1905–06, several folk singers from the surrounding area&mdash;including [[Joseph Taylor (folk singer)|Joseph Taylor]] and George Gouldthorpe&mdash;sang for the composer [[Percy Grainger]] songs such as ''[[Brigg Fair]]'' and ''Lisbon''. He also collected ''[[Lincolnshire Posy#Horkstow Grange|Horkstow Grange]]'' at nearby Redbourne.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.percygrainger.org/prognot6.htm|title=Thomas Lewis "A Source Guide to the Music of Percy Grainger|access-date=3 August 2011|archive-date=27 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727172106/http://www.percygrainger.org/prognot6.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> These songs inspired Grainger's work ''Lincolnshire Posy'' and subsequently [[Frederick Delius|Frederick Delius's]] own ''Brigg Fair''.

===Media===
Local news and television programmes are provided by [[BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire]] and [[ITV Yorkshire]]. Television signals are received from the [[Belmont transmitting station|Belmont]] TV transmitter.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Belmont|title=Belmont (Lincolnshire, England) Full Freeview transmitter|date=1 May 2004|website=UK Free TV|accessdate=24 October 2023}}</ref> 

Local radio stations are [[BBC Radio Humberside]] on 95.9&nbsp;FM, [[Hits Radio East Yorkshire & North Lincolnshire]] on 96.9&nbsp;FM, [[Greatest Hits Radio Yorkshire|Greatest Hits Radio Lincolnshire]] on 97.6&nbsp;FM, and Steel&nbsp;FM, a community based online radio station which broadcast from its studio in [[Scunthorpe]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://steelfm.org/|title=Steel FM|accessdate=24 October 2023}}</ref>

The town is served by the local newspaper, ''[[Grimsby Telegraph]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britishpapers.co.uk/england-emids/grimsby-telegraph/|title=Scunthorpe Telegraph|date=17 October 2013|website=British Papers|accessdate=24 October 2023}}</ref>

==Transport==
The main transport to and from Brigg is by road. The [[A18 road (Great Britain)|A18]] passes east–west through the town, connecting into the national road network, with the A1084 ([[Bigby, Lincolnshire|Bigby]] Road) heading south–east to [[Caistor]]. The [[M180 motorway|M180]] bypasses the town carrying longer distance traffic, including the [[A15 road (England)|A15]] between Lincoln and Hull. A few bus services operate in the town, most of which travel to Scunthorpe and stop in intermediate villages. On Thursdays a bus service travels solely within the town, carrying passengers to and from the weekly market.

[[Brigg railway station]]<ref>{{PastScape|mnumber=498215|mname=Brigg Station|access-date=22 March 2010}}</ref> is on the Grimsby branch of the [[Sheffield to Lincoln Line]]. The passenger service is limited, with only one train per day in each direction, on weekdays only. However, the line is still used regularly for freight transport. There is a [[level crossing]] over the [https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/148054 A1084].

[[Humberside International Airport]], near the village of [[Kirmington]], is about 5 miles away. There are daily flights to Amsterdam.

The Ancholme river, although once extensively used for transport,<ref name="Henthorn1987" /> is now mostly used for leisure. There is no significant transport of either passengers or freight on the river.

==Education==
Primary education in Brigg is provided by Brigg County Primary School<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brigg-pri.n-lincs.sch.uk|title=Brigg County Primary School}}</ref> and St Mary's Catholic Primary Voluntary Academy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.st-marys.n-lincs.sch.uk/|title=St Mary's Catholic Primary School|access-date=7 April 2008|archive-date=14 April 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080414201556/http://www.st-marys.n-lincs.sch.uk/|url-status=dead}}</ref> There was also previously a private preparatory school, which closed in 2009 and was replaced by Demeter House Special School.

