Barrow Haven
Encyclopedia
Barrow Haven is a hamlet
and small port in North Lincolnshire
, England
. Site of a former ferry
crossing to Hull
, which now handles timber imports from Riga
and Tallinn
. Barrow Haven railway station
is on the Barton Line
. It was a convenient place for ships and boats crossing the Humber
to moor away from the tidal flow. On 5 October 1541 Henry VIII, after visiting Hull
with the Privy Council. crossed the river in a naval vessel and disembarked at Barrow Haven and then travelled by horseback to Thornton Abbey
.
but a market boat was still operating into the 1940s. The market boat depot was situated in a ramped building that is now the site where the imported timber is stored. Barrow Haven was also the site for an anti-aircraft battery.53°41′39"N 0°24′07"W Anti Aircraft battery This battery provided protection for the city of Hull
. Remains of an observation post
are located on the edge of the Humber
close to what was once Greenwood's brickyard.53°42′07"N 0°23′15"W Observation post
Barrow Haven was once renowned for its bricks and pantiles made from clay recovered from the edges of the Humber
. Sanderson's and Pearson's brickyards were located on the west bank of the Haven and Foster's and Greenwood's on the east bank. The land formerly occupied by Sanderson's brickyard is now a caravan site and little evidence of the brickyard is to be found. These brickyards employed primitive, labour-intensive methods of manufacture. Clay was dug by hand during the summer months and stockpiled for use during the rest of the year.At Pearson's brickyard, the clay was hauled up a slope in metal skips and tipped into the clay mill which rolled and squeezed the excess moisture from it and then extruded it into a rectangular shape approximately twenty four inches wide by twelve inches deep. This extrusion was cut into manageable segments with a wire and the segments stored in a cool building to wait collection by the labourers who operated the tile and brick-forming machines. These machines were hand operated and required considerable strength to crank. The labourers were generally employed on 'piecework' and low-paid. The extruded bricks and pantiles were stored on the shelves of drying-sheds, each approximately fifty yards long. Wooden shutters on the side of the sheds could be adjusted to control the drying rate prior to the bricks and pantiles being taken to the kiln for firing. If the unbaked clay was allowed to dry too rapidly the bricks and pantiles would develop cracks before firing. The Haven was an important landing point for barge
s bringing coal to these brickyard kilns from the Yorkshire
coalfields. Once firing began, the kiln, which was coal-fired, was tended night and day as the coal had to be shovelled by hand to keep up the heat. The resulting products were generally high quality and extremely durable.
Workmen's cottage
s were once numerous along the banks of the Humber
west of the railway bridge. Access was via a footpath that commenced through a gate at the north-western end of the railway bridge over the Haven or via West Marsh Lane and through two wooden gates either side of the railway line. These cottages were not provided with electricity, water or sanitation. Kerosene lamps, hand pumps and earth toilets were standard. Floors were generally constructed of brick laid directly on the ground and the walls had no damp-proof courses. Cast iron fireplaces, consisting of a coal-fired open grate with a boiler box on one side and an oven on the other, were the sole means of heating and cooking. In pre-environmentally sensitive times, household rubbish and night soil
were disposed of by dumping into the Humber
at any convenient tide. A shop stocked with produce via the market boat catered for the immediate needs of the local population, however, more substantial purchases required travelling to Barton on Humber, or to New Holland
and then on the ferry
to Hull
. A further shop was on the Barrow Rd.; on the left as you entered the village; it was a lean-to
attached to a house named 'Alistair', and was run by a Mrs. Dee. A coal yard was next to the shop, towards the Clew Bridge; firstly it was Mr Dee's; in the 1930s it was owned by a Mr. Clifford Hastings, who had the house named 'Wayside' built. His coal was delivered by barge
along the Haven. In later years he had a further coal yard just south of the station.
The cottages suffered frequent flooding whenever spring tide
s affected the Humber
. These buildings were largely abandoned by the 1960s and were demolished as tidal fortifications and river bank conservation took place along the south bank of the river. During this same period the banks of the haven were raised on both sides, from the mouth of the Haven to as far as the old sluice gates. This minimised the Haven bursting its banks during spring tides and flooding the houses in the hamlet proper.
