Humberston Fitties

In 1900, the area that was to become the Fitties was used by Victorians for the popular new pastime of camping.^[20] In 1901, the Parliamentary Committee of the Cleethorpes Urban Council discussed turning part of the land into a 'recreational facility', potentially as an extension of the golf links. The land's owner at the time, Earl Carrington, was in favour of the proposal.^[21] A new golf course opened in 1908, with Earl Carrington leasing the land to Grimsby and Cleethorpes Golf Club for 99 years.^[22] By 1910, "The Camping Club" and the "Grimsby Rifle Club" was also renting land from the Earl.^[23]

During WWI, the Fitties' dunes were used by the army to build billets for soldiers stationed at the nearby Haile Sands Fort, from where anti-submarine chains with steel netting stretched to the south-east end of the coastline.^[24]

In August 1914, the 3rd Battalion of the Manchester Regiment was stationed at the Fitties, training new recruits, rehabilitating injured soldiers and guarding the coastline between Cleethorpes and Tetney Lock. In 1915, a picket – a small unit of soldiers, placed on a defensive line forward of a friendly position to provide timely warning of enemy approach – was located there. Between 1916 and 1918, men from H Company were billeted there.^[25]

After WWI, with many soldiers have left the army, families moved into disused army huts, followed by holiday makers who stayed in "caravans, buses and railway carriages".^[26] In 1920 Earl Carrington sold his entire Humberston estate, including the Fitties.^[27] In 1921 several bungalows located on the Fitties were washed away after an "abnormal tide".^[28]

In 1925 residents of the former army huts, together with additional makeshift homes, formed the Humberston Fitties Campers' Association. In 1938, Grimsby Rural District Council bought 330 acres of land in the Fitties from C F Crow (who had bought it from the Marquis of Lincolnshire) to create a "first class camping ground, which will attract people to the area",^[29] including those from the Midlands who "do not have access to the sea."^[30]

During WWII 100 acres of the Fitties, which had "laid idle for goodness knows how many years", was used for potato production.^[31]

After WWII, a new layout and drainage system was put in place, together with shops and entertainment – including a mobile fish and chip van, mobile ice-cream van, donkey rides and the taking of "walkie pictures"^[32] (more commonly known as 'walking pictures', commercial photographers would take photographs of people in the street, hand them a card inviting them to a kiosk later in the day to buy a souvenir photo).^[33][34]

By 1947 there were approximately 60 huts and bungalows at the Fitties, with 240 more added over the next nine years.^[35] The Fitties became a hugely popular holiday destination, with a bungalow being a considerably cheaper option than a hotel or boarding house.^[36] As many as 6,000 people could be accommodated.^[37]

In 1950, the Fitties were referred to as "Bungalow Town". The local council fenced off the private property to prevent visitors from trespassing.^[38] In 1952, in an effort to improve local conditions, 50 "structures", including converted buses and trams, were removed from the area.^[39]

A storm surge in 1953 caused the dunes to be breached by the sea, after which remedial action was taken to protect them, including "brush-wood kidding, fencing and marram grass planting."^[40] In 1956 over £6,000 was spent on further erosion prevention.^[41]

In 1958 due to the high risk of flooding the Fitties were deemed a "potentially dangerous area" by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Suggestions to improve safety included creating a "perfect flood warning system", the construction of a sea wall and more groynes^[42] and planting of 2,000 Corsican and Scotch pines to "bind the soil".^[43] However, work was never started, for reasons of cost, and instead the council "agreed that people wishing to rent plots on the Fitties should be told of the risk."^[44]

In the same year, "picturesque water pumps" were replaced by taps,^[45] a recommendation was made that roads be given names and bungalows numbers and 1,300 caravans were added to the 120 acres of land behind the dunes, creating further erosion.^[46]

