Cleethorpes

Cleethorpes, town (1991 pop. 33,238), North East Lincolnshire, E central England, on the Humber River estuary. It is a popular resort, with many recreational facilities. The nearby Church of Old Clee was dedicated in 1192 by the bishop of Lincoln.

Cleethorpes is a town and unparished area in North East Lincolnshire, England, situated on the estuary of the River Humber.

History

Before joining into one town, Cleethorpes was made up of three small villages, or "thorpes": Itterby, Oole and Thrunscoe, which were part of a wider parish called Clee (not to be confused with Old Clee). The name "Cleethorpes" is thought to come from joining the words "clee", an old word for clay, and "thorpes", an Old English/Old Norse word for villages, and is of comparatively modern origin.

While there are neolithic and Bronze Age remains in the area, permanent oocupation appears to date from the 6th century, when Danish settlers arrived, with substantial communities only appearing in the 9th century.

Cleethorpes developed as a fishing village. By the time of the 1801 census the population was 284. The 1820s saw the first developments of Cleethorpes as a health holiday resort, with sea-bathing and the taking of medicinal waters becoming fashionable. By 1831 the population had increased to 497.

In 1842 the Cleethorpes Enclosure Bill was enacted. 2,050 acres of land were divided between land owners and eight new roads developed. In 1848 Cleethorpes was described as
"...much resorted to as a bathing-place, for which it is highly eligible; the air is pure, the scenery good, and besides a few lodging-houses and smaller inns, there is a large hotel, built some years since, on an eminence embracing extensive views of the sea, the Humber, and the Yorkshire coast. Many of the population are employed in the oyster-fisheries."

The resort expanded following the linking of the town by railway with the industrial towns of Yorkshire. Cleethorpes Pier opened in 1873, and the promenade in 1885. Cleethorpes with Thrunscoe was constituted a Local Board of Health District in 1873, and under the Local Government Act of 1894 it became an urban district.

In 1916 the urban district was renamed "Cleethorpes", and in 1922 and 1927 the town's boundaries were extended to include part of Humberston (as far as North Sea Lane) and the Beacon Hill area of Weelsby parish. In 1936 Cleethorpes was granted a charter of incorporation to become a municipal borough.

Absorption by Grimsby

Cleethorpes successfully resisted attempts by Grimsby to absorb it and in 1974 it became the Borough of Cleethorpes within the new county of Humberside. However when Humberside was abolished in 1996, Cleethorpes was merged with Grimsby as the unitary authority of North East Lincolnshire.

Governance

Since 1996 Cleethorpes has formed an unparished area in the unitary borough of North East Lincolnshire. Cleethorpes comprises three of the borough's fourteen wards: Croft Baker, Haverstoe and Sidney Susssex. Each ward returns three councillors, so that Cleethorpes is represented by nine of forty-two members of the council. As of 2008, three councillors each are members of the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties. Cleethorpes does not have its own town council, however the nine councillors form the Charter Trustees of the Town of Cleethorpes.

Geography

The Greenwich meridian passes through the town and a signpost shows some interesting distances in miles. North Pole 2,517 miles (4,051 kilometres), South Pole 9,919 mi (15,963 km), New York City 3,481 mi (5,602 km), London 143 mi (230 km).

Cleethorpes is a seaside resort and is physically linked to the neighbouring town of Grimsby (the main town boundary runs along the residential Park Street). Straddled between the two towns is the (former separate) village of Old Clee and Weelsby.

Colloquial name

Residents in older Cleethorpes are called Meggies but it seems very unclear where the name meggie comes from. Some say that the top of Isaac's Hill used to be called Meg's Island, while others say a "meggie was the cost of a tram fare from Grimsby to the resort. The term "Meggies" is used in Grimsby to refer to the town itself, as well as its inhabitants Cleethorpes can also be known as "down beach".

Landmarks

While commonly referred to as a seaside resort, Cleethorpes actually sits on the Humber estuary. The "sea" at Cleethorpes is actually the mouth of the Humber. This means that bathers are separated from the "sea" by several hundred yards of mud at low tide.

The sea front provides views of the shipping traffic entering and leaving the Humber for the ports of Grimsby, Immingham, Hull and Goole. The main shopping area is St Peter's Avenue (B1374).

Two large fortifications, the Humber Forts are visible in the mouth of the river. On a clear day, the lighthouse situated on Spurn Point can be seen with the naked eye from the North Beach.