The sluice gates, locally known as Clew Gates, marked the point where the spring-fed stream
from Barrow upon Humber
, known as the Beck, became the Haven. Approximately 50 metres south of the railway line a small watercourse, also known locally as 'the clew', drained land from east of Ferry Road into the Haven, passing under Ferry Road through a large pipe. Despite the presence of many salt water-flooded claypits, fresh water springs are common in the area. When the tide is suitable, dabs, flounders and eels can be caught in the haven up to the sluice gates and the flooded claypits contain roach, perch, tench, bream and eels.
Between the Beck and West Hann Lane are the remains of a large motte and bailey castle
. Built in the Norman
style there are two large baileys with a low motte in between. Extensive excavations were carried out in 1963 to determine the extent of the remains. Although situated at Barrow Haven, the castle is known as Barrow Castle.
A boatyard and dry dock were situated on the east bank of the Haven, immediately north of the railway line. A rusting nissen hut
is all that remains of what was once an important boat building and repair industry for the Humber's spritsail barges. Motor-powered barges still moor in the haven and rest on the mud on their flat-bottoms when the tide recedes.
An 18th century coaching inn
, Haven Inn
is situated on Ferry Road near the intersection with Marsh Lane. This Inn was run by landlady Mrs. Naomi Mason from 1902 to 1943; a Mr Fred Mason farmed the attached land, and some more land in Barrow Haven; Mrs Mason, was a farmer's wife, as well as landlady, and undertook such duties as milking cows, making butter and cream cheese, for sale at Brigg Market. Poultry
was also kept, and eggs were sent to market. A local 'bus, owned by Wesley Clark of Barrow upon Humber
, took the farmers to Brigg
on Market Day (Thursday). At Christmas
time poultry was dressed and sold at the market.
The hamlet has the remains of a windmill
. There was a small Wesleyan chapel
, now converted into a house; the date stone has been left in the brickwork. Until the 1970s there was a commercial watercress
industry, run by a now-defunct company called Greatford Gardens Watercress Company, using water pumped from artesian bores reaching deep within the limestone strata of the Lincolnshire Wolds
. In some years the bores became naturally flowing artesian wells when pressure was sufficient to allow the water to reach the surface without the aid of pumps. Spring water with a slight alkalinity, such as that imparted by the limestone strata, is especially suitable for watercress. Some ruins of this industry are still to be found to the west of the old sluice gates approximately eight hundred yards south of the Haven Inn
. Other watercress beds owned by the company were located to the east of Ferry Road but have now been ploughed over and little evidence remains of their existence. At the eastern location, there were approximately twenty five watercress beds each some ten yards wide by approximately one hundred yards long. The beds were built with a slight gradient and water was directed through a channel into the highest end and then allowed flow gently down the length of the bed before leaving through a narrow opening at the lower end. The water then flowed into a channel which directed it into the Beck approximately fifty yards to the east of the Clew Gates. The watercress was gathered by hand and put onto wooden trays before being taken to a packing shed where it was divided into bundles, labelled and then the roots cut off. The bunches were then packed into wooden baskets, known as chips and transported by road to the rail and ferry centre at New Holland
for delivery to customers. The severed roots were returned to the watercress bed where they were replanted. The company had similar watercress
farms at Healing, Lincolnshire
, Stamford, Lincolnshire
and Fordingbridge
, Hampshire. The company ceased its operations in Barrow Haven when it lost its water rights.
and Grimsby
to Barton-upon-Humber
handles timber from Latvia
and Estonia
. From its inception in 1848, the railway station consisted of a single open platform on the south side of the railway line to the east of Ferry Road. In the early 20th century a wooden ticket office and waiting room, complete with pot-belly stove, was constructed on the northern side of the railway line. This remained in place until the 1970s but with modernisation, was removed to a Railway Museum
, in Kirton Lindsey, on the Windmill site. Later it was taken to Burgh le Marsh
, near Skegness
. An open platform is again in use.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
and small port in North Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire is a unitary authority area in the region of Yorkshire and the Humber in England. For ceremonial purposes it is part of Lincolnshire....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Site of a former ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
crossing to Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
, which now handles timber imports from Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
and Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
. Barrow Haven railway station
Barrow Haven railway station
Barrow Haven railway station serves the village of Barrow Haven in North Lincolnshire, England. Stopping services from Barton-on-Humber to Cleethorpes call at the station...
is on the Barton Line
Barton Line
The Barton Line is a railway line in North and North East Lincolnshire. It runs from Barton-upon-Humber south east to Cleethorpes and was designated by the Department for Transport as a community rail line in February 2007....
