Grimsby

Grimsby, town and seaport, unitary authority of North East Lincolnshire, historic county of Lincolnshire, eastern England. It is situated on the south side of the River Humber estuary, 6 miles (10 km) from the North Sea.

Although it was important as a medieval market town near a small harbor on the Humber, Grimsby initially failed to develop as a port. In 1800, however, the diversion of the small River Freshney into a dock north of the town solved the problem of silting, and Grimsby became a fishing port. Railway access in the mid-19th century stimulated the extension of docks beyond the foreshore and toward the channel. Grimsby became the country’s premier fishing port by the middle of the 20th century, though its importance subsequently declined; the industry is now commemorated in the Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre. Grimsby also became a leading center for food processing. Chemical factories and other industries lie along the Humber estuary. Grimsby is an administrative and service center, and it, together with the adjacent town of Cleethorpes, provides the main shopping and educational facilities for much of northern Lincolnshire. Pop. (2011) 88,243; (2021) 85,911.