Mablethorpe

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Mablethorpe
St. Mary's Parish Church, Mablethorpe - geograph.org.uk - 143686.jpg
Mablethorpe sandtrain - geograph.org.uk - 4099475.jpg
Mablethorpe High Street - geograph.org.uk - 3723723.jpg
Seats on ramp to beach from Mablethorpe town centre - geograph.org.uk - 3386601.jpg
Promenade, Mablethorpe - geograph.org.uk - 4377156.jpg
Mablethorpe on a January afternoon, aerial 2015 - geograph.org.uk - 4304729.jpg
Clockwise from top: St Mary's Church, Sandtrain on Mablethorpe Beach, High Street, Seats on ramp looking towards town centre, Promenade and aerial view of Mablethorpe
Lincolnshire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Mablethorpe
Location within Lincolnshire
Population12,531 (2011. with Sutton-on-Sea)
OS grid reference TF506850
•  London 130 mi (210 km)  SSW
Civil parish
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Areas of the town
List
Post town MABLETHORPE
Postcode district LN12
Dialling code 01507
Police Lincolnshire
Fire Lincolnshire
Ambulance East Midlands
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Lincolnshire
53°20′27″N0°15′40″E / 53.3409°N 0.261°E / 53.3409; 0.261

Mablethorpe is a seaside town in the civil parish of Mablethorpe and Sutton, in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. [1] In 1961 the civil parish had a population of 3,611. [2] On 1 April 1974 the parish was changed to form "Mablethorpe and Sutton". [3] The population including nearby Sutton-on-Sea was 12,531 at the 2011 census and estimated at 12,633 in 2019. [4]

Contents

The town was visited regularly by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, a 19th-century Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom. Some town features have been named after him, such as Tennyson Road and the now closed Tennyson High School.

History

Roman Empire

A hoard of Roman treasure was found in Mablethorpe in the 1980s, as were a Roman brooch and pottery. [5] [6]

Mablethorpe Hall

Mablethorpe has existed as a town for many centuries, gaining its market town charter in 1253. Coastal erosion means some of it was lost to the sea in the 1540s. Records of the Fitzwilliam family of Mablethorpe Hall date back to the 14th century. In the 19th century, it was a centre for ship breaking in the winter. Mablethorpe Hall is to the west of the town along Alford Road near the Church of St Mary. [7] The Mablethorpe church parish includes Trusthorpe.

Town lifeboats

Mablethorpe's first lifeboatstation was built in 1883. It was closed temporarily in 1917 due to crew shortages in the First World War but the closure was made permanaent in 1920. It reopened as an inshore lifeboat station in 1965. It operates two lifeboats, an Atlantic 85 and a smaller D-class. [8]

East Coast floods

In 1953, Mablethorpe was hit by the disastrous East Coast floods. The seawall was breached on 31 January. A granite rock memorial was unveiled on the coast on 31 January 2013 on the 60th anniversary of the disaster, in memory of the town's 42 victims. [9] [10]

In literature

One of Britain's most renowned historical poets, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, once frequented Mablethorpe. It is said that he used to shout his poetry aloud towards the sea. Alfred Tennyson..jpg
One of Britain's most renowned historical poets, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, once frequented Mablethorpe. It is said that he used to shout his poetry aloud towards the sea.

Mablethorpe is the destination for the fictional Morel family's first holiday in the still popular D. H. Lawrence novel, Sons and Lovers , published in 1913: "At last they got an answer from Mablethorpe, a cottage such as they wished for thirty shillings a week. There was immense jubilation. Paul was wild with joy for his mother's sake. She would have a real holiday now. He and she sat at evening picturing what it would be like. Annie came in, and Leonard, and Alice, and Kitty. There was wild rejoicing and anticipation. Paul told Miriam. She seemed to brood with joy over it. But the Morels' house rang with excitement."

Mablethorpe is the seaside setting for the Ted Lewis crime novel GBH, published in 1980. [11] The novel was his last and has been described as a "lost masterwork". [12]

Transport

Mablethorpe and much of east Lincolnshire lost its rail service in 1970 to the Beeching Axe, despite its long history. [13] The station site is now the town's sports centre.