There is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution station, which is near the pier and next to the Coastguard on Central Promenade. Cleethorpes Rescue also protect the beach.

Cleethorpes has a large boating lake featuring many varieties of ducks, swans and geese. To the south of the resort near Humberston is the Yacht Club.

Ross Castle, is a mock ruin of a castle built in 1863 by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway, and was named after Ernest Ross, secretary of the railway company. Its height was the highest point of the cliffs. Recently, an attempt was made to renovate the stonework.

In 2007 the town was the Royal Horticultural Societies Britain in Bloom award winner in the coastal category. The town was also received a Silver-Gilt award, a Tourism Award and Jeff Blanchard the Shredded Wheat Community Champions award.

Other visitor attractions

• Cleethorpes Pier
• Pleasure Island Family Theme Park
• Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway
• Discovery Centre
• The Jungle Zoo (formerly Jungle World)
• Meridian Point

Transport

Bus services to Grimsby, Immingham and nearby villages are operated by Stagecoach Grimsby-Cleethorpes. There are two evening journeys to Louth, provided by Stagecoach in Lincolnshire.

From Cleethorpes railway station, operated by First TransPennine Express, train services run, via Grimsby, to Barton-upon-Humber (for bus link to Hull), Manchester Airport (South TransPennine) and Newark-on-Trent. The station is also served by Northern Rail and East Midlands Trains.

It is at the termini of the A180, A16 and A46 roads.

Education

Cleethorpes includes the secondary schools The Lindsey School, and Matthew Humberstone School, which has been awarded specialist Business and Enterprise College status.

Religious sites

St Aidan's Church on Grimsby Road (A180) in the 1950s was administered by John Hurt's father. St Peter's Church is the parish church, built in 1866. There is also St Francis of Assisi near Pennells Garden Centre.

Sports

Interestingly, Cleethorpes is home to Blundell Park, the home ground of the football team, Grimsby Town F.C., one of few, but not the only, English League clubs with a town or city name to have their home ground in a different community. There is an athletics club and Cleethorpes Rugby Union Football Club, who play in the Midlands 6 East (NE).

Redevelopment

Cleethorpes recently has undergone significant development, with JD's Nightclub and the Lifeboat Hotel both being demolished in favour of flats overlooking the beach, and plans for more sites to be converted, including the Winter Gardens, a venue for a variety of events in the past and present. In 2007 a North East Lincolnshire Council's committee accepted proposals for the demolished Cleethorpes Winter Gardens to be replaced by 47 flats. This has resulted in some local opposition. A new multiplex cinema, Parkway Cinema, has recently been built in Cleethorpes, along with other attractions at the Meridian site.

Shopping facilities have also seen a boost in the Cleethorpes, with a large 2-floor Tesco Extra opening in 2007.

Politics

Cleethorpes is represented by the Parliamentary Constituency of Cleethorpes with the Member of Parliament for Cleethorpes being Shona McIsaac (Labour). The constituency also represents other towns in the region (including Immingham and Barton-upon-Humber).

Twin town

Cleethorpes is twinned with Königswinter, Germany.

Notable residents past and present

Kristian Adams, cricketer Bill Appleyard, football player H. Hugh Bancroft, organist and composer Stephen Bennett, golfer Nibbs Carter, bassist for heavy metal band Saxon John Cockerill, football player Peter Collinson, film producer and director Bob Cottam, cricketer Eorl Crabtree, rugby league player Michele Dotrice, actress Helen Fospero, television newsreader and journalist Vivean Gray, actress Chris Hargreaves, football player

Patricia Hodge, actress Vivian Hollowday, awarded the George Cross for the "amazing courage and initiative" Chris Holmes, keyboard player for Babe Ruth and Patto Gemma Merna, actress Kerry William Purcell, author on graphic design and visual culture Helen Roberts, singer and actress Paul Roberts, cricketer Carl Ross, fishery entrepreneur Rod Temperton, songwriter, record producer and musician Bridget Turner, actress Dick Witts, musicologist and ex leader of 1980s band The Passage Darren Wrack, football player Patrick Wymark, actor

See also

• Brigg and Cleethorpes (UK Parliament constituency)
• Orpheus Male Voice Choir, Grimsby & Cleethorpes
• Humber Coast & City Railway
• Yellowbelly (Lincolnshire)
• Compass FM

References

• Cleethorpes and the Meggies by Margaret Hart
• Cleethorpes - "The End of the Line" by Johnathon Prestwick