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Scunthorpe () is an industrial town and unparished area in the unitary authority of North Lincolnshire in
Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-we ...
, England of which it is the main administrative centre. Scunthorpe had an estimated total population of 82,334 in 2016. A predominantly industrial town, the town is the United Kingdom's largest steel processing centre and is also known as the "Industrial Garden Town". It is the third largest settlement in Lincolnshire, after Lincoln and
Grimsby Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town and the administrative centre of North East Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, England. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes directly to the south-east forming a conurbation. Grimsby is north-east of L ...
. The Member of Parliament for Scunthorpe is Conservative politician Holly Mumby-Croft.


History

Scunthorpe as a town came into existence due to the exploitation of the local ironstone resources, and subsequent formation of iron works from the 1850s onwards. The regional population grew from 1,245 in 1851 to 11,167 in 1901 and 45,840 in 1941. During the expansion Scunthorpe expanded to include the former villages of Scunthorpe, Bottesford, Frodingham, Crosby, Brumby and Ashby. Scunthorpe became an
urban district Urban district may refer to: * District * Urban area * Quarter (urban subdivision) * Neighbourhood Specific subdivisions in some countries: * Urban districts of Denmark * Urban districts of Germany * Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland) (his ...
in 1891, merged as 'Scunthorpe, Brumby and Frodingham Urban District' in 1919, and became a
municipal borough Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002. Broadly similar structures existed in S ...
in 1936.


Etymology

The town appears in the ''
Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
'' (1086) as , which is from the
Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlement ...
meaning "Skuma's homestead", a site which is believed to be in the town centre close to where the present-day Market Hill is located.


Geology

Scunthorpe is located close to an outcrop of high-lime-content ironstone (~25% iron average) from a seam of the Lias Group strata which dates from the Early Jurassic period and runs north–south through Lincolnshire. Ironstone was mined by open cast methods from the 1850s onwards, and by underground mining from the late 1930s. In the 1970s the steel industry in Scunthorpe transitioned to use of ores imported from outside the UK with higher iron content. Underground mining in the area ceased in 1981. Scunthorpe was close to the epicentre (at Middle Rasen) of the
2008 Market Rasen earthquake On 27 February 2008 at 00:56:47.8s  GMT an earthquake occurred at Market Rasen, Lincolnshire. According to the British Geological Survey the earthquake registered a reading of 5.2 on the Richter scale, with its epicentre 2.5 miles (4& ...
, the second largest earthquake experienced in the British Isles, which had a magnitude of 5.2. Significant shocks were felt in Scunthorpe and the surrounding North Lincolnshire area. The main 10-second quake, which struck at 00:56 GMT on 27 February 2008, at a depth of , was second only to a 1984 quake, with a magnitude of 5.4, which occurred in
North Wales North Wales ( cy, Gogledd Cymru) is a regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders Mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, ...
.


Governance

Scunthorpe forms an unparished area in the
borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...
and unitary authority of North Lincolnshire. The town forms six of the borough's seventeen wards, namely Ashby, Brumby, Crosby & Park, Frodingham, Kingsway with Lincoln Gardens and Town. The Scunthorpe wards elect 16 of the borough's 43 councillors. As of 2018, 26 are members of the
Conservative party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...
, and 13 are members of the Labour party. The councillors form the
charter trustees In England and Wales, charter trustees are set up to maintain the continuity of a town charter or city charter after a district with the status of a borough or city has been abolished, until such time as a parish council is established. Duties ar ...
of the Town of Scunthorpe and they continue to elect a town mayor. North Lincolnshire Council is based in The Civic Centre off Ashby Road (former A159) next to Festival Gardens. It was designed by Charles B. Pearson, Son and Partners and was completed in 1962. It was the home of Scunthorpe Borough Council until 1996. Briefly renamed Pittwood House, it was named after Edwin Pittwood, a local Labour politician, who worked in the opencast ironstone workings near Normanby Park. There are also offices at Church Square House near the former Scunthorpe Market. Pittwood House has since been renamed as Civic Centre due to the relocation of the Register Office from its old premises in Oswald road.


