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Mablethorpe

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Mablethorpe
Population11,700 (with Sutton)
OS grid referenceTF506850
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townMABLETHORPE
Postcode districtLN12
Dialling code01507
PoliceLincolnshire
FireLincolnshire
AmbulanceEast Midlands
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Lincolnshire

Mablethorpe is a small seaside town in East Lindsey on the coast of Lincolnshire, England.

Geography

Several small caravan parks exist around Mablethorpe. The town is administered with Sutton-on-Sea and Trusthorpe, as the civil parish of Mablethorpe and Sutton. The former parish of Mablethorpe covers a reactangular area inland along the A1104 Alford Road towards Maltby le Marsh as far as the boundary between the LN12 and LN13 postcode at Grange Leisure Park[1] where Earl's Bridge crosses West Bank. The southern boundary of the former parish follows the Trusthorpe Drains which are crossed at Bamber's Bridge on Mile Lane. Out towards Alford near Strubby was the former RAF Strubby, now called Strubby Airfield. To the north is the parish of Theddlethorpe St Helen, which is much bigger in geographic area than the former parish of Mablethorpe, extending up to the River Great Eau at Saltfleetby. The town is the eastern terminus of the A52. However, the town is best accessed via the A1104 and A16 through Alford. The A157 to Louth is the sixth bendiest[2] road in the UK.

History

Mablethorpe Hall

Mablethorpe has been in existence for many centuries although part of it was lost to the sea in the 1540s. For example, records of the Fitzwilliam family of Mablethorpe Hall date back to the 1300s. In the 19th century it was also a centre for ship breaking during the winter. Mablethorpe Hall is to the west of the town along Alford Road. It is near the parish church of St Mary. The Mablethorpe church group also includes Trusthorpe.

Lifeboat

In 1883 the first lifeboat station was built in Mablethorpe. The station ran until the First World War when it temporarily closed due to not having a full crew. After the War the station was closed permanently due to a continuing shortage of crew until 1965 when an inshore lifeboat (ILB) station was established. The town has a new lifeboat station.

Tennyson

The town was visited by Alfred Lord Tennyson in the 19th century.

D. H. Lawrence

Mablethorpe is the destination for the Morel family's first holiday in the 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 Morel's house rang with excitement."

Floods

In January 1953 Mablethorpe was hit by the disastrous East Coast floods.

Transport

Along with many small seaside villages and some inland towns and villages, Mablethorpe lost its railway station in 1970 due to the Beeching Axe. Skegness, however, kept its railway. Mablethorpe only retained the miniature railway[3] in Queen's Park.[4]

Commercial trade

Shopping

There are three supermarkets in the town: One is operated by Lidl, one by the Co-op, and the third David's Supermarket is an independent supermarket running under the Nisa-Today's fascia. There is also a Heron for cheap, frozen foods. There are also some independent retailers, geared largely towards selling cheap gifts and novelties for Mablethorpe's tourist trade.

Banks

The town is host to three banks; HSBC, Barclays and Lloyds TSB.

Leisure

Mablethorpe Beach near Seal Sanctuary

Attractions at the resort include a small fairground, with a few rides, and the beach. Its beach is long, wide and flat, and separated from the town by a narrow strip of large sand-dunes. Golden Sands Holiday Park is on Quebec Road.

A sand train operates to take visitors to the north end of the beach.

In 2008 the old Dunes FEC was changed to Sharky's Bar and FEC after a £500,000 refit. With high quality fittings and sea views the building is the best it has ever been. It now has a kids indoor bouncy play area and indoor kids go karts.http://www.sharkysfun.com sharkys fec]

In May 2008 a small, free-to-use, skatepark was opened in Mablethorpe. It is situated on the seafront opposite The Beck pub on Quebec Road.[5] The park is host to a small funbox, a spine, and two quarter-pipes. A much larger, better featured indoor park exists in the nearby coastal town of Skegness, however it is not free to use.

Landmarks

Just over a mile to the north-east of the town, near the Seal Sanctuary, is the large Theddlethorpe Gas Terminal, which supplies 5% of the UK's gas. To the west is the Bambers wind farm which opened in November 2004 and has 8 turbines which produce 5MWe. The Bambers II windfarm, an extension of the first, opened in November 2006 producing 5MWe with 6 turbines. The two turbines at Mablethorpe wind farm, which produce 1.2MWe, were the first wind turbines in Lincolnshire when they were built in July 2002. All three are owned by Ecotricity and situated at the corner of West Bank and the Trusthorpe Drains. The Star of the East is on the sea front.

Media

The local weekly newspaper is the Mablethorpe Leader.[6] Radio coverage for Lincolnshire is provided by BBC Radio Lincolnshire and Lincs FM.

Local terrestrial television coverage is provided by BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire and ITV Yorkshire (previously known as Yorkshire Television).

Education

Primary schools

  • Mablethorpe Community Primary School[7]

Secondary schools

  • Mablethorpe Tennyson High School[8]

Events

Mablethorpe hosts the UK's only beach hut festival Bathing Beauties in September every year.[9] Owners of private beach huts compete in exterior design as well as poetry, music and drama performances.[10]

  • Upper High Street's premier shopping and chippy
    Upper High Street's premier shopping and chippy
  • Early morning High Street looking out to Quebec Road and Mablethorpe's beach front
    Early morning High Street looking out to Quebec Road and Mablethorpe's beach front
  • Indoor market and Chinese restaurant amongst High Street's shopping
    Indoor market and Chinese restaurant amongst High Street's shopping
  • Mablethorpe shopping stores on High Street
    Mablethorpe shopping stores on High Street
  • Sea view telescope looking out from Mablethorpe's central beach area (2005)
    Sea view telescope looking out from Mablethorpe's central beach area (2005)
  • 'Ye Olde Curiosity Museum', Sue's Museum of Collectables, Mablethorpe
    'Ye Olde Curiosity Museum', Sue's Museum of Collectables, Mablethorpe
  • Beach shop at north end of Mablethorpe's beach (also known as Golden Sands)
    Beach shop at north end of Mablethorpe's beach (also known as Golden Sands)
  • Sand Train during summer 2007.
    Sand Train during summer 2007.
  • Spanish City during summer 2007.
    Spanish City during summer 2007.

References

  1. ^ Grange Leisure Park
  2. ^ Louth has the sixth bendiest road - BBC News
  3. ^ miniature railway
  4. ^ Queens Park
  5. ^ The Beck
  6. ^ Mablethorpe Leader
  7. ^ Mablethorpe Community Primary School
  8. ^ Mablethorpe Tennyson High School
  9. ^ Bathing Beauties
  10. ^ beach huts


News items

Video clips

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