Immingham
| Immingham | |
|---|---|
| Population | 12,200 |
| OS grid reference | TA178145 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | IMMINGHAM |
| Postcode district | DN40 |
| Dialling code | 01469 |
| Police | Humberside |
| Fire | Humberside |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
Immingham (sometimes known locally as Ming-Ming[1]) is a town in North East Lincolnshire, located on the south bank of the Humber Estuary. It is six miles (10 km) north west of Grimsby.
Geography
Immingham is sandwiched between the A180 to the south and the A1173 (Manby Road and Kings Road) to the north. From the west, it has no direct link to the A180; access is via the A1173 towards Grimsby, or more conveniently via Brocklesby Interchange and the A160 and through the petrochemical works at South Killingholme (in North Lincolnshire). The A1173 has a spur for the east gate of the docks - Queens Road.
The medieval village of Immingham is on the outskirts of the town to the north west near St Andrews church.
The European route E22 apparently passes through Immingham (this actually refers to the nearby route of the A180 and the A160 via Immingham Dock) and thence on to Amsterdam which implies there is a ferry to Amsterdam. No car ferry of that nature exists but freight transport (lorries) can go with the DFDS Tor line via Immingham Dock to Gothenburg on the AngloBridge line, to Esjberg on the BritanniaBridge Line, to Cuxhaven on the ElbeBridge line, and to Rotterdam (for Route E22) on the ShortBridge line. Sailings go from the DFDS Nordic Terminal which has six Ro-Ro berths; DFDS has been operating from the port since 1992. Immingham is the busiest ferry port on the east coast of England.
Etymology
Anglo Saxons
 | This article's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. (July 2008) |
Although the origin of the name of the town is uncertain it is believed to derive from the Immingas, a tribe who followed an Anglo-Saxon leader by the name of Imminga. Other sources suggest that it was "Imm" (not "Imminga") who was a tribal leader as the derivation of "ham" suggests only a small homestead.[2] Research into families with the surnames associated with "imma" or "emma" show that many seem to have begun their migration across England (mainly northward) from this part of Lincolnshire.
The town, Immingham, has a completely English name which is unusual in an area noted for large-scale Norse settlements. It is made up of three early English (Anglo Saxon) words: “Imm” - a family name; “inga” - of the family; and “ham” meaning homestead. The language suggests that the name of the town could be traced back to the 7th century.
Imm
Little is known about Imm (or Imma / Immer) although Bede referred to him in his writings, circa 731 AD. Bede tells us that in 679 Imm was a Thane (a type of King’s bodyguard) in the service of the 18 year old brother of the King of Northumbria, Elfwin.
As a Thane it was his job to die at the side of his master. In 679 he was involved in a battle not far from Immingham on the River Trent. Elfwin was killed and Imm was left for dead. He later revived and was taken into captivity (being careful to keep his name and title secret). The Mercians who had captured him treated his wounds and when he got better chained him up each night to prevent his escape.
Meanwhile his brother, Tunna, a priest and Abbot of a monastery, assuming his brother dead, had regular prayers and masses said for him.
Mercians
The Mercians had great trouble keeping Imm under captivity and guessed he was more than just a peasant. The Mercian Chief had him closely questioned. Imm agreed to speak if the Chief promised not to kill him. On learning that Imm was a King’s Thane he was furious but could not go back on his word. The Mercians believed Imm was using black magic to escape. But Imm pointed out that his brother was Christian and was probably praying for him and that was the reason for his success.
Because he was such a problem the Mercians sold Imm in London as a slave to a Frisian. The Frisian Islands lie to the north of Holland. This Frisian also found it difficult to keep Imm captive so he allowed him to arrange for his ransom. The King of Kent eventually paid the ransom because he had connections with Imm’s family or associates. Imm went through a number of other adventures before he got back to his own country. On reuniting with his brother, the Abbot confirmed that he had indeed been praying for his brother.[3]
History
Pilgrim Fathers
The town contains a memorial marking the site of the 1608 departure of the Pilgrim Fathers to Holland. The vessel anchored off Killingholme Creek but suffered very bad weather. Due to this the wives asked to be put ashore for the night. The vessel was sailed up Killingholme Creek to just below St. Mary's Parish Church in Immingham - a small depression probably marking this site can still be distinguished at the end of Washdyke Lane. The inhabitants of Immingham agreed to the wives and children sleeping in their Parish Church over night. Unfortunately news of this group reached the authorities who proceeded to come to Immingham and arrest the dessenters. On hearing this, the Captain of the vessel insisted on sailing away before the wives and children could embark. Hence the wives and children were arrested and jailed. Word of this spread throughout the country and very soon a popular protest against this inhumane treatment arose. Due to this popular feeling the wives and children were released and allowed to join their husbands and Fathers in Holland.[4] The vessels sailed to Boston (Lincolnshire) and on to Holland, then to Southampton and finally Plymouth, from where history records the sailings of the Mayflower. From 12 July 2008 until the 19th July 2008, the town held a number of celebrations to mark the 400th anniversary of the pilgrim fathers arrival and departure.
