A Yorkshire Gansey Girl in Bridlington

In 2015 a statue was unveiled to acknowledge the long history of fishing and knitting in this Yorkshire town. Still a fishing town today, the residents of Bridlington in Yorkshire have a long tradition of earning a living from the sea.

What is a Gansey?

A Gansey is a traditional sweater or jumper hand knitted from wool. It is denseley knitted to provide protection from the extreme elements when the men were at sea fishing.

A Gansey is warm and protective against the elements and traditionally made in dark blue. The families of fishermen would knit the garment on land for the men to wear at sea.

Patterns for these intricate jumpers were passed down and memorised by knitters instead of writing down. The sweater was made in one piece and had no seams so its construction method made sure there were no room for draughts at all.

Cables and other knitted decoration can be incorporated into a Gansey to provide extra density to the garment. There are some lovely examples of intricately designed patterns. You can see more information here from a Gansey maker just up the road at Flamborough

What is Gansey Girl?

Gansey Girl was designed by Steve Carvill. She is made of bronze and was unveiled in 2015 in the town of Bridlington and she currently sits at the head of the harbour looking out to sea. She was created with the consultation of local fishing families in Bridlington and is a statue of a young lady knitting a Gansey for her husband.

You can see her at any time by walking down to the harbour. Enjoy an ice cream and a waffle and a traditional seaside day out. If you have a love of knitting, she is worth a visit as she is acknowledgment, celebration and recognition of knitters from years gone by.

You can find the statue here
North Pier Harbour, Bridlington YO15 2NS, England
She is close to the mooring for the Yorkshire Belle in the harbour.