Secondary education in Brigg also covers the surrounding villages and is provided by two comprehensive schools: [[The Vale Academy]], formerly the Vale of Ancholme School, and the [[Sir John Nelthorpe School]], a former [[Grammar schools in the United Kingdom|grammar school]], which has been a comprehensive since 1976. These two schools also collaborate to provide [[further education]] for post&ndash;16 pupils, although some attend colleges in nearby [[Scunthorpe]]. Students of Sir John Nelthorpe School call themselves ''Briggensians'', after the town, and maintain a former students' association.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.briggensians.net/index.html|title=Briggensians.net}}</ref>

==Notable residents==
<!---♦♦♦ Only add a person to this list if they already have their OWN article on the English Wikipedia ♦♦♦--->
<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order by LAST NAME ♦♦♦--->
* [[Thomas Ball (New Zealand politician)|Thomas Ball]], member of the [[4th New Zealand Parliament|Parliament of New Zealand from 1866 to 1870]], was born in Brigg in 1809. The son of a bookseller, Ball practised as a pharmacist in the town until 1859, when he led a party of 137 local people to settle in [[New Zealand]].<ref name="Henthorn1987" /> Most of the party settled near [[Taipa-Mangonui|Mangonui]] on the [[North Auckland Peninsula]] of the [[North Island]].
* [[Gervase Elwes]], concert and oratorio singer, had a family home at Brigg Manor in Bigby Street, where he would sometimes reside. North Lincolnshire Music and Drama Festival was founded by Elwes and his wife Winifrede in 1900. They twice hosted their friend [[Percy Grainger]], who collected a number of early folksongs at the festival.
* [[Mat Dickie]], independent video game developer, was born and raised in Brigg.
* [[Richard Enraght|Revd Richard Enraght]], who later became known as a religious controversialist, served as curate for St John's Church in Brigg from 1866 to 1867.
* [[Malcolm Flemyng]], a Scottish physiologist, practised medicine in the town in the 1750s. While resident, Flemyng published his ''Introduction to Physiology'' and conducted research into amniotic fluid and obesity.
* [[Joseph Kitchen]] English Footballer, who played as a striker for the FA cup winning [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]] team in 1939 resided at The Gables, 91 Scawby Road and later owned the Wheatsheaf pub in Barton upon Humber.
* [[John Osborne (writer)|John Osborne]], writer and creator of Sky 1 show ''[[After Hours (2015 British TV series)|After Hours]]'', as well as several storytelling shows for BBC Radio 4 grew up in Brigg, attending Sir John Nelthorpe school from 1993 to 1998 and Brigg Sixth Form (1998-2000).
* [[Joan Plowright]], actress and wife of [[Laurence Olivier]], was born on Central Square in 1929. Her brother [[David Plowright|David]], a television executive, was born a year later. Their father William was a local journalist and newspaper editor. The Plowright Theatre in nearby [[Scunthorpe]] is named after her.
* [[Matt Sparrow|Matthew Sparrow]], footballer, playing for [[Scunthorpe United F.C.|Scunthorpe United]] and Brighton and Hove Albion grew up in Brigg, where he played football for Sir John Nelthorpe school from 1993 to 1998. He carried on living in Brigg while playing for Scunthorpe United.
* [[David Yelland (journalist)|David Yelland]], journalist and editor of ''The Sun'' from 1998 to 2003, was a student at Sir John Nelthorpe School from 1976 to 1981.

==References==
{{Reflist|3}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Brigg}}
* [http://www.briggheritage.org/ Brigg Heritage Centre - Visitor Attraction]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070404084814/http://briggmarkettown.co.uk/history.html Brigg Town History]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170912055946/http://thisisbrigg.co.uk/ This is Brigg - a website of the Scunthorpe Telegraph]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110605222403/http://www.workhouses.org.uk/index.html?GlanfordBrigg%2FGlanfordBrigg.shtml Description of the workhouse history]
* [http://briggbash.org.uk/ Brigg Amateur Social Historians (BASH)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100307135204/http://www.briggbash.org.uk/ |date=7 March 2010 }}

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[[Category:Brigg| ]]
[[Category:Market towns in Lincolnshire]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in Lincolnshire]]
[[Category:Towns in Lincolnshire]]
[[Category:Borough of North Lincolnshire]]