Civic history

In 1889 the area was included in the Lincolnshire, Parts of Lindsey administrative county. Separate local government began in 1890 when the Scunthorpe local board of health was formed. In 1894 the local board was replaced with an
urban district Urban district may refer to: * District * Urban area * Quarter (urban subdivision) * Neighbourhood Specific subdivisions in some countries: * Urban districts of Denmark * Urban districts of Germany * Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland) (his ...
council. At the same time the neighbouring townships of Brumby and Frodingham were also constituted an
urban district Urban district may refer to: * District * Urban area * Quarter (urban subdivision) * Neighbourhood Specific subdivisions in some countries: * Urban districts of Denmark * Urban districts of Germany * Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland) (his ...
. The two urban districts were amalgamated, along with the parishes of Crosby and Ashby in 1919 to form an enlarged Scunthorpe urban district. Scunthorpe received a charter incorporating the town as a
municipal borough Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002. Broadly similar structures existed in S ...
in 1936. Local authority boundary changes brought the town into the new county of
Humberside Humberside () was a non-metropolitan and ceremonial county in Northern England from 1 April 1974 until 1 April 1996. It was composed of land from either side of the Humber Estuary, created from portions of the East Riding of Yorkshire, We ...
in 1974, and a new
non-metropolitan district Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially "shire districts", are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties (colloquially ''shire counties'') in a two-tier arrangement. Non- ...
, the Borough of Scunthorpe was formed with the same boundaries as the old municipal borough. The opening of the Humber Bridge on 24 June 1981 provided a permanent link between North and South Humberside but did not secure Humberside's future. To the relief of its many detractors, the county of Humberside (and Humberside County Council) was abolished on 1 April 1996 and succeeded by four unitary authorities. The previous Humberside districts of Glanford and Scunthorpe, and that part of
Boothferry Boothferry is a village in the East Riding of Yorkshire in England. It is situated on the north bank of the River Ouse where the A614 road crosses the river. It is about north-west of Goole. Boothferry is split between civil parishes; areas ...
district south of the northern boundaries of the parishes of Crowle,
Eastoft Eastoft is a village and civil parish in North Lincolnshire, England. It is situated within the Isle of Axholme, north-east from Crowle, and on the A161 road.OS Explorer Map 280: Isle of Axholme, Scunthorpe and Gainsborough: (1:25 000) : ...
, Luddington, Haldenby and
Amcotts Amcotts is a village and civil parish in the North Lincolnshire district of Lincolnshire, England, and on the Isle of Axholme. The village is situated north-west from Scunthorpe, and on the west bank of the River Trent facing Flixborough on the ...
, now compose the unitary authority of North Lincolnshire. On amalgamation
charter trustees In England and Wales, charter trustees are set up to maintain the continuity of a town charter or city charter after a district with the status of a borough or city has been abolished, until such time as a parish council is established. Duties ar ...
were formed for Scunthorpe, and they continue to elect a town mayor.


Coat of arms

When Scunthorpe was incorporated as a borough in 1936, it also received a grant of a
coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...
from the
College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the British Sover ...
. These arms were transferred to the new borough council formed in 1974, and are now used by the town's charter trustees. The green shield and golden wheatsheaf recall that the area was until recently agricultural in nature. Across the centre of the shield is a length of chain. This refers to the five villages of Crosby, Scunthorpe, Frodingham, Brumby & Ashby linking together as one. At the top of the shield are two fossils of the species ''Gryphaea incurva''. These remains of oysters, known as the "devil's toenails", were found in the rock strata from which ironstone was quarried. The crest, on top of the helm, shows a blast furnace. This is also referred to in the
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
motto: ''Refulget labores nostros coelum'' or ''The heavens reflect our labours'' popularly attributed to the glow observed in the night sky from the steelmaking activities.


Geography

Scunthorpe lies on an escarpment of ridged land (the Lincoln Cliff) which slopes down towards the Trent. The surrounding environs are largely low-lying hills and plains. Although the town itself is heavily industrial it is surrounded by fertile farmland and wooded areas. In terms of general location it lies a mile east of the
River Trent The Trent is the third-longest river in the United Kingdom. Its source is in Staffordshire, on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through and drains the North Midlands. The river is known for dramatic flooding after storms and ...
, south of the Humber Estuary, west of the Lincolnshire Wolds and north of Lincoln. The town is situated at the terminus of the M181, from
Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire ...
. Nearby towns and cities are
Hull Hull may refer to: Structures * Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship * Submarine hull Mathematics * Affine hull, in affi ...
(18 miles northeast),
Doncaster Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...
(20 miles west),
Grimsby Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town and the administrative centre of North East Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, England. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes directly to the south-east forming a conurbation. Grimsby is north-east of L ...
(22 miles east) and
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
(46 miles northwest). Scunthorpe is approximately east of
South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a ceremonial and metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. The county has four council areas which are the cities of Doncaster and Sheffield as well as the boroughs of Barnsley and Rotherham. ...
and south by south west to the
East Riding of Yorkshire The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a ceremonial county and unitary authority area in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, South Yorkshire t ...
.


Climate

Like most of the United Kingdom, Scunthorpe has an oceanic climate ( Köppen: Cfb). Average temperatures are around in the summer, and can get be as low as in the winter.


