West Marsh - History

History

For centuries the boundary between Grimsby's West Marsh and the parish of Little Coates lay roughly along the line formed by present day Pywipe Road and Boulevard Avenue. The West Marsh was used as common land, however around 1514 this land was subject to an act of enclosure 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.

Various religious denominations established churches in the area. These included Saint Paul's in Corporation Road and Saint Hugh's in Haycroft Street (Church of England); Saint Peter's in Watkin Street (Roman Catholic); South Parade and Alexandra Road (Wesleyan Methodists); Flottergate and Lord Street (Primitive Methodists). The Congregationalists also had a presence in the West Marsh and there was a Scandinavian church in Chapman Street.

In 1912 the Grimsby & Immingham Electric Railway was established. From a terminus near The Corporation Bridge, the route ran to Immingham 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.

In 1999 the West Marsh Community Centre opened on Armstrong Street. Since then it has been the main community building north of the river. Activities held here include football for young people, musical theatre classes in the form of a group called Stage Stompers and computer courses. On the other side of the River, in an area known as West Marsh Macaulay, St.Hugh's Community Centre and the MAAG Hall are the two dominant community centres. The heart of the west Marsh is the River Freshney, and the Duke of York Gardens through which it flows.