Victorian Cleethorpes A pictorial history of Cleethorpes in the Victorian era, produced by the North East Lincolnshire Library Service

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Cleethorpes has not always been the seaside resort you know today. Way back in the 1800s if you were to visit the town – how different do you think it would have been? Click me

The people living by the sea were often in danger from floods and high tides destroying their homes. The cliffs you see here were gradually falling into the sea. Think about Cleethorpes today….what things are missing from this picture? Click me

Did you think of Ross castle, the waterfall, and the pathways? Not everything appeared overnight and it took years of planning and building to make Cleethorpes into a popular place to visit. So how and why did the town begin to change? Click me

The railway steamed into Cleethorpes in 1863 and within ten years the village had grown into a booming seaside resort with thousands of visitors each year. Click me

This is what the train station looks like today. Before the railway was extended to Cleethorpes, people had to travel from Grimsby on foot or by horse and cart. Click me

This is a horse drawn tram. These replaced horse and carts for public transport. Originally the trams were pulled by one horse but in the 1890s two horses were used. It took three horses to pull a tram up Isaacs Hill! Click me

Tourists used to travel round the resort in vehicles like this. They were called charabancs. They would not have been in danger of being caught by a speed camera as they only went 12 miles per hour. Click me

Look at this picture. The little beach huts on wheels were hired out by the local hotel owners. People didn’t like to get changed in front of everyone on the beach so the huts were used as changing rooms and then wheeled into the sea. The ladies who hired them could then get into the water without being embarrassed! Clothes were a lot different in Victorian times too. Click me

Sun dress and bloomers (bloomers were a type of underwear). Ladies dress

Victorian underwear Children’s boots Victorian dress video

Victorian room video Boys sailor suit video Dolls house video

Look at the clothes these people are wearing on the beach!

Click on the Pier to see what it looked like in the 1890s This is a map of Cleethorpes from 1888

The pier was built in 1872 and cost £10,000 to build. It was 400 yards long. Do you know how long that is in meters? About 365 meters. Click on the Pier to see inside. It opened on August Bank Holiday in 1873 and over 2500 people paid 6d each (6 pence in old Victorian money) to walk along it. Click me

The pier Concert Hall was a popular place for shows and concerts. There was something to see every week during the summer season. It held up to 800 people. Click me

In 1903 disaster struck the pier. After a morning show, flames were spotted coming from the roof of the Concert Hall. The Cleethorpes fire brigade had to send for extra help from Grimsby. In later years a new pavilion was built. Click me

Today the pier pavilion is a busy night club, but many years ago our families would have enjoyed themselves in very different ways. There were swing boats (called jolly boats), carousels, a bicycle railway, a fairy river and a helter-skelter. Click me

The Batho chute, another one of the many amusements provided for visitors and residents in Cleethorpes. Click me

The Dip The Dips was an early version of what is now called a Rollercoaster. Click me

The Miniature Railway.

The Cleethorpes Watershute

Punch and Judy shows were first performed over 300 years ago in London. Today live animals like the Dog Toby pictured here, would not be used in Punch and Judy shows. Click me

The Helter Skelter - A bargain ride at a halfpenny a slide. Click me

The switchback was opened in 1889 and on Bank Holiday Monday 4,600 people went for a ride on it. Click me

The Bathing Pool was opened in 1928 and was the largest on the East Coast. The pool was filled with sea water and was very very cold. The bathing pool is no longer there but it’s been replaced by somewhere you might have visited... can you guess? A) Pleasure Island B) Bowling Alley C) Cleethorpes Leisure Centre D) Boating Lake Click me

The Leisure Centre. This building replaced the Bathing Pool and opened in Click me

Do you recognise this picture? Click here to see what it looks like today. Click me

This is what the paddling pool looks like today. Click me

When children had tired themselves out on all the amusements they could go and buy some rock from the stalls on the seafront. They could even see it being made on tables near the railway station. Click me

Children were happy to play on the beach building sandcastles and paddling in the sea, but look how different their clothes are! Click me

Their parents could watch shows on the beach......or visit the local theatres and cinemas. Click me

Roll up, Roll up! The Empire Theatre was a very popular place for entertainment. Seats in the main part of the hall cost 3 old pence, or you could hire a private box for 1 old shilling. 1 old shilling = 5 new pence. Click me

Lots of different shows came to Cleethorpes and the theatres were always full. Click me

The people of Cleethorpes were kept busy providing for all their visitors. Hotels and Inns were usually fully booked during the summer seasons and the local shops were always busy. This is the High Street in Cleethorpes. Click me

This is what the High Street looks like today Click me

Visitors could buy plenty of souvenirs as there were bazaars in the High Street and Alexandra Road. Click me

This is what Alexandra Road looks like today Click me

For those people who wanted to tell all their friends and family about the fun they were having, they could send them postcards like these. Click me

A Cheap Jack at Cleethorpes – Grimsby Observer 1878 Haunts in North Lincolnshire Freeman Street Market Day Trippers to Cleethorpes Fishermen of Cleethorpes Herring Sailing Smacks Trawlers on the River

Credits: Staff of the North East Lincolnshire Library Service. The ladies of the Welholme Galleries Costume Group. All photographs used are part of the Local History Collection at Grimsby Reference Library. Copies can be obtained subject to copyright. © North East Lincolnshire Council 2005