From modern industrial centres to quiet market towns, Northern Lincolnshire has it all.
Here you’ll find everything the 21st Century lifestyle demands - and all of it within easy reach of some of England's most beautiful countryside.

For decades Grimsby was famous around the world for its fishing industry. From here vessels sailed to northern waters in what was the most dangerous job of all.



It was a multi-million pound business which provided food for the nation - and one which put the Great into Grimsby. For that's how this town is officially known - Great Grimsby being its Parliamentary constituency title.

A modern, thriving and fast expanding commercial centre, Grimsby's story goes back to the days when a Danish fisherman called Grim settled here. Today Grimsby is physically linked to the adjoining town of Cleethorpes, a lively resort which attracts tens of thousands of holiday makers each year.

Modern Grimsby retains its historic links with the deep sea fishing industry through its major food companies which produce some of the best known brands of fish products in the UK.

At its peak in the 1950s, Grimsby was the largest and busiest fishing port in the world. However as a result of the Cod Wars with Iceland this industry has been in decline for many years.

Despite this Grimsby is still home to the largest fish market in the UK, although most of what is sold is now brought overland from other ports or even overseas via containerisation.

In recent years the frozen food industry has become a large part of Grimsby's economy and new industries such as light engineering, chemicals and plastics have grown.

Grimsby held the record at one time for the having the largest cold store in the UK and it was in the town that the UK's first fish finger was produced in 1955.

As a regional shopping centre Grimsby has something for everyone. At its heart is Freshney Place, a modern mall with major High Street names among its 70 shops and stores.



The centre replaced many old buildings in the town centre and nearby streets reflect Grimsby's heritage in names such as Flottergate, Brewery Street and East St Mary's Gate.

Major expansion is now planned for the area through Henry Boot Properties who have plans for a £30-million shopping development adjacent to the existing Freshney Place site. The project will create 150,000 square feet of retail space and 290 car parking places. Included in the plans are 25 residential apartments.

Other developments in the town centre include a new Tesco Extra (the second in the area), the Victoria Mills Retail Park which is home to several chain stores including Next and a B&Q Depot. A second development is planned for Grimsby's West Marsh area, landowners P&O Estates having announced a retail and leisure project costing £35-million.

And a further, smaller, retail development is planned alongside the proposed new stadium for Grimsby Town FC at Great Coates, scheduled for completion in mid-2008.

Most towns have shopping facilities on their outskirts. The majority of Grimsby's are “in town” - and that makes them far easier to reach by pedestrians and users of public transport. Smaller independent, stores in the central area offer a wide range of specialised merchandise. Many are located in the central Abbeygate Centre.

Grimsby also has two markets, one next to Freshney Place and the other in Freeman Street.

It's a fact...

• Grimsby was founded by the Danes in the 9th Century AD


• The name Grimsby probably originated from the Grim’s by, or Grim’s Village


• Grimsby is listed in the Domesday Book, at that time having a population of around 200, a priest, a mill and a ferry. During the 12th century it developed into a fishing and trading port, at one point ranking twelfth in importance to the Crown in terms of tax revenue. The town was granted its charter by King John in 1201


• In the 1950s, Grimsby was the largest and busiest fishing port in the world. As a result of the Cod Wars with Iceland this industry has been in decline for many years. The port is still home to the largest fish market in the UK although most of what is sold is now brought overland from other ports or even overseas via containerisation


• Grimsby held the record at one time for the largest "cold store" in the UK and it was in Grimsby that the UK's first 'fish finger' food was produced in 1955


• The port partnership of Grimsby and Immingham is the largest port in the UK in terms of tonnage, with a total traffic of 57 million tonnes, 10 per cent of the total, in 2006

National Fishing Heritage Centre.

They were the unsung heroes of British industry, men who battled against the worst that nature could throw at them.

Over the decades thousands of men who manned Grimsby trawlers sailed down the Humber to northern waters never to return. So it is fitting that they and the men who did survive in what was officially acknowledged to be the most dangerous job of all are remembered through exhibits at the National Fishing Heritage Centre in Grimsby.

Opened in 1991, the Centre re-creates conditions and life within the fishing industry in the 1950s with dramatic displays. And visitors can, during the summer, tour a real trawler, the Ross Tiger, which is moored close to the centre.

The Centre is open November to March Monday to Friday 10 am to 4 pm Saturday & Sunday 11 am to 3 pm, April to October Monday to Friday 10 am to 5 pm Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays 10:30 am to 5:30

Entertainment

There's lots to do in Grimsby.

From lively pubs and night clubs to top class theatre it’s a town that offers something for everyone. The re-juvenated town centre has brought extensive redevelopment and new openings by major pub chains. Among these is a specially-built complex at the Riverhead.

The Grimsby Auditorium, which opened in 1995 presents regular shows by some of the country's best known performers.

*For more on local entertainment around Northern Lincolnshire click here to visit our PLAYING section

Our recommended links...

http://www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk

http://www.nelincs.gov.uk

http://www.grimsbyfishmarket.co.uk