Group visits

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Group visits

We welcome groups of all sizes and ages, whether that’s for a day trip or as part of a longer stay exploring our coastal location. We’re also the perfect base if you’re planning to visit the wider Lincolnshire Wolds or Hull and the East Yorkshire Wolds. Whether you’re a tour operator, coach operator or group organiser, we have a range of attractions and things to do for groups in North East Lincolnshire to suit most interests. 

Things to do

We have a number of activities and attractions suitable for groups, some offering group discounts.

You might want to enjoy the four miles of golden sandy beach or experience our amazing fish & chips.  Ride the mini train, one of Cleethorpes’ favourite family activity. If heritage and culture are things you like doing a visit to the Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre is a must-do along with a visit to Immingham Museum located a few miles from the main town.

If food and drink is of interest, you could take a brewery tour or for something different visit a smokehouse on Grimsby Docks and see how haddock and salmon are smoked in the traditional way.  Grimsby Traditional Smoked Haddock is recognised internationally and has Protected Geographical Status.

Itineraries

Cleethorpes and the wider North East Lincolnshire area have so much to offer and Discover North East Lincolnshire has put together some itinerary suggestions to give group organisers ideas of what their groups can experience in our wonderful coastal area.

Take in the sea air and stroll our promenades

Start your day wandering along the promenades.  We’ve over four miles of golden sandy beach to enjoy, and Cleethorpes Beach was awarded Instagram’s #1 most beautiful location outside London in 2018. 

  • Wander along the promenades, stopping at Pier Gardens to enjoy the coastal views. 
  • Visit the North Promenade area home to paddleboarding specialists and traditional seaside amusements.
  • Experience our amazing fish & chips!  Choose a takeaway to enjoy on the seafront or choose one of the many restaurants including the ‘world’s largest fish and chip restaurant’ based at our recently renovated Pier.
  • Watch the wildlife! As the gateway of the Humber Estuary, our coastline is important to a wide variety of birds. Providing a vital staging post for migratory birds, over 150,000 feed here during winter months alone.
  • Explore the shops including Sea View Street and their range of independent boutique shops, bars and restaurants.
  • Stop for lunch whether for a 3-course meal or quick stop for a sandwich there’s a variety of excellent restaurants, cafes and bars in the resort.
  • Ride the mini train! Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway has operated for more than seventy years and is one of Britain’s oldest seaside miniature railways.

Immerse yourself in our coastal heritage

  • Learn about our fishing heritage at the award winning Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre where you can discover life for British trawlermen in a job described as the most dangerous peacetime occupation in the UK. Climb aboard the historic Ross Tiger trawler to experience the conditions aboard one of our earliest surviving diesel side-trawlers.
  • Discover Grimsby’s Time Trap Museum, a surprising attraction within the former police cells of Grimsby Town Hall.
  • Coffee and cake stop at one of the many coffee shops and cafes in the town.
  • Visit Alfred Enderby Grimsby (pre-booking required for tours) and see the smoking process of fish using honoured old traditions which led to the Protected Geographical Indication award for ‘Grimsby Traditional Smoked Fish’.
  • Visit our newest craft brewery and taproom, Docks Beers, (pre-booking required for tours) the first commercial brewery in Grimsby for over 50 years and learn about the process followed by a tasty tipple of their artisan beers.
  • A short drive out of town is Waltham Windmill, an iconic six storied, six sailed working mill built in 1878.  Also on site is the Museum of Rural Life featuring many exhibits from the 1930s and 1940s and incorporating the RAF Grimsby exhibition, a miniature railway and several unique craft units.
  • We have many parks, woods and open spaces to enjoy in North East Lincolnshire.  A short stroll from Grimsby town centre lies the lovely Victorian People’s Park with its 23-acre grounds with a central lake playing host to mallard, coot and Canada geese. The large grassed area is perfect for a picnic and recreational games. The park has a café, play area, two bowling greens and a croquet lawn.  Designated a local nature reserve, Weelsby Woods is an open space with grassland, woods, play facilities and car parking.  