Economy


Steel industry

The Iron industry in Scunthorpe was established in the mid 19th century, following the discovery and exploitation of middle Lias ironstone east of Scunthorpe. Initially iron ore was exported to iron producers in
South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a ceremonial and metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. The county has four council areas which are the cities of Doncaster and Sheffield as well as the boroughs of Barnsley and Rotherham. ...
. Later, after the construction of the Trent, Ancholme and Grimsby Railway (1860s) gave rail access to the area iron production in the area rapidly expanded using local ironstone and imported coal or coke. Rapid industrial expansion in the area led directly to the development of the town of Scunthorpe, eventually incorporating several other former hamlets and villages, in a formerly sparsely populated entirely agricultural area. From the early 1910s to the 1930s the industry consolidated, with three main ownership concerns formed – the Appleby-Frodingham Steel Company, part of the United Steel Companies; the Redbourn Iron Works, part of Richard Thomas and Company of South Wales (later Richard Thomas and Baldwins); and
John Lysaght John Lysaght and Co. was an iron and steel company established in Bristol, England, and with later operations in Wolverhampton, Newport, and Scunthorpe. The company was acquired by GKN in 1920. The founder John Lysaght (1832–1895) was bo ...
's
Normanby Iron Works Normanby could be: Places Australia * Normanby, Queensland * Normanby Division, a local government area in Queensland * Shire of Normanby, a local government area in Queensland * Normanby Island (Queensland) * Electoral district of Normanby (dis ...
, part of Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds. In 1967 all three works became part of the nationalised British Steel Corporation (BSC), leading to a period of further consolidation – from the 1970s the use of local or regional ironstone diminished, being replaced by imported ore via the
Immingham Bulk Terminal The Port of Immingham, also known as Immingham Dock, is a major port on the east coast of England, located on the south bank of the Humber Estuary in the town of Immingham, Lincolnshire. In 2019, the Port of Grimsby & Immingham was the largest ...
. Conversion to the
Linz-Donawitz process Basic oxygen steelmaking (BOS, BOP, BOF, or OSM), also known as Linz-Donawitz steelmaking or the oxygen converter processBrock and Elzinga, p. 50. is a method of primary steelmaking in which carbon-rich molten pig iron is made into steel. Blowing ...
(or "basic oxygen" process) of steel making from the open hearth process took place from the late 1960s onwards and was complete by the 1990s. Both the Normanby Park and the Redbourn works closed in the early 1980s. Following privatisation in 1988 the company, together with the rest of BSC, became part of Corus (1999), later
Tata Steel Europe Tata Steel Europe Ltd. (formerly Corus Group plc) was a steelmaking company headquartered in London, England, with its main operations in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The company was created in 2007, when Tata Group took over ...
(2007). In 2016 the long products division of Tata Steel Europe was sold to Greybull Capital with Scunthorpe as the primary steel production site. In 2012 the steel industry remained the major employer in the area and its largest operator was
Tata Steel Europe Tata Steel Europe Ltd. (formerly Corus Group plc) was a steelmaking company headquartered in London, England, with its main operations in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The company was created in 2007, when Tata Group took over ...
. The number employed in the industry fell from 27,000 at its height to around 4,500 (excluding outside contractors) by the mid 2010s. The steel works and the former ironstone workings have both had large scale detrimental environmental effects in the district, including air pollution and subsidence. In May 2019, after a drop in future orders, and a breakdown in rescue talks between the government and the company's owner, Greybull,
British Steel Limited British Steel Limited is a long steel products business founded in 2016 with assets acquired from Tata Steel Europe by Greybull Capital, then acquired by Jingye Group in 2020. The primary steel production site is Scunthorpe Steelworks, wi ...
entered insolvency. Industries associated with the steelworks include metal engineering as well as a BOC plant.


Other industries

Although the historical predominance of the steel industry made Scunthorpe a virtual monotown, there are other industries in the town. These include food production, distribution and retailing. North of the town next a waste management firm, Bell Waste Control, which services the majority of industry in Scunthorpe and the surrounding areas. On the Foxhills Industrial Park, north of the A1077 northern bypass, are many distribution companies, notably a large building owned by the Nisa co-operative type mutual organisation which has its UK headquarters there. Also on the Foxhills Industrial Park is a 500,000 square foot factory occupied by
Wren Kitchens Wren Kitchens is a privately owned British designer, manufacturer, and retailer of kitchens. It has 106 stores. History Wren Kitchens was founded in 2009. The management team behind Wren traded for 10 years in the United States before the ...
, employing 350 full-time workers. 2 Sisters Food Group have a large chicken processing plant in the town. Key Country Foods produces meat products on an industrial scale. The Sauce Company produces sauces, soups and other foodstuffs for the catering and supermarket sectors. Ericsson Mobile Platforms produces printed circuit boards for the telecommunications industry. There are a number of other firms, mostly involved in manufacturing and light engineering. In the 2001 census 19.3% of the working age population were economically inactive.


