Brightlingsea

Brightlingsea
Brightlingsea and harbour
Brightlingsea is located in Essex
Brightlingsea
Brightlingsea
Location within Essex
Population8,076 (2011 Census)[1]
OS grid referenceTM087168
Civil parish
  • Brightlingsea
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townCOLCHESTER
Postcode districtCO7
Dialling code01206
PoliceEssex
FireEssex
AmbulanceEast of England
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Essex
51°49′N 1°02′E / 51.81°N 1.03°E / 51.81; 1.03

Brightlingsea (/ˈbrtlɪŋsi/) is a coastal town and civil parish in the Tendring district of Essex, England. It is situated between Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea, at the mouth of the River Colne, on Brightlingsea Creek. At the 2011 Census, it had a population of 8,076.[1] The town is an active though small port.[2]

Its traditional industries included fishery (with a renowned oyster fishery) and shipbuilding. With the decline of these industries, the town is largely a dormitory town for Colchester.

Brightlingsea is a limb of Sandwich, one of the Cinque Ports. The town retains an active ceremonial connection with the Cinque Ports, electing a Deputy from a guild of Freemen.

Brightlingsea was for many years twinned with French oyster fishery port Marennes, Charente-Maritime, but the relationship fell into disuse. In the mid-1990s, the port of Brightlingsea was used for the export of live animals for slaughter, leading to a protest campaign dubbed The Battle of Brightlingsea.[3]

  1. ^ a b "Key Figures for 2011 Census: Brightlingsea". Office for National Statistics (Neighbourhood Statistics). Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  2. ^ "Home - Brightlingsea Harbour". www.brightlingseaharbour.org.
  3. ^ "The Battle of Brightlingsea". Archived from the original on 10 September 2016. Retrieved 30 January 2008.