The Cinque Port Liberty of Brightlingsea

28/08/2026

Arrived at Sandwich for Confirmation Day of our Deputy of the Cinque Port Liberty of Brightlingsea, Tony Linton.
Bump into this lot !

21/07/2026

On Friday 17th July 26, The Deputy & Lady Deputy of the Cinque Port Liberty of Brightlingsea ( Tony & Julie Linton ) along with the Chairman of the Blessing of the Waters ( Roger and Liz Tabor ), were invited to the Essex County Council Chairman’s Annual Reception, held at Mark’s Hall, nr Coggeshall.
A lovely event they had the privilege to attend.

21/07/2026

As part of Brightlingsea Regatta, members of The Cinque Port Liberty of Brightlingsea manned the Wreck House at Waterside on Saturday and Sunday 18/19th July 26.
The Cinque Port Wreck House is a Grade II listed maritime building on the Brightlingsea Waterside. Dating from the mid-18th century, it stands on the site later occupied by the James & Stone Shipyard and represents one of the oldest surviving examples of a purpose-built wreck and salvage house on the Essex coast.
The Wreck House served as a local receiving depot and store for salvaged maritime goods recovered from wrecks along the Essex coast and in the River Colne estuary. Under English Admiralty law, coastal Cinque Ports maintained designated “wreck houses” for safe keeping of recovered cargoes until they could be claimed or auctioned. The Brightlingsea building’s proximity to the quay and boatyards made it a central feature of the port’s administration and commercial life.

21/07/2026

The Cinque Port of Brightlingsea had another brilliant Blessing of the Waters on Sunday 14th June 2026. It is an historic & hugely enjoyable custom!

At 10.45am the C17 Brewers Arms kindly opened up as the Reception for the event as mayors & other dignitaries began to arrive, welcomed by the Cinque Port Deputy’s red robed Assistants & Black robed officers, & the Cinque Port Deputy & Lady Deputy Tony & Julie Linton, Town Mayor & Mayoress Cllr Ric & Gilly Morgan. At 11.25am the Town Crier called for silence for the Cinque Port Deputy, who stated we were honoured to have present the new Seneschal & Registrar of the Cinque Ports Ian Potter, acting in the stead of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. The Seneschal then instructed Brightlingsea’s Droit-gatherer Roger Tabor to swear according to the Historic Oath for Brightlingsea’s Droit-gatherer. He did in accord with his Warrant from the Lord Warden.

At 11.30am on the steps of St James Church the Town Crier rang his bell & called on the Procession to assemble, declaring Brightlingsea’s Blessing of the Waters to be “an ancient tradition of Beating the Bounds on land & water”.

The Procession of over 80 people was appropriately led by the Colchester Waits with the Churchwarden, the Waits in Medieval dress play medieval instruments & were traditional accompanists to civic processions. The dignitaries included the Bishop of Colchester, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Essex, the High Sheriff of Essex, Chairs of ECC & TDC, the Speaker of the Cinque Ports the Mayor of Winchelsea, Cinque Port Mayors of, our Head Port of Sandwich, Hythe, Rye, Margate, Faversham & Fordwich, the coastal Essex Mayoral group included the Mayor of the City of Colchester, Mayors of Harwich, Maldon, Wivenhoe & West Mersea, plus other councillors.

As the Procession entered the Harbour precincts at the Brightlingsea’s Cinque Port Wreck-house it was met by the Chair of Harbour Commissioners Andrew Scott & the Droit-gatherer, who escorted it onto the Hard. Brightlingsea Vicar Rev Caroline Beckett led the service. The Bishop Blessed the Water first in a brass bowl, then used that water to bless the boats on the Hard, including the line of Gigs along the Jetty. The dignitaries & others made their way onto the official boats, which this year 2026 were Smacks Pioneer CK18, Maria CK21, ADC CK431, Priscilla CK437 plus other boats including Barge Sietske, Trinity, Harbour boat, launch Kerry Ann, Yacht’s Capella, Colne Clipper & Dream Machine and 2 RHIBs. The flotilla was accompanied by numerous other craft, including Gigs, Essex Marine Police RHIB, yachts, cruisers, dinghies.