Retail

Scunthorpe has two major shopping centres, effectively a single site: the Foundry Shopping Centre and the Parishes Centre. The former was constructed in the late 1960s/early 1970s during a wholesale reconstruction of the old town; the latter was constructed in the early part of the 2000s decade on the site of the town's old bus station. There are also many well known retailers on High Street. On 6 January 2011 Marks and Spencer closed their High Street store after 80 years of trading, but a new Marks and Spencer store opened near the football ground in 2014. However the size of the remaining retail units reflects the size of the area's population and with larger shopping facilities within reasonable travelling distance in
Grimsby Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town and the administrative centre of North East Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, England. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes directly to the south-east forming a conurbation. Grimsby is north-east of L ...
,
Hull Hull may refer to: Structures * Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship * Submarine hull Mathematics * Affine hull, in affi ...
,
Doncaster Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...
, Lincoln,
Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popul ...
and at
Meadowhall Centre Meadowhall is an indoor shopping centre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. It lies north-east of Sheffield city centre, and from Rotherham town centre. It is the largest shopping centre in Yorkshire, and currently the eleventh-largest ...
,
Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire ...
. The once-thriving market, mostly under cover in market halls just to the north of the Central Library, at the eastern end of the High Street, had shrunk noticeably in the last ten years, and has now moved to the new St John's Market, close to the Bus Station. The opening date was 22 March 2019. All of the big food retailers are represented in the area. There is a Tesco Extra, and an Aldi (in the former Toys R Us unit) opposite the football ground, while
Sainsbury's J Sainsbury plc, trading as Sainsbury's, is the second largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, with a 14.6% share of UK supermarket sales. Founded in 1869 by John James Sainsbury with a shop in Drury Lane, London, the company ...
(formerly a
Safeway Safeway is an American supermarket chain founded by Marion Barton Skaggs in April 1915 in American Falls, Idaho. The chain provides grocery items, food and general merchandise and features a variety of specialty departments, such as bakery, del ...
) have their store on the site of the old Scunthorpe United stadium, The Old Show Ground.
Morrisons Wm Morrison Supermarkets, trading as Morrisons, is the fifth largest supermarket chain in the United Kingdom. As of 2021, the company had 497 supermarkets across England, Wales and Scotland, as well as one in Gibraltar. The company is headq ...
have a store at the bottom of Mortal Ash Hill (known locally as "Motlash") (
A18 road This is a list of roads designated A18. Roads are sorted in the countries alphabetical order. * A18 motorway (Belgium), a road connecting Bruges and Dunkirk, France * A18 motorway (Italy), a road connecting Messina and Catania in Sicily * A18 ...
) at the Lakeside Retail Park, on the eastern entrance to the town, while Asda have a store on Burringham Road. In 2011 Asda opened another store in the former Netto, on Carlton Street. On 24 October 2014 Marks and Spencer's returned to the town after almost a 4-year absence. The store is housed in a purpose built location at the North Lincolnshire Shopping Centre, beside Glanford Park. Debenhams, Boots, B&M Bargains, Costa Coffee and
Subway Subway, Subways, The Subway, or The Subways may refer to: Transportation * Subway, a term for underground rapid transit rail systems * Subway (underpass), a type of walkway that passes underneath an obstacle * Subway (George Bush Intercontin ...
have also opened stores at the centre.


Transport

Scunthorpe railway station lies on the South TransPennine Line which has trains from Manchester Airport to Cleethorpes. Scunthorpe station (SCU), has two platforms and runs three different services. Platform 1 serves the TransPennine Express Cleethorpes route, whilst Platform 2 serves the TransPennine Express Manchester Airport route, and the Northern Doncaster route. The Northern train is the local stopping service, which runs from Monday-Saturday, and is served by TransPennine Express at the first and last service of the day. For local people traveling to Doncaster, it is often preferred to use the TransPennine Express services, as they go direct into Doncaster, and do not rely upon the 1980s pacer trains that Northern run today. The station is operated by TransPennine Express, and was made more accessible when lifts were added in 2019. The town lies five miles (8 km) north of the M180, and the M181 terminates Glanford Park, on the outskirts of the town. Before this motorway was opened in 1979, all the east–west goods traffic took the A18 to
Grimsby Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town and the administrative centre of North East Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, England. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes directly to the south-east forming a conurbation. Grimsby is north-east of L ...
. Humberside Airport is a short drive to the east along the M180. The town's bus station is off Fenton Street. The bus station is predominantly used by Stagecoach in Lincolnshire that operate services within and out of the town along with Hornsby Travel.
East Yorkshire The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a ceremonial county and unitary authority area in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, South Yorkshire t ...
operate services to
Hull Hull may refer to: Structures * Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship * Submarine hull Mathematics * Affine hull, in affi ...
and Goole.


Religion

The church of St John the Evangelist, in Church Square, was completed in 1891 and consecrated on 15 April that same year. The church was built, at a cost of £20,000 (equivalent to £ as of ) on land given by Lord St Oswald. Built of Frodingham ironstone, and comprising a nave with five bays and a clerestory, a chancel, north and south aisles, two porches and a tower, it could accommodate up to 500 worshippers. It was designed by
J. S. Crowther Joseph Stretch Crowther (1820 – March 1893) (usually known as J. S. Crowther) was an English architect who practised in Manchester. His buildings are mainly located in Manchester, Cheshire and Cumbria. Life and career Crowther studie ...
in the
perpendicular In elementary geometry, two geometric objects are perpendicular if they intersect at a right angle (90 degrees or π/2 radians). The condition of perpendicularity may be represented graphically using the '' perpendicular symbol'', ⟂. It c ...
style. The original striking clock was installed, in 1890 by William Potts and Sons of the Guildford Clock Works in
Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popul ...
. In 1897 quarter chimes were added. The peal of eight bells were hung in 1893, in memory of the Lord St Oswald. The organ, built in London, cost £1,000. The final church service was held on 29 April 1984 and the building is now an arts centre. There are also multiple churches including the other town church of St Lawrence. There are also two small Muslim centres.