World Wars
During the First World War, Immingham was a submarine base for early submarines.
During the Second World War, Immingham became the shore base (for a time) of Lord Mountbatten and the docks hosted his famous vessel, HMS Kelly. He roomed at the County Hotel.[citation needed]
Squadron Leader John Dowland and Leonard Harrison received the George Cross for defusing a bomb that had fallen onto the grain ship SS Kildare in February 1940 in Immingham Dock.
The Humber Force, part of the Home Fleet which had two cruisers and a destroyer flotilla (including HMS Afridi) was based at Immingham during the war, as well as submarines (including HMS Seal).
Maritime industry
Up until the turn of the 20th century Immingham was a rural village, dependent on agriculture. The advent of the railways encouraged speculators to utilise its location on the coast to build a deep-sea dock to rival that in nearby Kingston upon Hull.
This caused the area to grow as workers moved in; much of the growth in living accommodation was centred around in a narrow strip (now known as Pelham Road) between two public houses at opposite ends of the town, the Bluestone and the County Hotel. The advent of the First World War caused the area to suffer some decline: This was not reversed until the 1950s.
Petrochemical industry
In that decade the docks began to grow as the country recovered from the austerity of the Second World War and the post war years. The expansion of chemical and petroleum industries along the Humber Bank over the next twenty years also fuelled the economic growth and level of population of the town, evident in the architectural style of many houses. This new residential growth expanded on both sides of Pelham Road and in the 1960s a comprehensive school and shopping centre/office complex (Kennedy Way) were opened to facilitate this increase.
Retail centres
In the beginning the Kennedy Way centre was host to a supermarket, many independent traders and several banks; In 1979 it was extended to house a further supermarket and other shop units. However in recent years the centre has been in decline with several outlets remaining empty for many years. Both supermarkets (Kwik Save and Tates Limited [1]) have moved out along with the Midland Bank, although a further supermarket development (Somerfield) on Washdyke Lane is still operational, known as Washdyke Retail Park.
Plans for the redevelopment of the area were published in January 2009. Plans drawn up by the owners Wellway Properties Limited and the supermarket chain Tesco show the partial demolition of the existing area and the creation of a 30,000 sq ft (2,800 m2) superstore in its' place, with the rest of the area being upgraded.[5] The proposed demolition covers properties leased by three banks, several national chains and a number of independent businesses.
One leaseholder, the Yorkshire Bank, has already confirmed they will not be taking up the option on new premises in the development and will close their branch in August 2009 after 40 years of operation.[6]
Sport and leisure
Immingham has a sports centre and swimming pool.
Public houses include the County Hotel and the De Kyme Hotel, as well as smaller establishments such as the Mayflower and Bluestone Inn.
The Town also has an amateur dramatics group, the Pilgrim Player, which is always looking for new members. They perform a number of productions at the town's Civic Centre each year, including a yearly pantomime.
Transport
Being 200 miles from London, Edinburgh and Rotterdam, means that Immingham is central to the UK and Europe. Local motorways connect to all parts of the UK placing 40 million consumers within a 4-hour drive[7]. This area is the busiest in the UK for rail freight with a choice of specialist terminals serving destinations across the country[8].
Immingham is served by the number 45 bus to Grimsby. During the day, there is a bus every 20 minutes. In the evening and on Sundays, the number 46 runs every hour with the service extended to Cleethorpes.
The nearest railway station is at Habrough, approximately three miles away on the Cleethorpes to Manchester line.
Humberside Airport, conveniently located just a few miles from Greater Grimsby, is a key national and international gateway connecting over half a million passengers to 30 destinations every year, with daily flights to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, the world’s third largest international airport[9]. Humberside Airport can be accessed from the junction of the A15 and M180 via the B1210 through Habrough.
Local industry
Along with Grimsby and Cleethorpes, Immingham is part of the the economic area known as Greater Grimsby[10]. The main sectors of the Greater Grimsby economy are food and drink; ports and logistics; renewable energy; chemicals and process industries and digital media.
Energy
Close to Immingham, oil is refined at the Lindsey (at North Killingholme) Oil Refinery by TOTAL and at the Humber Refinery (at South Killingholme) by ConocoPhillips. They both own the Associated Petroleum Terminals. Oil began to be imported in 1970. The Killingholme Refineries opened in 1969, owned by Total and PetroFina. The refined fuel was transported to the rest of the UK by rail. 70% of the refined oil from the Humber Refinery goes to the UK, the rest is for Europe. It is the only coking refinery in Britain, produced by catalytic cracking. In the second half of 2007, an £80m bioethanol fuel plant will be constructed close to the town. The plant will use locally-grown wheat from which to synthesise fuel.[11]Along the A1173 is the Knauf UK GmbH plant that makes plasterboard.
