We have something to get off our chests. “It’s not so Grim in Grimsby!”. There’s no denying that our North East Lincolnshire town has had some tough times – mainly due to the decline in its fishing industry. But Great Grimsby has been unfairly maligned by too much undeserved bad press, and as a result has been too often the butt of jokes over the years. With so much unjust negativity it’s no surprise that its townfolk and visitors are sometimes guilty of believing the stereotyped rubbish that’s written about it. We’re here to set the record straight and to tell you to ignore the following: clickbait lists like ‘top ten worst places to live in the UK’, poverty porn TV like Skint and Benefit Street, and last but by no means least Sacha Baron Cohen’s movie (which was filmed in Tilbury, Essex). All of it can go straight in the bin!
Lately the town has seen major investment, regeneration and growth: the massive investment in offshore wind in the North Sea has seen major energy companies such as Orsted and RWE flock to the Grimsby Docks to establish the town as the world leading hub for offshore wind turbine operations and maintenance. There has been a substantial investment in culture from the Cultural Developement Fund, and the government’s Town’s Fund deal has seen nearly £20 million invested around the Town centre. Add to that the imminent Freeport status, the huge investment in Carbon Capture and Storage, the zero carbon Humber initiative and great news stories like the success of intelligent charger manufacturer myenergi and Grimsby Town FC being taken over by two of the UK’s most impressive business men, there is now a real buzz of excitement, growth and change that has given local entrepreneurs the boost in confidence to open many new businesses. In fact in the year Docks Beers opened (2018), 915 new companies were registered in the Grimsby-area, the most new businesses to open in the whole of Lincolnshire!
With the positive winds of change blowing through our town we thought it was high time we provided the ’10 Best Things To Do in Grimsby’. It’s for visitors, incomers and existing residents alike and it spotlights 10 fabulous attractions which you would be mad not to visit. So here goes….
Yes we’re biased, but Tripadvisor doesn’t lie! We are officially number one on their list of things to do in Grimsby, we are also winners of the coveted Tripadvisor Traveller’s Choice award. Moreover we are restaurantguru.com’s top rated pub and bar in Grimsby (out of 168). With the recent addition of Mockingbird chicken and vegan chicken fast food we are the first venue you should visit for beer and bites. Why not pop in to see what all the fuss is about? We brew our own craft beer and lager in a magnificent church close to the town’s famous Docks. Our brewing area is in full view of our taproom so customers can watch our brewers hard at work making up to 30,000 pints a week and get a real idea of the work involved in brewing our high quality Lincolnshire craft beers. We are open 7 days a week, serve a full range of wines, spirits and ciders with children welcome until 7pm and dogs permitted all day and night! We sell draft, canned and bottled beer at the taproom and via our online shop, we are the exclusive outlet for Pettits Lincolnshire Sausages plus Docks Beers branded T-Shirts, Caps, Beanies and gifts. Our brewery tours which include beer tasting run every Sunday. For more info look at www.docksbeers.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
This amazing venue, on the first floor of the Docks Beers’ church has a stellar line-up of gigs, artists and events for the year ahead. It’s an amazing space for live music, comedy and art exhibitions with vaulted ceilings and arched windows. It is a flexible venue in a heritage building that is equally at home hosting a headlining indie band, a major conference or a sporting showcase such as the 6 Nations Super Saturday finale. It has played host to gigs from the likes of The Hoosiers, Stereo MCs, Red Rum Club, Russell Kane and Lloyd Griffith.
For more information about this cultural, creative hub which provides engagement with the arts for North East Lincolnshire and for a list of upcoming events check out the website www.docksacademy.com, or follow on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
Here you can experience the sights, sounds and smells of Great Grimsby as the ‘World’s premier fishing port’. Discover life for British trawlermen in a job described as ‘the most dangerous peacetime occupation in the UK’. Climb aboard the historic ‘Ross Tiger’ trawler to experience the conditions aboard one of the earliest surviving diesel powered side-trawlers. Fishing has often been described as one of the toughest jobs in the world. The Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre aims to take you back 60 years to discover life for our trawlermen and their families, both at home and at sea. Bring along the whole family and experience the sights, sounds, smells and even the movements of life as a 1950’s trawlerman. Their interactive displays are either carefully recreated or made from original trawler fixtures and fittings, accurately reassembled within the attraction!
Find this attraction at Alexandra Dock, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, DN31 1UZ or contact them by emailing fhc@nelincs.gov.uk, or by telephone on 01472 323345. Visit www.fishingheritage.com, the Fishing Heritage Centre on social media on Facebook www.facebook.com/FishingHeritageCentreGrimsby on Twitter @GrimsbyFishing
The Grimsby Ice Rink is the local venue and charity for all sorts of ice sports, competitions, parties and cool activities. A great place to have fun with the family and spend some time together whilst exercising. This well-kept, indoor ice rink (the only one in Lincolnshire!) has a wide range of equipment, including skate hire, skates for people with disabilities and specially trained coaches. The rink is inside the Grimsby Leisure Centre, which is a multi-use sports facility very close to Grimsby Town Centre.