Culture

The North Lincolnshire Museum is on Oswald Road, near the
railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in Track (rail transport), tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the ...
. The former church of St John the Evangelist is now the 20–21 Visual Arts Centre. The
Plowright Theatre The Plowright Theatre, is a live entertainment venue on Laneham Street in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire. It is owned and run by North Lincolnshire Council. It is the Sister Venue to the Baths Hall located on Doncaster Road in Scunthorpe. The P ...
, named after Joan Plowright, is on Laneham Street (off the west end of High Street and also near the
railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in Track (rail transport), tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the ...
). It was built in 1958 as Scunthorpe Civic Theatre. The Baths Hall, reopened in 2011, a 1,700 capacity venue also hosts visiting musical and theatrical events. The Scunthorpe Co-operative Junior Choir from Scunthorpe won the title of BBC Radio 3 ''Choir of the Year'' 2008 at the Grand Finals on 7 December 2008 at the Royal Festival Hall, London. The main choir is made up of 90 members aged between 9 and 19 years whilst also having two training choirs taking children as young as 3 years old. They have made several CDs, performed numerous concerts in the area and further afield, have been subject of documentaries and are internationally renowned as having travelled the world. Scunthorpe was the setting of a 2012 Cultural Olympiad community opera called ''Cycle Song'', about past steel-worker and
Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...
cyclist Lal White. It was composed by Tim Sutton and the librettist was Ian McMillan. The Scunthorpe Co-operative Junior Choir, Proper Job Theatre Company and over a thousand locals participated.


Media and entertainment


Television

* ''BBC Look North'' broadcast by the BBC from Queen's Gardens in Kingston upon Hull with news offices in Grimsby, covering the East Riding of Yorkshire and North & North East Lincolnshire; * ''Calendar'', broadcast by ITV Yorkshire from
Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popul ...
, West Yorkshire with a crew in Grimsby covering the local area.


Radio

* BBC Radio Humberside is broadcast on 95.9 FM from Kingston upon Hull, with its coverage given to the old county of
Humberside Humberside () was a non-metropolitan and ceremonial county in Northern England from 1 April 1974 until 1 April 1996. It was composed of land from either side of the Humber Estuary, created from portions of the East Riding of Yorkshire, We ...
, now including the East Riding of Yorkshire and all of North & North East Lincolnshire & all Lincolnshire at certain times. Coverage often includes broadcasts of local football team Scunthorpe United. * Lincs FM broadcasts on 102.2FM from Lincoln, covering the whole of Lincolnshire including the Scunthorpe area. *
Viking FM Viking FM is an Independent Local Radio station based in Sheffield, England, owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to the East Riding of Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire. As of September 2022, the s ...
broadcasts its breakfast show on 96.9 FM from
Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popul ...
, having some of its coverage given to North Lincolnshire, which includes Scunthorpe.


Print

The local newspaper is the '' Scunthorpe Telegraph'' (formerly the ''Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph'') with an online version at ''www.scunthorpetelegraph.co.uk''.


Venues

Scunthorpe has a leisure centre ( The Pods) next to Pittwood House, museum, galleries, craft centres, several clubs, pubs and bars, a Vue multiplex cinema adjacent to the bus station. The Baths Hall in Doncaster Road was a popular music venue, before it was closed because of the costs of bringing the building up to scratch, and dealing with industrial contamination on site. The Labour Council prevented the Baths from being demolished in 2007 and commenced a major rebuild of the venue, which has involved demolishing all but the facade of the building. The building re-opened in November 2011.


Education

Scunthorpe's primary schools include Berkeley Primary School, Outwood Juniors Academy Brumby, Crosby Primary School, Frodingham Infant School, Oasis Academy Henderson Avenue, Oasis Academy Parkwood, St Augustine Webster's Catholic Voluntary Academy, St Bernadette's Catholic Primary Voluntary Academy, St Peter and St Paul CofE Primary School, Scunthorpe CofE Primary School, The Grange primary, Oakfield Primary School and Westcliffe Primary School. Secondary schools within Scunthorpe include Outwood Academy Brumby on Cemetery Road, and Outwood Academy Foxhills on Foxhills Road.
Frederick Gough School Frederick Gough School is a community secondary school in Scunthorpe, England, for approximately 1,300 pupils aged from 11 to 16. History Grammar school For two years, before it opened, the selected group of 110 were taught at Riddings Secon ...
is to the south of the town in Bottesford. Melior Community Academy, to the east of the town, was formed by the merger of South Leys Business & Enterprise College on Enderby Road with Thomas Sumpter School. St Bede's Catholic Voluntary Academy on Collum Avenue is the main
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
secondary school for the area, while the St Lawrence Academy on Doncaster Road is a
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Brit ...
secondary school; it was formerly known as High Ridge Specialist Sports College and became the town's first academy in September 2008. Engineering UTC Northern Lincolnshire opened in 2015 and is a
university technical college A university technical college (UTC) is a type of specialist secondary school in England that is led by a sponsor university and has close ties to local business and industry. These university and industry partners support the curriculum developm ...
for pupils aged 14 to 19. St Hugh's Communication and Interaction Specialist College is a school for pupils aged 11–19 with moderate to complex learning needs associated with physical and social problems. Scunthorpe has two study support centres, Study United FC and Study Heslam, set up with funding from the government's Playing for Success scheme. These are based at Glanford Park, the home of Scunthorpe United Football Club and Heslam Park, home of Scunthorpe rugby and cricket clubs.


