Bridlington Priory
Bridlington, Yorkshire
In the days of its medieval glory, Bridlington Priory was one of the great monastic houses of England.
It is the magnificent rood screen and loft, one of only two in Yorkshire, and dating from the 15th and 16th centuries that make this church outstanding.
The screen is carved with delicate tracery, and the substantial rood loft over it has 15 canopied niches for statues. The statues are gone now, but the wood retains some applied colouring and has a lovely burnished glow.
To the left of the altar is the curious tomb of Sir Marmaduke Constable (d1530), who was commended for bravery by Henry VIII. On the tomb is a fragment of a carved skeleton with a lump on the chest. According to legend, this represents a toad Sir Marmaduke accidentally swallowed, which ate at his heart till he died. Another historic curiosity relates to the local custom of having a young girl lead the funeral procession of a maiden while wearing white paper gloves. A framed pair in the vestry were worn in 1761 at the funeral of a Miss Major.
And to top it all, because St Oswald is the patron saint of fishermen, the weathervane on the tower is of a fish!