. It was a convenient place for ships and boats crossing the Humber
Humber
The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal River Ouse and the tidal River Trent. From here to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between the East Riding of Yorkshire on the north bank...
to moor away from the tidal flow. On 5 October 1541 Henry VIII, after visiting Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
with the Privy Council. crossed the river in a naval vessel and disembarked at Barrow Haven and then travelled by horseback to Thornton Abbey
Thornton Abbey
Thornton Abbey was founded as a priory in 1139 by William le Gros, the Earl of Yorkshire, and raised to the status of Abbey in 1148. It was a house for Augustinian or black canons. These priests lived a communal life under the Rule of St Augustine but also undertook pastoral duties outside of the...
.
History
With the building of the railway line in 1848 the ferry service gradually disappeared as passengers preferred to embark from New HollandNew Holland, North Lincolnshire
New Holland is a small village, civil parish and port on the Humber estuary in the Borough of North Lincolnshire in Lincolnshire, England. It has a population of 955.-History:...
but a market boat was still operating into the 1940s. The market boat depot was situated in a ramped building that is now the site where the imported timber is stored. Barrow Haven was also the site for an anti-aircraft battery.53°41′39"N 0°24′07"W Anti Aircraft battery This battery provided protection for the city of Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
. Remains of an observation post
Observation post
An observation post, temporary or fixed, is a position from which soldiers can watch enemy movements, to warn of approaching soldiers , or to direct artillery fire...
are located on the edge of the Humber
Humber
The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal River Ouse and the tidal River Trent. From here to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between the East Riding of Yorkshire on the north bank...
close to what was once Greenwood's brickyard.53°42′07"N 0°23′15"W Observation post
Barrow Haven was once renowned for its bricks and pantiles made from clay recovered from the edges of the Humber
Humber
The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal River Ouse and the tidal River Trent. From here to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between the East Riding of Yorkshire on the north bank...
. Sanderson's and Pearson's brickyards were located on the west bank of the Haven and Foster's and Greenwood's on the east bank. The land formerly occupied by Sanderson's brickyard is now a caravan site and little evidence of the brickyard is to be found. These brickyards employed primitive, labour-intensive methods of manufacture. Clay was dug by hand during the summer months and stockpiled for use during the rest of the year.At Pearson's brickyard, the clay was hauled up a slope in metal skips and tipped into the clay mill which rolled and squeezed the excess moisture from it and then extruded it into a rectangular shape approximately twenty four inches wide by twelve inches deep. This extrusion was cut into manageable segments with a wire and the segments stored in a cool building to wait collection by the labourers who operated the tile and brick-forming machines. These machines were hand operated and required considerable strength to crank. The labourers were generally employed on 'piecework' and low-paid. The extruded bricks and pantiles were stored on the shelves of drying-sheds, each approximately fifty yards long. Wooden shutters on the side of the sheds could be adjusted to control the drying rate prior to the bricks and pantiles being taken to the kiln for firing. If the unbaked clay was allowed to dry too rapidly the bricks and pantiles would develop cracks before firing. The Haven was an important landing point for barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
s bringing coal to these brickyard kilns from the Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
coalfields. Once firing began, the kiln, which was coal-fired, was tended night and day as the coal had to be shovelled by hand to keep up the heat. The resulting products were generally high quality and extremely durable.
Workmen's cottage
Cottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
s were once numerous along the banks of the Humber
Humber
The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal River Ouse and the tidal River Trent. From here to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between the East Riding of Yorkshire on the north bank...
west of the railway bridge. Access was via a footpath that commenced through a gate at the north-western end of the railway bridge over the Haven or via West Marsh Lane and through two wooden gates either side of the railway line. These cottages were not provided with electricity, water or sanitation. Kerosene lamps, hand pumps and earth toilets were standard. Floors were generally constructed of brick laid directly on the ground and the walls had no damp-proof courses. Cast iron fireplaces, consisting of a coal-fired open grate with a boiler box on one side and an oven on the other, were the sole means of heating and cooking. In pre-environmentally sensitive times, household rubbish and night soil
Night soil
Night soil is a euphemism for human excrement collected at night from cesspools, privies, etc. and sometimes used as a fertilizer. Night soil is produced as a result of a waste management system in areas without community infrastructure such as a sewage treatment facility, or individual septic...