Further education

John Leggott Sixth-Form College (JLC) is on West Common Lane and North Lindsey College is close by on Kingsway (A18). Scunthorpe's only university is UCNL, which offers undergraduate courses to approximately 1,500 students.


Law and order

The area is served by Humberside Police. According to Home Office data the area has crime rates higher than the national average, especially in the categories of violence against the person, sexual offences, burglary and theft of motor vehicles.


Sport


Football

The town has a Football League club, Scunthorpe United (nicknamed "The Iron") who play at Glanford Park. For most of its existence in the professional game (since only 1950) it has been in the lower leagues of the
English Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
. At the end of the 2006–07 season they won promotion to the Football League Championship as champions of League One, amassing a total of 91 points, being promoted at home to Huddersfield Town: having been top since January: despite being outsiders for a considerable amount of that time, and being promoted with 3 games to spare. This being the first time they have played at this level for 44 years. This was to last just one season as the club were relegated on 12 April 2008, with three games to spare, away to Crystal Palace. However, they returned to the Championship after one season, winning the League One playoffs in May 2009. At the end of the 2021–22 season, Scunthorpe for the first time got relegated from the Football League, and as a consequence play in the
National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
as of 2022-23. England stars Kevin Keegan and Ray Clemence both played for Scunthorpe United in the early 1970s before being signed for
Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
, where they made their names. Former
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
cricket captain Ian Botham played a number of games for the club, being a resident of nearby Epworth at that time and in an attempt to keep fit during the winter months. The team mascot is called the "Scunny Bunny". Semi-professional sides within the Town or greater town boundaries include Appleby Frodingham and Bottesford Town, Local teams play in the Scunthorpe & District Football League.


Rugby

Scunthorpe Rugby Club play in the National League 2 North, the fourth tier of the
English rugby union system Men's Rugby union in England consists of 106 leagues, which includes professional leagues at the highest level, down to amateur regional leagues. Promotion and relegation are in place throughout the system. Women's Rugby union in England c ...
. Their home ground is at Heslam Park, close to Brumby on Ashby Road. Scunthorpe Barbarians play
rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
also at Heslam Park.


Motorsports

Scunthorpe also has a speedway team known as the Scunthorpe Scorpions who compete in the British Premier League, the sport's second tier in Britain. The speedway team has been running since 2005 and won a grand slam of the Conference League trophies in both 2006 and 2007 before claiming the Premier League title in 2012, alongside this Speedway world champion
Tai Woffinden Tai Woffinden (born 10 August 1990) is a British speedway rider. He is a three-time World Champion (2013, 2015 and 2018). Early life Woffinden was born in Scunthorpe, the son of former speedway rider Rob Woffinden. Although born in the Unite ...
was born in Scunthorpe, riding for the Scunthorpe Scorpions in his youth. It runs at the Eddie Wright Raceway, which is a mile north of the town on Normanby Road (B1430). The Eddie Wright Raceway is also host to the sport of stock car racing, the town has featured stock car racing at two other venues in its past, 2009 saw a return to the town of the oval racing sport * Scunthorpe Scorpions – Premier League team * Scunthorpe Saints – National League (formerly Conference League) team


Athletics

The Appleby-Frodingham Athletic Club uses the site near the Civic Centre for many types of sport. They have a clubhouse and also use Brumby Hall next-door. The site includes a 3G football pitch and an artificial Astro hockey pitch, along with several grass football pitches and an area for cricket. There is also the Scunthorpe and District Athletics Club. They train at Quibell Park Stadium, Scunthorpe's athletic track on Brumby Wood Lane named after David Quibell, the town's former Labour MP. Around the running track is
cycle track
used by Polytechnic Cycle Club. The leisure centre was on Carlton Street opposite th
bus station
via
footbridge
After The Pods opened this was demolished. Th
Scunthorpe Anchor
swimming club are based at the Riddings Pool on Enderby Road next to South Leys School. The Pods, a leisure centre near Central Park, opened in 2011 costing an estimated £21 million. Facilities include an 8 lane 25m pool and a separate shallow pool, a state of the art gym, a dance studio, a large sports hall with climbing wall, a creche and a cafe. As part of the project, Central Park is being improved. These expensive improvements are also in their final stage. North Lincolnshire Council's website regularly show photographs and videos of how the work is progressing. Scunthorpe has two parkruns. One in
Central Park Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated ...
and another at Normanby Hall


American Football

The
Scunthorpe Alphas The Scunthorpe Alphas are an American football club based in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, England that competes in the BAFA National Leagues NFC 2 South. The club play their home games at Quibell Park Stadium and were formed in late 2018 by a ...
who were formed in 2018 play their home games at
Quibell Park Stadium Quibell Park Stadium is a stadium in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, owned by North Lincolnshire Council, primarily used for athletics, cycling, and American football. The stadium consists of a velodrome, an athletics track, and a sports field. ...
and for 2021 will complete in the
BAFA National Leagues The BAFANL (BAFA National Leagues) are the primary American football domestic League competition in Great Britain. The League is run by the British American Football Association to coordinate contact football within England, Scotland and Wales. ...
Division Two. The town's previous American football side was the Scunthorpe Steelers who folded in 1990.


