Administrative Boundary of North East Lincolnshire

About North East Lincolnshire

North East Lincolnshire is a unitary authority on the southern shore of the Humber Estuary in northeastern England, encompassing the towns of Grimsby and Cleethorpes. With a population of approximately 159,000 (2021 Census), North East Lincolnshire has historically been defined by the fishing industry and is now positioning itself as a national leader in offshore wind energy. History and Heritage Grimsby — one of the twin towns at the heart of North East Lincolnshire — was for much of the 20th century the largest fishing port in the world. At the height of its dominance in the 1950s, Grimsby's deep-sea trawler fleet sailed to the distant fishing grounds of Iceland, Bear Island, Greenland, and the Barents Sea, employing thousands of fishermen and many more in shore-based processing, ice production, net-making, and ancillary trades. The National Fishing Heritage Centre tells this story with compelling authenticity, preserving the voices, artefacts, and experiences of the fishing community. The industry was devastated by the Cod Wars — a series of diplomatic disputes with Iceland between 1958 and 1976 over fishing rights in Icelandic waters. Each successive Cod War extended Iceland's exclusive fishing zone from 4 miles to 200 miles, progressively excluding British trawlers from the richest fishing grounds. The loss of the distant-water fleet imposed severe and lasting social and economic hardship on Grimsby that continues to shape the town to the present day. Grimsby Dock Tower, completed in 1852 and standing 94 metres tall, is one of the most distinctive structures in the northeast of England. Built to maintain hydraulic pressure for the dock gates, it was modelled on the Palazzo Pubblico in Siena, Italy. It is a Grade I listed building and a celebrated symbol of Grimsby's Victorian maritime ambitions. The town's name is of Scandinavian origin — "Grimr's by" in Old Norse, meaning Grimr's settlement. Danish and Norse settlers established trading communities along this coast in the 9th and 10th centuries, and the town's regular market, mentioned in records from the 13th century, reflects its enduring commercial importance. Cleethorpes, adjoining Grimsby to the east, developed as a seaside resort from the 1860s when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway brought day-trippers from the industrial towns of the East Midlands. The broad sandy beach, pier (opened 1873, extended to 1,200 feet), and seafront amusements have made Cleethorpes a popular coastal destination for over 150 years. Offshore Wind Energy North East Lincolnshire has reinvented itself as one of the UK's most important hubs for offshore wind energy. Ørsted, the Danish energy company and world leader in offshore wind, has its UK headquarters in Grimsby and operates multiple wind farms in the North Sea from the port. The Humber Gateway wind farm, Race Bank, Lincs, and several others are serviced from here. Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy operates from the port area. The offshore wind sector has created thousands of direct and indirect jobs, and Grimsby has been styled the "Offshore Wind Capital of the UK." The Food Industry Food processing, a legacy of the fishing era, remains a significant employer. Young's Seafood — one of the UK's leading seafood brands — has major operations in Grimsby. The broader food manufacturing and cold storage sector employs thousands across the borough. Geography North East Lincolnshire covers approximately 192 square kilometres on flat coastal land at the mouth of the Humber. The coastline includes sandy beaches at Cleethorpes and dune systems of ecological significance. The Humber Estuary bordering the borough to the north is internationally designated for its importance to migratory and wintering birds. Population and Demographics The 2021 Census recorded 159,000 residents. The borough has significant areas of deprivation, particularly in inner Grimsby, reflecting the long-term consequences of deindustrialisation. The population is predominantly White British. GIS and Boundary Data The administrative boundary of North East Lincolnshire unitary authority is available for free download in GeoJSON and KML formats, sourced from the ONS Open Geography Portal (Crown copyright 2024). Compatible with QGIS, ArcGIS, Mapbox, and Google Earth, the data supports coastal management, energy sector planning, port logistics, demographic analysis, and environmental research across the North East Lincolnshire local authority area.

📍 Administrative boundary of North East Lincolnshire county