Immingham Power Station powers both petrochemical works to the north, being owned by ConocoPhillips. To the north of the petrochemical works is Killingholme Power Station owned by E.ON UK and Centrica and three miles (5 km) to the east on the Humber bank is the South Humber Bank Power Station, owned by Centrica. In April 2009 Drax Power held public exhibitions in the area that detailed their proposal for a 300MW renewable energy plant to be fuelled by biomass.
Digital Media
Immingham is at the heart of the emerging centre of digital media in Greater Grimsby, with award-winning companies and state-of-the-art facilities. Partnerships with Sony, BBC, ITV and the Press Association enable the area to deliver programming that reaches millions across Europe[12]. Immage Studios is a state-of-the art production centre and hub of creative TV, broadcast technology and new media innovation. The studios, based in Immingham and owned by the Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education, consist of a 2,700 sq ft broadcast TV studio with full production support, HD edit suites and a digital broadcast transmission facility. The studio building is home to Propeller TV and Channel 7 Television and outputs over 3,500 hours of broadcast programming a year to the SKY satellite and Virgin Media cable platforms.
Docks
The first sod of Immingham Dock was cut in 1906, and was opened by King George V on 22 July 1913. In part funded by the Great Central Railway, the dock property was 2.5 miles (4.0 km) by 1-mile (2 km); covering 1,000 acres (4 km2), with 45 acres (180,000 m2) of water.[13]
The docks were connected to the town and mainline by the Grimsby & Immingham Electric Railway, with locomotive servicing at Immingham TMD.
Now owned by Associated British Ports, Immingham is home to the largest deep-sea docks in the country.[citation needed] A large port and industrial complex, coal is imported through the port by SSM Coal Ltd. The port partnership of Grimsby & Immingham is the largest port in the UK in terms of tonnage, with a total traffic of 57 million tonnes, 10% of the total, in 2006.
Much overseas coal for the Aire Valley and Trent Valley power stations arrives in this country at Immingham and is transferred via FirstGBRf.
The large Immingham Railfreight Terminal to service the docks, also acts as a storage point for excess locomotives and wagons, as well as a scrapping location.[citation needed]
Schools
Oasis Academy: Immingham, formerly known as The Immingham School, was opened in the 2007/08 academic year, to be run by the Oasis Trust.[14] The new, state of the art, academy buildings were opened on 6 January 2009. They include facilities such as a car maintenance workshop and a radio and TV studio and cost around £28 million. Immingham School had been put under special measures in 2005. There is also the Allerton, Canon Peter Hall (former St Andrews and Pelham Infants) CE and Coomb Briggs primary schools,[15] as well as the Eastfield primary school.[16]
Notable people
- Graham Cardwell - faked his own death at the port.
- Sean Storey - snooker player
References
- ^ British Antarctic Survey - 26 October 2002 - Arrival in Immingham
- ^ "Key to English Place-Names" a database maintained at the Institute for Name-Studies, School of English, The University of Nottingham. http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/
- ^ Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, Book IV, Chapter XXII, by Venerable Bede. http://www.humanitiesweb.org/human.php?s=i&p=c&a=p&ID=28051&c=776
- ^ Chris Sharp, August/September 2001 issue of British Heritage. Also, "The Pilgrims’ Faith" by Peter Toon, Gospel Communication, 1970, http://www.anglicanbooksrevitalized.us/Peter_Toons_Books_Online/History/pilgrimsfaith.htm
- ^ http://www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk/news/Shopping-development-big-boost-Immingham/article-653146-detail/article.html
- ^ http://www.humberbusiness.com/news/Jobs-saved-axe-falls-bank/article-953829-detail/article.html
- ^ http://www.ports-uk.com/presentations/Simon%20Brett.ppt
- ^ http://www.nelincs.gov.uk/transportstreets/Transport+and+Logistics+-+Rail.htm
- ^ http://www.humbersideairport.com/huyweb.nsf/Content/AboutUsandOurGroup
- ^ Business Welcomes Rebrand - http://www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk/news/Vision-welcomed/article-881734-detail/article.html
- ^ Farming UK - Centaur welcomes £80m biofuels boost for local farmers
- ^ http://www.grimsby.ac.uk/GIFHE-Life/Facilities/Immage-Studios
- ^ immingham
- ^ Oasis Academy: Immingham
- ^ Coomb Briggs
- ^ Eastfield primary school
External links
- Port of Immingham
- Immingham.org.uk
- Channel Seven Television
- The church
- Immingham Town Council
- Real-time location of ships in Immingham Dock
- New terminal opens in 2006
- Busiest ports in the country
- Immingham south bank players