Cleethorpes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cleethorpes | |
  Cleethorpes shown within Lincolnshire |
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| Population | 34,907 (2001 Census) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| Unitary authority | North East Lincolnshire |
| Ceremonial county | Lincolnshire |
| Region | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CLEETHORPES |
| Postcode district | DN35 |
| Dialling code | 01472 |
| Police | Humberside |
| Fire | Humberside |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| European Parliament | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| UK Parliament | Cleethorpes |
| List of places: UK • England • Lincolnshire | |
Cleethorpes is a town in North East Lincolnshire, England, situated on the estuary of the River Humber. It is administered as part of the unitary authority of North East Lincolnshire. Cleethorpes does not have its own town council within North East Lincolnshire, however it does have a board of Charter Trustees.
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). 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. 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"[1] 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[citation needed]
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[edit] 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 Norse word for villages.
In the 19th century Cleethorpes was a fishing village but after the construction of the railway between the industrial towns of Yorkshire and the coast it grew rapidly. It has been a popular day resort for many years. Recent years have seen the growth of large residential caravan parks.
Cleethorpes was constituted a Local Board of Health District in 1873, and under the Local Government Act of 1894 it became an urban district. During the 1920s 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 its status was raised to that of municipal borough. 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.
Cleethorpes can also be known as "down beach"
The Cleethorpes emblem is represented by the Thrunscoe Anole.
[edit] Places of interest
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 excellent views of the considerable shipping traffic entering and leaving the Humber for the ports of Grimsby, Immingham, Hull and Goole.
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.
Cleethorpes has a large boating lake featuring many varieties of ducks, swans and geese. Also boat rental facilities, nearby parking at £5 a day.
Ross Castle, a mock ruin of a castle built in 1863. Its height was the highest point of the cliffs. Recently, an attempt was made to renovate the stonework.
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).
In 1942, while the crew of the Docks Fire Station were out on a shout dealing with German incendiary devices, the fire station itself was bombed, ignited and subsequently burned to the ground.
[edit] Other visitor attractions
- Cleethorpes Pier
- Pleasure Island Family Theme Park
- Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway
- Discovery Centre
- The Jungle (formerly Jungle World)
- Meridian Point
[edit] Transportation
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 and Newark-on-Trent.
It is at the termini of the A180, A16 and A46 roads.
[edit] Education
Cleethorpes includes the secondary schools Lindsey School And Community Arts College, and Matthew Humberstone School, which has been awarded specialist Business and Enterprise College status.
[edit] 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[2] to be replaced by 47 flats. This has resulted in some local opposition. Cleethorpes has recently enjoyed the pleasure of a newly constructed multiplex cinema, Parkway Cinema, 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.
[edit] 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).
[edit] Twin town
Cleethorpes is twinned with Königswinter, Germany.
[edit] Notable residents past and present
- Peter Collinson, film producer and director
- Eorl Crabtree, rugby league player
- Michele Dotrice, actress
- Vivean Gray, actress
- Patricia Hodge, actress
- Gemma Merna, actress
- Rod Temperton, songwriter, record producer and musician
- Patrick Wymark, actor
[edit] References
- ^ Cassell's Dictionary of Slang indicates that a "meg" was originally a slang term for a Guinea (British coin) but was also used to refer to any coin. ISBN 978-0304351671
- ^ The Winter Gardens Cleethorpes
- Cleethorpes and the Meggies by Margaret Hart
- Cleethorpes - "The End of the Line" by Johnathon Prestwick
[edit] External links
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