They left the Hard to the sound of the “Din”. The flotilla went along Brightlingsea Creek then gathered around Pioneer when she hove to off the creek’s mouth near Bateman’s Tower. The Bishop laid the Willow Cross on the water, then the Deputy made his “Challenge” which was followed by the toast of “Gang-ho”. In 1542 the then Cinque Port Deputy left provision in his will for the “drynkyng” at Brightlingsea’s Beating of the Bounds.
(Copied from blessingofthewaters.co.uk)
( A few more photos added courtesy of
Robert Cole Photography )

13/06/2026

Don't forget, tomorrow, Sunday 14th June 26 is Blessing of the Waters !!!
Join us in the ancient ceremony of beating of the boundaries of the Cinque Port Liberty of Brightlingsea – the Blessing and Reclaiming of the Waters
After an address by the Town Crier in the town centre, a colourful robed procession heads for the town hard, where the Blessing of the Waters takes place aboard historic fishing smacks moored at the Town Jetty.
This historic event lapsed in the 1950s but was revived in 2014 by the Cinque Port Deputy. In 2026 it is on Sunday 14th June.
Proclaiming the event
The Town Crier rings his bell on St James' church steps in the High Street and proclaims the event.
Then Brightlingsea's Cinque Port Deputy's civic procession of robed mayors from Essex and the Cinque Ports in Kent, clergy and others follow the Musicians through the town to the Town Hard.
Sunday 14th June 2026 timetable :
Shanties by the Motley Crew at the Hard from 11.30
Town Crier address at St James Church – 11.30
Procession sets off – 11.45
Procession arrives at the Hard – @11.55
Address, Service & Blessing of Boats – 12.00
Smacks set off from Town Jetty – 1.00
Smacks arrive back – 2.00

The Blessing of the Waters
The first part of the Service of Blessing takes place at the top of the Hard – its historic location. Then the Procession moves on to the end of the Town Jetty so that the traditional oyster smacks, boats and the waters of Brightlingsea Creek can be blessed by the clergy. The creek, the boats (and crews!) are generously sprinkled with blessed waters.
The Blessing has often been led by the Bishop of Colchester.
The Reclaiming of the Waters
Long ago Colchester tried to claim the Creek, but Brightlingsea’s oystermen supported by the Lord Wardens of the Cinque Ports & Lords of Brightlingsea manor, kept our Creek the only independent fishery off the Colne. For the last 200 years co-operation has prevailed.

The Reclaiming of the Waters features a parade of heritage wooden vessels along Brightlingsea Creek,
As the smacks and barges leave the jetty they do so to cheers, horns and noise – the traditional ‘din’!

The fleet then makes the short voyage to Bateman’s Tower at the mouth of the Creek where the Waters are Blessed.

A traditional toast is made in beer of “Gang- ho!”, as a group in procession for Beating of the Bounds was ‘a-going’.

In recent years the flotilla of traditional craft, all dressed with flags and bunting, have paraded along Brightlingsea Creek re-asserting Brightlingsea’s historic rights to its own waters. Other boats, including locally-built rowing gigs, follow behind.
For more info visit our website :

Join us for the ancient ceremony of beating of the boundaries of the Cinque Port Liberty of Brightlingsea, Essex – the Blessing of the Waters.

12/06/2026

On Saturday 6th June 26, The Deputy and Lady Deputy held our Summer Garden Party.
The weather wasn't that kind to us, but we managed to get set up with some extra Gazebos !
On Saturday, guests arrived, mainly in dry weather, but claimed a dry spot inside !
The bar was opened and the BBQs fired up (thanks Rob and Mark).
We were entertained by Sidetracked, and dancing took place.
Not sure of figures raised on the day yet, but it was well attended.
Thanks to Mark and Jilly Holland for allowing us to use their garden.
Some people had such a good time they had to be taken home by unusual methods !!

23/05/2026

04/05/2026

This weekend, a party from The Cinque Port Liberty of Brightlingsea, headed down to Sandwich to take part in the Sandwich 800 Years of Mayors Celebrations.
A small party headed down on Friday and in the evening attended the Lighting of the Beacon at 2100 hrs. The event was well attended and was preceded by a Medieval Music Group from the Medieval Centre.
The main event was on Saturday, with a Parade around Sandwich by Cinque Port Dignitaries (including Brightlingsea), Reenactors and Sandwich Volunteer Groups, nearly 400 people made up the Parade !!!!
First we met up with others that travelled down (14 in total) at St Clements Church, Mayors robed and we were welcomed by the Mayor of Sandwich, Emmet Csuka.
The Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, Sir, George Zambellas joined us.
At 1230hrs, we left the church and moved down to The Quay and at 1300 we paraded around the Town, with another welcome from Sir George and Mayor Csuka outside the Moot Hall.
We returned to St Clements Church and a small group were invited to a Reception with speeches at St Mary's Art Centre.
Sir George sat and had a chat and a warm invitation to visit Brightlingsea was made.
It was a wonderful event and we were blessed with lovely weather.
Steve H.