Part of Grimsby
since  1856

The arrival of the railway in the mid-19th century signalled the start of a period of incredible development. Grimsby’s fresh fish could finally be transported to the capital, and onwards around the country, with relative ease. 

 

No.1 Fish Dock was authorised in 1854 and completed in 1856 by Sissons - a contract worth £6,996.  It was constructed to the east of the Royal Dock, which had just had its majestic Dock Tower officially opened by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and it incorporated the floodgates of the original cofferdam.  

 

The dock's lock was 80 by 20 feet (24.4 by 6.1 m) with a depth at high spring tides of 15.5 feet (4.7 m). The dock's sides were built from chalkstone and covered sloped clay, with a one in three rise. At the south side a 400 feet (120 m) timber wharf was built, which was rail connected by a sunken line, allowing direct loading of wagons from the wharf.   

 

No.2 Fish Dock arrived in 1878, expanded to the south to accommodate the growing number of steam trawlers. 

 

Services continued to be added. Ice production to the west, peaking at 1,200 tonnes a day; coal dispatched for fuel on the service quay. Keeping vessels ship-shape and ensuring their catch was in pristine condition, and fetched a good price, was the primary concern for decades. 

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Records show an early fish market on the dock was destroyed by fire in the final months of the First World War, with contracts for new markets awarded as peace dawned.  West side, valued at £43,878 and to the north, £13,113, with all works complete by 1923. 

 

As peace returned, the golden era of deep-water fishing was arriving, with No.3 Fish Dock added in 1934, substantially expanding capacity as land was reclaimed from the Humber Estuary. World War Two slowed progress, vessels and crew of an increasingly prominent port, requisitioned and repurposed. 

 

In 1956 – 100 years on from the initial dock’s opening, Grimsby was described as “the world’s premier fishing port”. Some journey from smacks sailing from the haven.  It came at a time of great celebration, marking the centenary and the decision from the town’s Ross Trawlers Ltd, to build a new state-of-the-art class of fishing vessels, with record catches going on to delight the town’s industry. It was a boon for the wider regional economy too, with vessels built in Selby, and powerful diesel engines procured from Lincoln. 

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One of the last survivors of those incredible days, The Ross Tiger, is proudly moored beside Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre as a floating museum artefact of immense sentimental value – a must visit for those interested in the town’s history. A sister vessel in the fleet, Ross Revenge, became the floating studio for pirate station Radio Caroline, launching many a sparkling DJ career in the early Eighties. It boasted the largest broadcasting mast ever installed on a vessel, and was permanently at sea between 1983 and 1991.  But it had been the sound of the fish hold being swung open on the return to the town that made its mark on what we now know as Port of Grimsby East.  

 

Cod wars leading to the expansion of Icelandic territorial waters, strict European quotas and industrial shifts led to a slow, and often painful, decline for the fishing industry, but the legacy of its heyday has ensured the town remains one of Europe’s largest seafood processing centres and a gateway to the UK retail market.

 

The concentration of cold storage, value-added operations and expert engineering has ensured it will remain vital to the UK food sector, with a ‘new’ Grimsby Fish Market at its heart. With multiple interests involved in its conception and delivery, a company with shareholders representing those interests was formed to ensure its success - this company. 

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Built new on some of the reclaimed No.1 Fish Dock in the early Nineties, the £15 million investment, opened in 1996, remains a key touchpoint for the town’s proud industry. It has been a constant in Grimsby’s switch from fishing giant to global seafood hub, transforming its services to suit the supply chains it plays a crucial role within on the journey from sea to plate.   

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When launched, it didn’t just bring some of the dock's disparate  auctions under the same roof for the first time, but under an actual roof in some cases. And from a single vast shed with vital quayside and kerbside access, it has evolved into a sophisticated operation with temperature-controlled zones and chiller rooms, grading and other vital logistical elements, thanks to further significant investment in 2012. 

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Grimsby Fish Market carries the latest certifications as demanded by food retailers, and also acts as a strategic trans-shipment facility for international seafood purchases between third parties. 

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Out on the water, with a modest fleet of near shore fishing vessels still active, there has been a renaissance of activity for over two decades now. The first port on the Humber capitalised on the twin advantages of geography and infrastructure, mixed with a heady dose of maritime urgency to embrace a brand new industry. Port of Grimsby East is proud to be the launchpad for what is now an offshore wind operations and maintenance centre of excellence, with GFDG’s investment in training and vessel repair facilities adding further weight to that crown.  

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Grimsby, again, leading the world.