Internet obscenity filters

In 1996 there was controversy when AOL's obscenity filter (among others) refused to accept the name of the town due to its embedded word ' cunt'. Some online forums such as
Ultimate Guitar Ultimate Guitar (Ultimate Guitar USA LLC), which is also known as Ultimate-Guitar.com or simply UG, is an online platform for guitarists and musicians. Its website and mobile application provides guitar tablature catalogues and chord sheets. ...
forums displayed the name as Scumthorpe, while
Fark Fark is a community website created by Drew Curtis that allows members to comment on a daily batch of news articles and other items from various websites. The site receives many story submissions per day and approximately 100 of them are publi ...
would display it as Scoonthorpe. This form of censorship over-reach is known in the computing world as the
Scunthorpe problem The Scunthorpe problem is the unintentional blocking of websites, e-mails, forum posts or search results by a spam filter or search engine because their text contains a string (or substring) of letters that appear to have an obscene or otherwise ...
.


Notable people

*
Roy Axe Royden Axe (September 1937 – 5 October 2010) was a British car designer. Early life and career Axe was born in Scunthorpe and attended Scunthorpe Grammar School (now St Lawrence Academy). Axe began his career in 1959 with the Rootes Group wh ...
, car designer for
Chrysler Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automotiv ...
and
Rover Rover may refer to: People * Constance Rover (1910–2005), English historian * Jolanda de Rover (born 1963), Dutch swimmer * Rover Thomas (c. 1920–1998), Indigenous Australian artist Places * Rover, Arkansas, US * Rover, Missouri, US * ...
was born in Scunthorpe *
Darren Bett Darren Victor Bett (born 1968 in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire) is an English weather forecaster for the BBC, broadcasting on television and radio. Bett is a main weather presenter on BBC Radio 5 Live and also appears on the BBC News Channel, BBC ...
, television weather presenter * Ryan J. Brown, actor and screenwriter *
James Cobban Sir James Macdonald Cobban (14 September 1910 – 19 April 1999) was an English educator and headmaster, as well as a prominent lay leader in the Church of England. He was the headmaster of Abingdon School from 1947 to 1970 and is largely c ...
, English educator and headmaster, as well as a prominent lay leader in the Church of England * Richard G. Compton, Oxford professor, was born in Scunthorpe *
Neil Cox Neil James Cox (born 8 October 1971) is an English former professional footballer and manager who was last in charge of EFL League Two side Scunthorpe United. A defender capable of playing at centre or right-back, he made over 500 appearances i ...
Manager of Scunthorpe United FC * Howard Devoto, singer with the Buzzcocks and Magazine * Kevin Doyle, actor who has appeared in '' Coronation Street'' and '' Downton Abbey'' *
Stephen Fretwell Stephen Fretwell (born 10 November 1981) is an English singer-songwriter. Biography Fretwell attended St. Augustine Webster Primary School in Scunthorpe and St. Bede's Catholic School in Ashby before furthering his study at John Leggott Colle ...
, singer-songwriter * Jeff Hall, English footballer who played as a right back for Birmingham City and England * Tony Jacklin, golfer, was born in Scunthorpe * Dave Ladley, professional darts player * Reece Mastin, singer and winner of 2011 X-Factor Australia, was born in Scunthorpe * Iain Matthews, singer with Fairport Convention *
Rob McElnea Rob McElnea (born 12 December 1959) is a British former professional motorcycle road racer. At the peak of his career he raced six seasons in the MotoGP, then named 500cc Grand Prix Championship. He also competed for five years in the World Su ...
, 500cc grand prix rider, team manager of the Virgin Mobile Yamaha team * Ross McLaren, actor, was born in Scunthorpe * Graham Oates, is an English former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder. * Alfie Moore, comedian. * John Osborne, writer. Creator of Sky 1 sitcom '' After Hours'' as well as six half-hour Radio 4 storytelling shows. * Dame Joan Plowright, award-winning actress, born in nearby Brigg, attended Scunthorpe Grammar School * David Plowright, television executive and producer * Jake Quickenden, former contestant on '' The X Factor'', '' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'' and '' Dancing on Ice'' * Martin Simpson, guitarist and singer-songwriter, was born in Scunthorpe * Sam Slocombe, professional football player for
Notts County F.C. Notts County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nottingham, England. The team participate in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Founded on the 25 November 1862, it is the ...
and formerly of local side Scunthorpe United, was born in the town * Liz Smith, actress * Graham Taylor, former
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
manager grew up in the town. *
Brian Tierney Brian P. Tierney (born 1957) is an American advertising and public relations executive and former publisher of ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. Born in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania, Tierney is chief executive officer of Brian Communication ...
, published historian and medievalist *
Alan Walker Alan Olav Walker (born 24 August 1997) is a British-born Norwegian music producer and DJ primarily known for the critically acclaimed single " Faded" (2015), which was certified platinum in 14 countries. He has also made several songs including ...
, musicologist and biographer of Franz Liszt, was born in Scunthorpe * Albert 'Lal' White, Olympic cycling silver medallist at the 1920 Antwerp games. Was the subject of the opera: Cycle Song. *
Tai Woffinden Tai Woffinden (born 10 August 1990) is a British speedway rider. He is a three-time World Champion (2013, 2015 and 2018). Early life Woffinden was born in Scunthorpe, the son of former speedway rider Rob Woffinden. Although born in the Unite ...
, speedway world champion