Stagecoach operate an hourly service to Skegness, as well as a service to Louth and Lincoln. Grayscroft Coaches operates several services from a base in Victoria Road. Brylaine runs a service between Mablethorpe and Alford and Spilsby, usually every two hours. [14]

Lincolnshire County Council operates a demand-responsive CallConnect service linking remoter areas to connection points at Alford, Chapel St Leonards and Mablethorpe for mainline bus services. [15]

Geography

Mablethorpe, in the East Lindsey council district, is administered with Sutton-on-Sea and Trusthorpe as the civil parish of Mablethorpe and Sutton. The original parish of Mablethorpe covers a rectangular area inland along Alford Road towards Maltby le Marsh, as far as Grange Leisure Park, where Earl's Bridge crosses West Bank. [16] [17] [18] [19] The south of the former parish follows the Trusthorpe Drains, which are crossed at Bamber's Bridge on Mile Lane. [20] Out towards Alford lies Strubby Airfield, with the Strubby Aviation Club and Lincs Gliding Club. To the north is the large parish of Theddlethorpe St Helen, which extends to the River Great Eau at Saltfleetby. The town is the eastern terminus of the A52. The town is also accessed by the A1104 and A16 through Alford. The A157 heads west towards Louth and is said to be the "sixth bendiest A-road in the UK". [21]

Commerce

The town's one retail bank branch, Barclays, closed in July 2019. [22] There are four supermarkets – a Co-op (which also includes a branch of Boyes), Lidl and from October 2021 the very first Tesco opened its doors. 'Lord Bros' an independent supermarket on Victoria Road has been open since the early 1960s. Branches of some high street chains are present, but most shops in Mablethorpe are independently operated. Market days vary through the year: Monday (Summer),Thursday (year round).

The Time and Tide Bell Lincolnshire Time and Tide Bell (2) (geograph 6926857).jpg
The Time and Tide Bell

Leisure

Family attractions include a small fairground and an award-winning beach with traditional seaside amusement arcades and one of the largest family entertainment centers in England named The Mirage. One of Mablethorpe's long-standing features, its sand train, takes visitors to and from the northern end of the beach. [23] [24] Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary and Wildlife Centre is also north of the town.

A Time and Tide Bell installed on the beach near the Seal Sanctuary in 2019 is one of a series around the UK, rung by high tides. [25] [26]

Mablethorpe's cinema, the Loewen in Quebec Road, was previously known as the Bijou. The Dunes leisure complex lies on Mablethorpe's seafront. The seafront also gained a skatepark in 2008, which includes a small funbox, a spine and two quarter pipes.

Several small caravan parks and guest houses provide tourist accommodation.

Electric power

Just over a mile north-east of the town, near the Seal Sanctuary, was the now-closed Theddlethorpe Gas Terminal, which supplied 5 per cent of the UK's gas. To the west is the Bambers wind farm, housing eight turbines and producing five MW of power since November 2004. An extension called Bambers II opened in November 2006 and produces an additional five MW of power. [27] The two turbines of Mablethorpe wind farm, which produce 1.2 MW of power, were the first such in Lincolnshire when built in July 2002. All three wind farms are owned by Ecotricity and stand at the corner of West Bank and the Trusthorpe Drains. Mablethorpe's Star of the East is on the seafront.

Media

The local weekly newspapers are the Mablethorpe Leader and The Target. [28]

Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire and ITV Yorkshire. Television signals are received from the Belmont TV transmitter. [29]

Radio coverage for Lincolnshire is provided by BBC Radio Lincolnshire and Lincs FM. In October 2012, volunteers created a local community radio station, Coastal FM. [30]

Education

The community's primary school is Mablethorpe Primary Academy School. [31] The Mablethorpe site of Monks' Dyke Tennyson College closed in August 2016. [32]

Events

A decorated beach hut on Mablethorpe's seafront Beach hut on Sandilands foreshore - geograph.org.uk - 1401544.jpg
A decorated beach hut on Mablethorpe's seafront

Mablethorpe hosts a unique beach-hut festival each September. [33] Privately owned beach huts compete in outward design, amidst a backdrop of poetry, music, and drama. [34]

Mablethorpe has long hosted motorbike sand racing each winter and spring. This has inspired the Lincolnshire Bike Week, following the Mablethorpe and Sutton-on-Sea Bike Nights. [35]

Each summer Mablethorpe hosts an illuminations event (a "switch on"), for which a celebrity is invited. Those officiating have included Barbara Windsor, Timmy Mallett and Wolf and Hunter of Gladiators .

