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West Marsh is an area located in the northern part of
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 Linco ...
,
North East Lincolnshire North East Lincolnshire is a Unitary authority area with borough status in Lincolnshire, England. It borders the borough of North Lincolnshire and districts of West Lindsey and East Lindsey. The population of the district in the 2011 Census was ...
, England, and is close to Grimsby town centre. Its northern and eastern boundaries are formed by the Alexandra Dock. At its western edge is the Pyewipe industrial area, and at the south the railway line and Cromwell Road. West Marsh is split centrally by the southeast–northwest flow of the
River Freshney The River Freshney is a river in the English county of North East Lincolnshire. The town of Grimsby stands on its banks. It rises from at least four springs on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds, although local folklore and oral tradition has ...
. West Marsh is a ward of the North East Lincolnshire Unitary Council with a population taken at the 2011 census of 7,754.


History

For centuries the boundary between Grimsby's West
Marsh A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...
and the parish of
Little Coates Little Coates is an area of western Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, England. It is in the Yarborough ward of the North East Lincolnshire Unitary Council. History Little Coates was already inhabited at the time of the Norman conquest. By 186 ...
lay roughly along the line formed by present-day Pywipe Road and Boulevard Avenue. The West Marsh was used as
common land Common land is land owned by a person or collectively by a number of persons, over which other persons have certain common rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect Wood fuel, wood, or to cut turf for fuel. A person ...
, however around 1514 this land was subject to an act of
enclosure Enclosure or Inclosure is a term, used in English landownership, that refers to the appropriation of "waste" or " common land" enclosing it and by doing so depriving commoners of their rights of access and privilege. Agreements to enclose land ...
and these common rights were curtailed as the area was divided between local dignitaries. In 1873 a bridge was built across the Old Dock, linking Corporation Road with Victoria Street. The Corporation Bridge shortened the travelling distance between the West Marsh and the built-up area in the East Marsh, including the new Freeman Street market. Previously travellers had to make a long detour through the town centre. This improved access made it more feasible for the council to lease land in the West Marsh and a programme of house building was started there. Also in 1873 work began to improve the Old Dock and connect it with the newer Royal Dock. West Marsh land was used for this purpose. In 1879 the Union Dock, the canal linking the two docks, was opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales. The extended Old Dock became the Alexandra Dock. Vessels brought timber from Russia and Scandinavia and timber companies erected extensive storage yards in the West Marsh, next to the Alexandra Dock. The Grimsby District Hospital was opened on the West Marsh in 1877. This hospital was demolished during the 1980s and replaced by a new hospital in Scartho Road. In 1879 the foundation stone of South Parade School, was laid and the following year the school began admitting pupils. A second school was established in Macaulay Street during 1880 and the Duke of York Gardens were officially opened in 1894. In 1911 schoolboys, demanding better conditions, went on strike and demonstrated on the streets of the West Marsh. In 1912 the
Grimsby & Immingham Electric Railway The Grimsby & Immingham Electric Railway (G&IER) was an electric light railway, primarily for passenger traffic, linking Great Grimsby with the Port of Immingham in Lincolnshire, England. The line was built by the Great Central Railway (GCR), ...
was established. From a terminus near The Corporation Bridge, the route ran to
Immingham Immingham is a town, civil parish and ward in the North East Lincolnshire unitary authority of England. It is situated on the south-west bank of the Humber Estuary, and is north-west from Grimsby. The region was relatively unpopulated and un ...
via Corporation Road and Gilbey Road. In 1928 Little Coates was absorbed by Grimsby, thereby bringing Gilbey Road, Elsenham Road and nearby streets within the borough boundary. These became part of the West Marsh community. During the late 1940s annual parades were held, with a procession of carts and lorries, one specially decorated for the West Marsh beauty queen. In 1956 the last tram ran from Corporation Bridge, however a bus route continued to serve the area. Buses only however run through the ward and not between community centres, which can be hard to access. At night, and on Sundays and Bank Holidays no buses run.


Community

West Marsh includes the
National Fishing Heritage Centre The Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre is a heritage attraction at Alexandra Dock, Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England, opened in 1991. The attraction is an Arts Council England Accredited Museum and holds a number of awards, including the TripAdvis ...
, the Alexandra Retail Park, Alexandra Dock Business Centre and West Marsh Industrial Estate. The River Freshney runs through the centre of the West Marsh. Situated on its north bank, off Corporation Road, are the Duke of York Gardens. Installed in the gardens is the anchor of the now scrapped
Lincoln Castle Lincoln Castle is a major medieval castle constructed in Lincoln, England, during the late 11th century by William the Conqueror on the site of a pre-existing Roman fortress. The castle is unusual in that it has two mottes. It is one of only ...
passenger ferry that was previously moored in Alexandra Dock. Th
West Marsh Community Centre
on Beeson Street to the north of the River Freshney and opened in 1999, is a community building providing activities including football for young people, dance classes and adult education courses. The gardens at the Community Centre contain a memorial cross to those killed in the First World War. St Hugh's and MAAG Hall Community Centres are on the south side of the river in the West Marsh Macaulay area. Social activities are organised by the West Marsh and St Hugh's community centres, and the Macaulay Area Action Group (MAAG) on Haycroft Avenue. MAAG has published a booklet about the history of the southern part of the West Marsh, between the River Freshney and Cromwell Road. This follows an earlier publication that dealt with the area north of the river. West Marsh Forward is a group, involving residents, which was established to bring funding from the
Neighbourhood Renewal Fund Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF) is a form of Local Government finance in England, launched by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in July 2000. NRF is allocated to multi-agency Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs) in the 88 Local Authority ar ...
(NRF) to projects in the area. Although NRF funding has been withdrawn, the Forward continues as a focus for the area. Grimsby in Bloom now operate from the old bowling green pavilion on the Duke of York Gardens. There was a quarterly community magazine from 2002 to 2008 called ''Riverside'' produced and published by The Community Press Office Ltd and distributed free to 5,000 homes in the West Marsh area. A smaller magazine called ''East Meets West'' then served both the East and West Marsh for several years but then stopped. The Friends of the Freshney was set up in 2004, and holds litter-picks and other events to help improve the park and river. Churches within the West Marsh area are St Hugh's (Church of England) on Haycroft Street and Haven Methodists and Christadelphians on Lord Street The Congregationalists also had a presence in the West Marsh and there was a Scandinavian church in Chapman Street.


Education

Education is provided by Macaulay Infants & Junior School, South Parade Infants & Junior School; and Littlecoates Primary School on Harlow Street – a booklet, ''A Short history of Littlecoates School'', has been produced.


Further reading

*Beal, Sadie; ''Across the Bridge'' *Gillett,Edward; ''A History of Grimsby''. *Drury, Edward; ''The Great Grimsby Story'' *Mickleburgh, Tim; ''A Short history of Littlecoates School'' *Mickleburgh, Tim; ''Macaulay Memories'' *Mickleburgh, Tim; ''The Bully''


References


External links


West Marsh Community WebsiteWest Marsh Community Centre
{{North East Lincolnshire (district) , state=collapsed Populated places in Lincolnshire Geography of Grimsby