were disposed of by dumping into the Humber
Humber
The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal River Ouse and the tidal River Trent. From here to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between the East Riding of Yorkshire on the north bank...
at any convenient tide. A shop stocked with produce via the market boat catered for the immediate needs of the local population, however, more substantial purchases required travelling to Barton on Humber, or to New Holland
New Holland, North Lincolnshire
New Holland is a small village, civil parish and port on the Humber estuary in the Borough of North Lincolnshire in Lincolnshire, England. It has a population of 955.-History:...
and then on the ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
to Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
. A further shop was on the Barrow Rd.; on the left as you entered the village; it was a lean-to
Lean-to
A lean-to is a term used to describe a roof with a single slope. The term also applies to a variety of structures that are built using a lean-to roof....
attached to a house named 'Alistair', and was run by a Mrs. Dee. A coal yard was next to the shop, towards the Clew Bridge; firstly it was Mr Dee's; in the 1930s it was owned by a Mr. Clifford Hastings, who had the house named 'Wayside' built. His coal was delivered by barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
along the Haven. In later years he had a further coal yard just south of the station.
The cottages suffered frequent flooding whenever spring tide
Tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....
s affected the Humber
Humber
The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal River Ouse and the tidal River Trent. From here to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between the East Riding of Yorkshire on the north bank...
. These buildings were largely abandoned by the 1960s and were demolished as tidal fortifications and river bank conservation took place along the south bank of the river. During this same period the banks of the haven were raised on both sides, from the mouth of the Haven to as far as the old sluice gates. This minimised the Haven bursting its banks during spring tides and flooding the houses in the hamlet proper.
The sluice gates, locally known as Clew Gates, marked the point where the spring-fed stream
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
from Barrow upon Humber
Barrow upon Humber
Barrow upon Humber is a village and civil parish in North Lincolnshire, England. Many of the buildings in the centre of the village are of 18th and 19th century origin. There are several buildings of note including Down Hall, Barrow Hall, Forester's Hall and West Cote Farm. There are two public...
, known as the Beck, became the Haven. Approximately 50 metres south of the railway line a small watercourse, also known locally as 'the clew', drained land from east of Ferry Road into the Haven, passing under Ferry Road through a large pipe. Despite the presence of many salt water-flooded claypits, fresh water springs are common in the area. When the tide is suitable, dabs, flounders and eels can be caught in the haven up to the sluice gates and the flooded claypits contain roach, perch, tench, bream and eels.
Between the Beck and West Hann Lane are the remains of a large motte and bailey castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
. Built in the Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
style there are two large baileys with a low motte in between. Extensive excavations were carried out in 1963 to determine the extent of the remains. Although situated at Barrow Haven, the castle is known as Barrow Castle.
A boatyard and dry dock were situated on the east bank of the Haven, immediately north of the railway line. A rusting nissen hut
Nissen hut
A Nissen hut is a prefabricated steel structure made from a half-cylindrical skin of corrugated steel, a variant of which was used extensively during World War II.-Description:...
is all that remains of what was once an important boat building and repair industry for the Humber's spritsail barges. Motor-powered barges still moor in the haven and rest on the mud on their flat-bottoms when the tide recedes.
An 18th century coaching inn
Coaching inn
In Europe, from approximately the mid-17th century for a period of about 200 years, the coaching inn, sometimes called a coaching house or staging inn, was a vital part of the inland transport infrastructure, as an inn serving coach travelers...
, Haven Inn
Haven Inn
The Haven Inn is an 18th century coaching inn located in the hamlet of Barrow Haven in North Lincolnshire. Built in 1730, it is situated at the junction of Ferry Road and Marsh Lane. The inn provided for passengers travelling on the ferry service that operated from Barrow Haven to Kingston upon...
is situated on Ferry Road near the intersection with Marsh Lane. This Inn was run by landlady Mrs. Naomi Mason from 1902 to 1943; a Mr Fred Mason farmed the attached land, and some more land in Barrow Haven; Mrs Mason, was a farmer's wife, as well as landlady, and undertook such duties as milking cows, making butter and cream cheese, for sale at Brigg Market. Poultry
Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
was also kept, and eggs were sent to market. A local 'bus, owned by Wesley Clark of Barrow upon Humber
Barrow upon Humber
Barrow upon Humber is a village and civil parish in North Lincolnshire, England. Many of the buildings in the centre of the village are of 18th and 19th century origin. There are several buildings of note including Down Hall, Barrow Hall, Forester's Hall and West Cote Farm. There are two public...