Uncover Immingham’s connection to the Pilgrims of America

More than 30 million people can trace their ancestry to the 102 passengers and 30+ crew who sailed on the Mayflower ship for a new life in the New World.  In 1620 this group of people, who would become known as the Pilgrims, sought freedom to practice their religion and opportunity across the Atlantic. In the process many believe they laid the foundations for modern America.  Some of the passengers on this ship came from neighbouring Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and South Yorkshire before first escaping to Holland then later deciding to sail to America to establish one of the earliest colonies there.  It was in this region of England that these people formed their ideas and plans for new lives, deciding to separate from the Church to form their own church at a time when this was illegal.

  • Explore Immingham Museum and learn about the town’s history and its connection to the momentous voyage. 
  • Visit St Andrew’s church and the nearby Pilgrim Monument. Discover why some of the Pilgrims took shelter in the church.
  • Wander around the Mayflower Wood Walk and discover the countryside with a 3½-mile walk to the north of Immingham starting at St Andrew’s church.

South of Immingham you will find the stunning Lincolnshire Wolds.  Rolling hills with pretty English villages showcasing some of England’s finest countryside.

Enjoy the great outdoors

Along the stretch of the Cleethorpes coastline and across North East Lincolnshire, there are lots of opportunities to get out and about in the great outdoors.

  • Splash About!  Feel the breeze out on the water. Enjoy kitesurfing, stand up paddleboarding or kayaking.  Alternatively, hire a boat and have a row around the boating lake at the Cleethorpes Boating Lake.
  • Grab your walking boots and discover nature reserves, woods, parks, coastal villages and countryside tracks.
  • Watch the wildlife! As the gateway of the Humber Estuary, our coastline is important to a wide variety of birds. Providing a vital staging post for migratory birds, over 150,000 feed here during winter months alone.
  • Explore on two wheels whether you’re a keen cyclist or bike ride for fun, there are lots of cycle routes to choose.  For those who haven’t brought their bikes but fancy a ride out, the Cycle Hubs in Grimsby and Cleethorpes have a range of bikes to hire for adults and children, they even have a tandem! 
  • Our leisure centres are a popular destination for visitors and residents alike. Take the children to Cleethorpes Leisure Centre for a swim complete with wave machine, aqua slide and adjoining baby pool or check out the gym, fitness classes and indoor sports.  Grimsby Leisure Centre has a 25-metre, county competition standard, 8 lane indoor swimming pool along with fitness suites, indoor bowls and a range of indoor sports including roller skating.

Key information for groups

Parking for coaches is simple in North East Lincolnshire. 

In Grimsby, coach parking is available at the Fishing Heritage Centre [Postcode DN31 1UZ] and can be bookable in advance with the staff at the Fishing Heritage Centre (recommended). Visitors can easily access the main town centre for shopping, places to eat and drink and further cultural activities. Further coach parking can be found in Upper Burgess Street [DN31 1PB], this is also within walking distance of the town centre.

In Cleethorpes, coach parking is in Grant Street [Postcode DN35 8BD], located close to the train station.  Within just a few minutes’ walk, visitors can find themselves either by the beach promenade or in the main shopping area featuring shops, restaurants and cafes.  There are 14 spaces for coaches and HGVs in this car park.

Overnight coach parking can be found at Grant Street Car Park, Cleethorpes.

For information about all car parks across the area, visit North East Lincolnshire Council’s website.

Free Wifi is available across North East Lincolnshire and the council have created a handy map showing all the hotspots.

Group friendly accommodation is easily found.  North East Lincolnshire has a wide range of places to stay from boutique B&B’s and modern hotels to caravans and camping.  We have hotels suitable for your large coach party or perhaps you’re looking for cottages or apartments suitable for a group of friends or family.

For more information relating to group bookings to North East Lincolnshire contact Deborah Cooper or Angela Bore via email to info@discovernel.co.uk or telephone 01472 324367.