You find out more at their website www.grimsbyicerink.com/, their Facebook page www.facebook.com/grimsbyicerinkcommunity or Twitter @grimsbyicerink
Alfred Enderby has been smoking salmon and haddock in its traditional way for over 100 years. Their traditional smokehouse on Grimsby Docks, has distinctive ornate iron cowls, is roughly a century old, with two generations of the Enderby family involved in running it for two-thirds of that time. Their Grimsby Traditional Smoked Haddock is recognised internationally. It has Protected Geographical Status, which means the only haddock smoked the traditional way in Grimsby can be called Grimsby Traditional Smoked Haddock. Pop into their smokehouse on the Grimsby docks, marvel at their smoking chimneys, and purchase some of their amazing smoked fish from their in-house shop.
For more information go to their website www.alfredenderby.co.uk or follow them on Instagram www.facebook.com/alfredenderby or Twitter @EnderbySalmon
This is a surprising attraction within the former police cells of Grimsby Town Hall. It will take you on a time travel journey to uncover the town’s colourful past. As you pass through dark, twisting corridors you will be able to explore mysterious nooks and crannies and make your way up and down winding stairs. You will discover the town’s treasures as you piece together the jigsaw that reveals how Grimsby developed. The old Police cells and prisoner exercise area have been transformed into the Time Trap museum which maps the development of the town into the largest fishing port in the world. It gives brief historical insight into many aspects of local life and shows how this development was fashioned by Law and Order, Disease and Death and indeed The Violence of Politics amongst many other things.
For more information see – www.nelincs.gov.uk/culture-events-and-tourism/time-trap/ or their Facebook page.
This beautiful church in the centre of Grimsby town is at the heart of our borough, both geographically and spiritually. Formerly known as St James’ or Grimsby Parish Church, the Minster in its present style dates from building work begun by the Augustinian Abbot and Canons of Wellow Abbey around 1230 AD. As a Church of England place of worship, Grimsby Minster offers a wide range of Sunday and weekday services. Grade One Listed, a visit will lead you via architecture and artefact to discover and value the heritage preserved and reflected within its walls. But it is also a vibrant and inspiring community resource which welcomes visitors to enjoy its varied programme of concerts, arts, exhibitions and theatre performances. They have even staged experiential cinema and played host to the Moon. The Minster also houses an excellent coffee shop.
For more info see their website – www.grimsbyminster.com for opening times and more details. They also have a Facebook account www.facebook.com/grimsbyminster and Twitter @grimsbyminster.
This wonderful theatre based on Cleethorpes Road in Grimsby is a gem. Run by the ‘Caxton Players’ as a society. It’s beginnings were in 1940, when three members of the Grimsby Evening Telegraph staff decided to put on a play, to counteract the depression of the times. In 1943, a new society was formed because there were so few members of the Evening Telegraph left. The name ‘Caxton’ was suggested because of the connection with printing. The society has continued to thrive and is the only society in North East Lincolnshire with its own theatre. The intimate auditorium seats 174 people and the society produces eight main-house productions per year. These productions last for seven performances – Saturday to Saturday (excluding Sunday), and are produced every six to seven weeks. They also put on smaller productions, normally for two or three nights, in the bar area – the Studio Bar.
For more information go to www.caxtontheatre.com or like them on Facebook www.facebook.com/Thecaxtontheatregrimsby.
Who does not know Grimsby’s famous waterborne pub? The Barge is a Grimsby institution and should be visited by all. It’s unique – a former grain barge floating in a dock on a slight tilt! It is a much loved Grimsby landmark with a good selection of ales and first class food. Monday night Quiz is a hoot. There is also outdoor drinking on the dockside and its outside drinking area is a great place to watch Grimsby go about its business. But beware the barge’s lean to starboard. It lets you know it’s a boat and you may well need your sea legs to get to the bar, and to navigate its stairs!
For more info go to www.thebargegrimsby.co.uk, like them on Facebook or follow on Twitter @thebargegrimsby.
People’s Park is a beautiful, well cared for green space that is well worth a visit. It has a children’s playground, a rose garden, a gorgeous lake with ducks and other fowl, and a cafe with really friendly staff. It is popular with families for walks and dog walking. There are plenty of paths and a stunning tree lined avenue which runs all around the outer periphery. There is an immaculate bowling green which is used regularly in the summer and autumn, and there is also croquet pitch. The bowling clubhouse is turned into a cafe in summer months. You will find easy parking on Park Drive, a semi circular street of magnificent Edwardian homes which is worth the trip alone.
