Mablethorpe
Mablethorpe is a delightful seaside resort that is situated north of the Lincolnshire coastline.
Mablethorpe has been in existence for many centuries with records dating back to the 1300's at least, although, part of the area was lost to the sea in the 1540's.
In the 18th and early part of the 19th century, smuggling was common along the Mablethorpe coast. Customs duty on tobacco, spirits, tea and silk made it a lucrative occupation although very dangerous. They were hard times, so desperate measures were taken to make money. The export of wool was taxed and at one point, banded. Unsold wool in England together with an even greater demand on the Continent led to illegal exports. Men, if caught, were whipped, transported to penal colonies in Australia and sometimes hanged.
In the 19th century Mablethorpe was a centre for ship breaking due to the decline in the use of wooden ships. In 1877 Mablethorpe was linked to the National Railway network and goods began to be brought into the town by rail, even though goods landed by ship continued to be economical for a while. Eventually being replaced by iron and steam, the old wooden ships were disposed of by an efficient method of re-cycling. A ship would be beached and towed up onto the sands in the high tides of Spring and during the Summer months would be museums of ships artefacts and a great attraction to visitors. It was during the Autumn and Winter when most of the resort's visitors had gone, that the ships would be broken. The ballast was used in building the sea defences and roads. Iron was taken for scrap. Wood was gathered and sold in wood sales in Spring with local builders and farmers using the wood for fences and construction work. Many houses and barns are built with timber from the old ships.
A visit to Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary offers a unique nature experience. The sanctuary has rescued hundreds of injured and orphaned seals since it opened in 1974. In a specially designed hospital the seals are looked after until they can be released back into the wild. For those unable to return, the sanctuary offers a permanent home, doing all it can to give these wonderful creatures a contented and full existence. As well as conservation, education plays an important part of the Seal Sanctuary's role in the community and visitors will find the Natural History projects both fascinating and educational.
Mablethorpe is considered to be a charming place as not being particularly commercialised and still retaining the feel of a 1960s resort. Its beach is long, wide and flat, with golden sand which is separated from the town by a narrow strip of large sand-dunes. A sand train operates to take visitors to the north end of the beach where there is a small animal sanctuary. So far, Mablethorpe, apart from Golden Sands, has remained immune from the large caravan parks that now dominate resorts such as Skegness and Ingoldmells.
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