In 1960, a doctor's surgery, a grocer's shop, a general store and a café with a fish and chip shop were built. £19,000 was spent on more sea defences, including a "low wall of slag over clay, with an asphalt walk on top" together with the purchase of a lifeboat and a loud-hailer.^[47] An additional safety measure was the installation of telegraph poles with a "bosun's chair" on the off-shore sandbanks. The idea was copied from Marshchapel with the hope it would “solve for ever” the danger of people's drowning as they got cut off by the rising tide.^[48]

Also in 1960 the Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway Co. Ltd opened a 2-ft narrow-gauge railway, comprising 600 metres of track leased from Grimsby Rural District Council.^[49] "Britain's shortest public passenger-carrying railway"^[50] was operated by volunteers and ran between North Sea Lane and South Sea Lane stations^[51] offering a daily service during the summer months.^[52] The tracks were bought from the potato-fields railway at Nocton, Lincolnshire.^[53]

In 1961, the Humber Mouth Yacht Club was opened at Tetney Haven.^[54]

In the same year, the dunes were found to have been eroded by two thirds of their length because of strong waves. Around 260 tonnes of broken concrete and slag was used to shore up the weakest points and suggestions were made to further increase its stability, including building a higher and deeper sea wall between the dunes and the camp site, together with a clay bank on the beach.^[55] Between 1961 and 1964 gabions and groynes costing £18,000 were built. However, within two years sand was scoured from the beach and the contents of the groynes washed out.^[56]

In 1961, 20 more acres were added to the Fitties, reflecting its growing popularity.^[57] It was at this time that the residents also established a first aid post because of "the number of untreated or inadequately treated accidents, mostly to children".^[58] In the same year the area was declared part of a coastal conservation area.^[59]

In 1962, approval was given to improve local sewage works provision.^[60] Caravans were also replaced by a "chalet type of dwelling", which was a "welcome improvement".^[61] In the same year permission was given for a clubhouse, the ‘’Foreshore Inn’’, to be built on the site of a former gun emplacement.^[62]

In 1963, a further 21 acres were developed to accommodate 400 more caravans,^[63] and the Humber Mouth Yacht Club (HMYC) opened a clubhouse.^[64] The following year, the HMYC became affiliated with the Royal Yachting Association.^[65]

In 1965, the Royal Life-Boat Institution provided a Zodiac "inshore rescue boat" for a one-year trial.^[66] In the first year it saved the lives of 215 people.^[67] In the summer of 1967, a bus service to the Fitties from Cleethorpes via the zoo was opened. During August alone, it transported over 67,000 passengers.^[68]

In 1968, the area south of the Dutch Wall (which runs parallel to the lagoon)^[69] was developed because of erosion of the sand dunes, and discussions began about restricting access of vehicles to the dunes.^[70] In the same year the idea of creating a nature reserve on a former gravel pit was suggested.^[71] In 1969, 80 acres west of Anthony's Bank were added to the Fitties.^[72]

In 1970, the Lincolnshire Light Railway celebrated its tenth anniversary. It was estimated that during its short life it had carried half a million people between the Fitties and North Sea Lane.^[73] A report commissioned in 1972 said of the Fitties, "Half-hearted commercial development has spoiled the natural area… Excessive vehicular and pedestrian pressure has caused considerable erosion."^[74]

In 1973, the Fitties received a replacement lifeboat, which was called out "within hours of being taken into service" to rescue three children cut off by the tide.^[75] In the same year a proposal was submitted to create a "marina type development" costing £1,500,000.^[76] Nothing came of this.

