Mablethorpe

Mablethorpe is today known as a small seaside resort in East Lindsey on the coast of Lincolnshire, England. However, it has been in existence for many centuries although part of it was lost to the sea in the 1540s. For example records of the Fitzwilliam family of Mablethorpe Hall date back to the 1300s. In the nineteenth century it was also a centre for ship breaking during the winter.

Mablethorpe beach, near Seal Sanctuary

Attractions at the resort include a small fairground and the sandy beach. The town was much visited by Alfred Lord Tennyson in the 19th century and by D.H. Lawrence in the early 20th; Mablethorpe is mentioned by characters in his Sons and Lovers. In January 1953 the town was hit by the disastrous East Coast Floods. Unusually for a small town, a marathon was held there recently, which is intended to become an annual event.

Some consider Mablethorpe to be a charming place; it is not particularly commercialised, and has the feel of a 1960s resort. Its beach is long, wide and flat, with golden sand and separated from the town by a narrow strip of large sand-dunes. A sand train operates to take visitors to the north end of the beach, where there is a small animal sanctuary. So far Mablethorpe, apart from Haven Golden Sands, has remained immune from the large caravan parks that now dominate resorts such as Skegness and Ingoldmells,although some smaller ones do exist. The town is administered with Sutton-on-Sea, as Mablethorpe and Sutton.

In February 2006, Jamie Oliver filmed a new school meals programme for Channel 4 in the area, specifically Theddlethorpe and Saltfleetby. The Mablethorpe Tennyson High School is a secondary modern school for ages 11-16. The nearest grammar school is at Alford.

The local postal sorting office is at Mablethorpe, just off Wellington Road. The local newspaper is the Mablethorpe Leader. The cinema is the Loewen. There is a Co-op on Seacroft Road, opposite HSBC bank. There is also a Lidl further along the same Road.