Twinned municipalities

*
Clamart Clamart () is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. The town is divided into two parts, separated by a forest: ''bas Clamart'', the historical centre, and ''petit Clamart'' with urbani ...
, France * Lüneburg, Germany * Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, Poland


See also

* Queen Bess, Scunthorpe, Grade-II listed public house


References


Bibliography

;General history * Ambler, R. W. (ed.), ''Workers and Community: The People of Scunthorpe in the 1870s: A Study Based on the 1871 Census Returns'' (Scunthorpe: Scunthorpe Museum Society, 1980). * Armstrong, M. Elizabeth (ed.), ''An Industrial Island: A History of Scunthorpe'' (Scunthorpe: Scunthorpe Borough Museum and Art Gallery, 1981). * Cooke, Reg, and Kathleen Cooke, ''Scunthorpe'', Images of England series (Stroud: Chalford Publishing, 1997). * Creed, Rupert, and Averil Coult, ''Steeltown: The Real Life Drama of the Men and Women Who Built an Industry'' (Beverley: Hutton Press, 1990). * Dudley, H. E., ''History and Antiquities of the Scunthorpe and Frodingham District'' (Scunthorpe: W. H. & C. H. Caldicott, 1931). * Ellis, Stephen, and Dave R. Crowther (eds.), ''Humber Perspectives: A Region Through the Ages'' (Kingston-upon-Hull: Hull University Press, 1990). * Holm, Stuart (ed.), ''The Heavens Reflect Our Labours'' (Scunthorpe: Scunthorpe Museum and Art Gallery, 1974). * Knell, Simon J., ''The Natural History of the Frodingham Ironstone'' (Scunthorpe: Scunthorpe Museum and Art Gallery, 1988). * Lewis, Peter, and Philip N. Jones, ''Industrial Britain: The Humberside Region'' (Newton Abbot: David & Charles, 1970). * McEntee-Taylor, Carole, ''A History of Women's Lives in Scunthorpe'' (Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2019). * Pocock, D. C. D., "Iron and steel at Scunthorpe", ''East Midlands Geographer'', no. 19 (vol. 3, part 3) (1963), pp. 124–138. * Pocock, D. C. D.
"Stages in the development of the Frodingham ironstone field"
'' Transactions and Papers of the Institute of British Geographers'', no. 35 (1964), pp. 105–118. * Pocock, D. C. D.
"Specialised industrial towns as service centres: a comparison of Scunthorpe and Corby"
'' Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers'', no. 40 (1966), pp. 97–109. * Pocock, D. C. D., "Landownership and urban growth in Scunthorpe", ''East Midland Geographer'', vol. 5 (1970), 52–61. * Tonks, Eric S., ''The Ironstone Quarries of the Midlands: History, Operation and Railways, Part VIII, South Lincolnshire'' (Cheltenham: Runpast, 1991). * Walshaw, G. R., and C. A. J. Behrendt, ''The History of Appleby-Frodingham'' (London: Appleby-Frodingham Steel Co., 1950). * Wheeler, P. T., "Ironstone working between Melton Mowbray and Grantham", ''East Midland Geographer'', vol. 4, no. 4 (1967), pp. 239–250. * Wright, Neil R., ''Lincolnshire Towns and Industry, 1700–1914'', History of Lincolnshire Series, no. 11 (Lincoln: History of Lincolnshire Committee of the Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology, 1982). * Wright, Neil R. "The varied fortunes of heavy and manufacturing industry 1914–1987", in Dennis Mills (ed.), ''Twentieth Century Lincolnshire'', History of Lincolnshire, no. 12 (Lincoln: History of Lincolnshire Committee of the Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology, 1989), pp. 74–102. * Wright, Neil R., ''Lincolnshire’s Industrial Heritage: A Guide'' (Lincoln: Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology, 2004). ;Other * Ginns, Arthur, ''Jubilee History of the Scunthorpe Mutual Co-Operative and Industrial Society'' (Manchester: Co-operative Printing Society Ltd, 1924). * Hutchison, I. M., ''Superstores: The Impact on Shopping Patterns within the Scunthorpe Are''a (Scunthorpe: Scunthorpe Borough Council, n.d.). * Staff, John, ''From Nuts to Iron: The Official History of Scunthorpe United F.C., 1899–2012'' (Harefield: Yore Publications, 2012).


External links

*
North Lincolnshire Council

Scunthorpe – The Heavens Reflect Our Labours
Documentary on Scunthorpe history made by local schoolchildren
Pathe newsreel, 1958, Queen visits Lincoln, Scunthorpe, Grimsby

Scunthorpe Co-operative Junior Choir
{{Authority control Towns in Lincolnshire Unparished areas in Lincolnshire Local Government Districts created by the Local Government Act 1858 Borough of North Lincolnshire