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincolnshire</span> County of England

Lincolnshire is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to the north, the North Sea to the east, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Rutland to the south, and Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire to the west. The county town is the city of Lincoln.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skegness</span> Town and civil parish in Lincolnshire, England

Skegness is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey District of Lincolnshire, England. On the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, the town is 43 miles (69 km) east of Lincoln and 22 miles (35 km) north-east of Boston. With a population of 21,128 as of 2021, it is the largest settlement in East Lindsey. It also incorporates Winthorpe and Seacroft, and forms a larger built-up area with the resorts of Ingoldmells and Chapel St Leonards to the north. The town is on the A52 and A158 roads, connecting it with Boston and the East Midlands, and Lincoln respectively. Skegness railway station is on the Nottingham to Skegness line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louth, Lincolnshire</span> Market town and civil parish in Lincolnshire, England

Louth is a market town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. Louth serves as an important town for a large rural area of eastern Lincolnshire. Visitor attractions include St James' Church, Hubbard's Hills, the market, many independent retailers and Lincolnshire's last remaining cattle market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alford, Lincolnshire</span> Town in East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England

Alford is a market town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England, at the foot of the Lincolnshire Wolds, which form an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The population was recorded as 3,459 in the 2011 Census and estimated at 3,830 in 2021. It lies between the towns of Mablethorpe, Louth, Spilsby, and Skegness and acts as a local retail centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Lindsey</span> Non-metropolitan district in England

East Lindsey is a local government district in Lincolnshire, England. Its council is based in Horncastle and the largest town is Skegness. Other towns include Alford, Burgh le Marsh, Coningsby, Louth, Mablethorpe, Spilsby, Sutton on Sea, Wainfleet All Saints, Wragby and Woodhall Spa. The district also covers a large rural area, including many smaller settlements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louth and Horncastle (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1997 onwards

Louth and Horncastle is a constituency in Lincolnshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Victoria Atkins, a Conservative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trusthorpe</span> Small coastal village in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England

Trusthorpe is a small coastal village in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is situated 2 miles (3.2 km) south from Mablethorpe and 12 miles (19 km) north from Skegness. It forms part of the parish of Mablethorpe and Sutton. About 1 mile (1.6 km) to the west is the hamlet of Thorpe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beesby with Saleby</span> Civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England

Beesby with Saleby is a civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It includes Beesby and Saleby. According to the 2001 Census it had a population of 228, increasing to 258 at the 2011 Census.

Mablethorpe and Sutton is a civil parish in East Lindsey, Lincolnshire, England. It is on the North Sea coast and includes Mablethorpe, Trusthorpe, Sutton-on-Sea and Sandilands along with the inland village of Thorpe. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 11,780, increasing to 12,531 at the 2011 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huttoft</span> Village in East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England

Huttoft is a village in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England, about 4 miles (6 km) east of the market town of Alford, on the A52 road between Ingoldmells and Sutton-on-Sea. John Betjeman, later England's Poet Laureate, visited Huttoft in the 1940s and devoted a poem to its parish church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincolnshire coast</span> Part of the English coastline

The coast of Lincolnshire runs for more than 50 miles (80 km) down the North Sea coast of eastern England, from the estuary of the Humber to the marshlands of the Wash, where it meets Norfolk. This stretch of coastline has long been associated with tourism, fishing and trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ingoldmells</span> Coastal village, civil parish and resort in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England

Ingoldmells is a coastal village, civil parish and resort in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is situated on the A52, and 3 miles (5 km) north from the resort town of Skegness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burgh le Marsh</span> Town in Lincolnshire, England

Burgh le Marsh is a town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sutton-on-Sea</span> Town in the East Lindsey district, Lincolnshire, England

Sutton-on-Sea is a seaside town in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England, beside a long sandy beach along the Lincolnshire Coast and north sea. The town is part of the civil parish of Mablethorpe and Sutton. The southern part of the town is known as Sandilands and nearby is also Trusthorpe.