In 1980, the Cleethorpes Council of Churches provided holidays in the Humberston Fitties for Vietnamese refugees who had arrived in England in late 1979.^[77] In the same year a new Humberston Lifeguard Pavilion was opened.^[78]

In 1982, to reduce erosion from pedestrians, fencing and special grasses were added along a 760-metre stretch of the dunes.^[79]

In 1986, Lord Delfont's "First Leisure Corporation", who already owned Blackpool Tower, was in discussion with Cleethorpes Borough Council to buy the Humberston Fitties for £6 million.^[80] The proposal was met by protests from chalet owners, with one issue being that the council hadn't offered them first refusal to buy their properties freehold.^[81] Negotiations ceased in March 1987 and the council retained ownership of the Fitties.^[82] In August 1987, Cleethorpes Borough Council announced plans to make the Humberston Fitties "Europe’s most up-to-date caravan park" for 1,200 caravans with cable TV, computer and telephone lines for every unit.^[83][84] In December 1989, Whitegate Leisure made a proposal to “transform Humberston Fitties into an up-market holiday village for the 1990s” to be renamed "South Beach Holiday Village". The plans included supermarkets, fast food outlets, a cabaret room, nightclub and fitness centre.^[85] The plans were rejected in 1991.^[86]

In August 1991, Cleethorpes Council received proposals from multiple companies applying to develop the Fitties.^[87] In October it was announced that Bourne Leisure had won the bid, which included a nine-hole golf course, tennis courts, bowling green and indoor swimming pool^[88] and "eventually" 200 new caravans.^[89] The contract was signed in January 1992, giving Cleethorpes Borough Council £350,000 a year.^[90] The site's name changed to "Thorpe Park"^[91] and a heated outdoor swimming pool was built.^[92]

In May 1992, "Caravan Watch" was launched, operating on the same system as the UK's Neighbourhood Watch.^[93]

By 1993, the Fitties' long beach became the site's biggest development, including new "fully-serviced pitches, tarmac roads, street lighting, electricity, water and cables for television and satellite", together with 7,000 trees.^[94] In September 1993, plans to bring electricity to the rest of the 2,000 established pitches were put on hold; at this point older pitches were still using "gas, candles, batteries or their own generators."^[95]

In October 1993, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds created "Humber International Birdwatch"in a large marquee located at Anthony's Bank carpark, including displays from 12 environmental organisations, including Birds of the Humber Trust and Lincolnshire Bird Club.^[96]

By 1994, Bourne Leisure had installed a bowling green and several children's play areas and entertainment centres.^[97] In November, the company proposed that it take over the older development. This was rejected by Cleethorpes Borough Council.^[98]

In November 1995, 800 chalet owners signed a petition to create the "Fitties Conservation Area" through the creation of the "Fitties Preservation Society". The council launched a report which would "take a toothcomb over the site and its heritage, define what is a typical Fitties home… and look at what a conservation order can do to preserve the area's character." There was growing concern that, with an upcoming change to the County Council's structure, the new "Grimsby-based councillors [would not] appreciate what the Fitties were about."^[99]

In March 1996, with support from the Twentieth Century Society, the Fitties were confirmed as a 'Conservation Area', which effectively preserved the 27-hectare site.^[100] Of this status, it was said that, "though the Fitties did not have the elements usually associated with a conversation area, it had a special character and historic interest worth preserving."^[101][102] In 1998, in order to further protect the Fitties, the council passed an Article 4 direction allowing authorities greater control over the area.^[103]

After a "50-year crusade for plug power", the original 330 chalets were connected to three new electric substations in May 1999.^[104] The chalet owners also petitioned the North Lincolnshire Council to be able to fence their properties.^[105]

In 2000, the Fitties were described as "a fascinating maze of unique wooden huts and bungalows, all with a distinctly maritime flavour and each one immaculately maintained."^[106]

In 2016 North East Lincolnshire Council put the Fitties up for sale. A Community Interest Company of residents was formed, which proposed to "finally come together to ensure that [their] needs and way of life in the park are protected as much as possible."^[107] However they were outbid by Ting Dene Lifestyle Parks, who have owned the Fitties since 2017.^[108][109]

• Dowling, A Humberston Fitties: The Story of a Lincolnshire Plotland (2023) Pub. Independent Publishing Network ISBN 9781803527321
• Holmes, G Humberston Fitties: Northern plotlanders determined to live on in face of adversity 9 June 2017, The Independent