Bridlington Priory, founded in 1113 as an Augustinian monastery, is now an Anglican parish church and has a large enclosed churchyard. This includes old graves and headstones and other areas for new burials. As part of the Yorkshire Wildlife Living Churchyard Project, about 12 years ago other areas were set aside for wildflower meadow, trees and bushes, log pile and rough grass. The wildflower area has cowslips in the spring and then ox-eye daisy, red clover, knapweed, yellow rattle, red campion and others as the year progresses. This is all cut down and raked away in autumn.

There are also bird and bat boxes and an owl box. Five native deciduous saplings have been planted as part of the late Queen’s Commonwealth canopy. Two benches provide for rest and quiet reflection and near to the wildflowers is a prayer labyrinth full of bees and lavender in summer.

Another interesting feature in the churchyard is the monument to the Great Gale of Bridlington Bay of 1871. Many lives were sadly lost including those of heroic lifeboat men. An interpretation board gives more details of the tragedy and this area is full of snowdrops in February. The artwork on these boards is by local artist and sculptor Stephen Carvill whose work can also be seen in church in his stone carving of St John of Bridlington and in the churchyard with his Lamb of God tree carving, situated by the entrance gate, and St John Stone between the hay meadow and the wooded area. Stephen’s stunning and highly acclaimed bronze, ‘Gansey Girl’, looks out to sea from the harbour reflecting Bridlington’s  fishing heritage.

In 2022 Bridlington Priory Churchyard was awarded Highly Commended in a CPRE Best Churchyard competition.