Conisholme is a small settlement and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is on the Cleethorpes to Mablethorpe A1031 road, and 7 miles (11 km) north-east from Louth. The population is included in the civil parish of Grainthorpe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Lincolnshire Railway</span> Railway in England

The East Lincolnshire Railway was a main line railway linking the towns of Boston, Alford, Louth and Grimsby in Lincolnshire, England. It opened in 1848. The ELR Company had leased the line to the Great Northern Railway, and it was the latter which constructed the line and operated it, as its East Lincolnshire Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mablethorpe loop railway</span> Railway in Lincolnshire, England

The Mablethorpe Loop railway was formed in Lincolnshire, England, by two independent railway companies, which built branches from the East Lincolnshire Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willoughby with Sloothby</span> Human settlement in England

Willoughby with Sloothby is a civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire in the East Midlands of England. The parish includes the settlements of Willoughby and Sloothby as well as the hamlets and villages of Bonthorpe, Mawthorpe, Hasthorpe and Habertoft. The parish covers quite a large area of East Lindsey with the towns of Alford, Mablethorpe, Spilsby, Skegness and Burgh le Marsh situated near the parish. The parish's nearest railway station is Skegness. The village of Willoughby was served by a station on the former East Lincolnshire Railway and Mablethorpe Loop Line. However, it closed in 1970 and so did the lines. The station master's house and a section of platform and goods shed survive near the site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Peter's Church, Trusthorpe</span> Parish church in Trusthorpe, Lincolnshire, England

St Peter's Church, Trusthorpe is a parish church in Trusthorpe in Lincolnshire, England. It is one of the oldest churches in Mablethorpe and Sutton parish of East Lindsey along with St Mary's Church in Mablethorpe. The tower was built in 1606, elements of the chancel arch are 14th-century, and the octagonal font is dated as c.1400. It is a Grade II listed church and is an active place of worship and community hub.

References

  1. ↑ OS Explorer map 283:Louth and Mablethorpe: (1:25 000): ISBN   978 0319238240
  2. ↑ "Population statistics Mablethorpe AP/CP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time . Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  3. ↑ "Louth Registration District". UKBMD. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  4. ↑ City Pop site. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  5. ↑ "HeritageGateway - Home *". www.heritagegateway.org.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  6. ↑ UK. [ dead link ]
  7. ↑ St Mary's church geograph.org.uk
  8. ↑ "Mablethorpe station history". RNLI. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  9. ↑ BBC News. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  10. ↑ Mablethorpe info. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  11. ↑ Powers, John (7 May 2015). "Gangsters, Goons And 'Grievous Bodily Harm' In Ted Lewis' London". NPR.org. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  12. ↑ About GBH, Penguin Random House. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  13. ↑ Stewart E Squires, The Lost Railways of Lincolnshire, Castlemead Publications, Ware, 1986 ISBN   0-948555-14-9, pp. 38–39.
  14. ↑ Grayscroft services. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  15. ↑ Mablethorpe Transport. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  16. ↑ A1104.
  17. ↑ "Grange Leisure Park". Archived from the original on 23 December 2007.
  18. ↑ "Geograph:: Earl's Bridge © Stephen Horncastle".
  19. ↑ "Geograph:: West Bank © Stephen Horncastle".
  20. ↑ "Geograph:: Trusthorpe Drains and the Wind Farm © Geoff Pick cc-by-sa/2.0".
  21. ↑ "BBC NEWS – UK – England – Dorset – Bendiest roads in the UK revealed". 6 February 2006.
  22. ↑ East Lindsey District Council site. Retrieved 07 October 2019.
  23. ↑ "Geograph:: The train calling at platform 6 © Rog Frost".
  24. ↑ "Geograph:: Tracks of the Sand Train, Mablethorpe © Tim Hallam cc-by-sa/2.0".
  25. ↑ "The Mablethorpe Bell". Time and Tide Bell. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  26. ↑ "Mablethorpe hosts the latest Time and Tide Bell for Lincolnshire". Transition Town Louth. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  27. ↑ "Geograph:: Wind Farm near Mablethorpe © Ian Paterson".
  28. ↑ "Louth Leader".
  29. ↑ "Belmont (Lincolnshire, England) Full Freeview transmitter". May 2004.
  30. ↑ Coastal FM.
  31. ↑ Mablethorpe Community Primary School.
  32. ↑ "Mablethorpe | CLIP". Archived from the original on 26 January 2018.
  33. ↑ Bathing Beauties
  34. ↑ "BBC NEWS – In Pictures – Picture Gallery: Mablethorpe huts". 22 September 2007.
  35. ↑ Lincolnshire Bike Week homepage archived from the original on 4 August 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2022

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