, took the farmers to Brigg
Brigg
Brigg is a small market town in North Lincolnshire, England, with a population of 5,076 in 2,213 households . The town lies at the junction of the River Ancholme and east-west transport routes across northern Lincolnshire...
on Market Day (Thursday). At Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
time poultry was dressed and sold at the market.
The hamlet has the remains of a windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
. There was a small Wesleyan chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
, now converted into a house; the date stone has been left in the brickwork. Until the 1970s there was a commercial watercress
Watercress
Watercresses are fast-growing, aquatic or semi-aquatic, perennial plants native from Europe to central Asia, and one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by human beings...
industry, run by a now-defunct company called Greatford Gardens Watercress Company, using water pumped from artesian bores reaching deep within the limestone strata of the Lincolnshire Wolds
Lincolnshire Wolds
The Lincolnshire Wolds is a range of hills in the county of Lincolnshire, England. It is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty , and the highest area of land in eastern England between Yorkshire and Kent...
. In some years the bores became naturally flowing artesian wells when pressure was sufficient to allow the water to reach the surface without the aid of pumps. Spring water with a slight alkalinity, such as that imparted by the limestone strata, is especially suitable for watercress. Some ruins of this industry are still to be found to the west of the old sluice gates approximately eight hundred yards south of the Haven Inn
Haven Inn
The Haven Inn is an 18th century coaching inn located in the hamlet of Barrow Haven in North Lincolnshire. Built in 1730, it is situated at the junction of Ferry Road and Marsh Lane. The inn provided for passengers travelling on the ferry service that operated from Barrow Haven to Kingston upon...
. Other watercress beds owned by the company were located to the east of Ferry Road but have now been ploughed over and little evidence remains of their existence. At the eastern location, there were approximately twenty five watercress beds each some ten yards wide by approximately one hundred yards long. The beds were built with a slight gradient and water was directed through a channel into the highest end and then allowed flow gently down the length of the bed before leaving through a narrow opening at the lower end. The water then flowed into a channel which directed it into the Beck approximately fifty yards to the east of the Clew Gates. The watercress was gathered by hand and put onto wooden trays before being taken to a packing shed where it was divided into bundles, labelled and then the roots cut off. The bunches were then packed into wooden baskets, known as chips and transported by road to the rail and ferry centre at New Holland
New Holland, North Lincolnshire
New Holland is a small village, civil parish and port on the Humber estuary in the Borough of North Lincolnshire in Lincolnshire, England. It has a population of 955.-History:...
for delivery to customers. The severed roots were returned to the watercress bed where they were replanted. The company had similar watercress
Watercress
Watercresses are fast-growing, aquatic or semi-aquatic, perennial plants native from Europe to central Asia, and one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by human beings...
farms at Healing, Lincolnshire
Healing, Lincolnshire
Healing is a village and civil parish in North East Lincolnshire, England. It lies between Stallingborough and Great Coates, and to the west from Grimsby. Its population at the 2001 census was 2,606....
, Stamford, Lincolnshire
Stamford, Lincolnshire
Stamford is a town and civil parish within the South Kesteven district of the county of Lincolnshire, England. It is approximately to the north of London, on the east side of the A1 road to York and Edinburgh and on the River Welland...
and Fordingbridge
Fordingbridge
Fordingbridge is a town and civil parish with a population of 5,700 on the River Avon in the New Forest District of Hampshire, England, near to the Dorset and Wiltshire borders and on the edge of the New Forest. It is south west of London, and south of the city of Salisbury. Fordingbridge is a...
, Hampshire. The company ceased its operations in Barrow Haven when it lost its water rights.
Barrow Haven port
The small port of Barrow Haven, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north, on the railway line from CleethorpesCleethorpes
Cleethorpes is a town and unparished area in North East Lincolnshire, England, situated on the estuary of the Humber. It has a population of 31,853 and is a seaside resort.- History :...
and Grimsby
Grimsby
Grimsby is a seaport on the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, England. It has been the administrative centre of the unitary authority area of North East Lincolnshire since 1996...
to Barton-upon-Humber
Barton-upon-Humber
Barton-upon-Humber or Barton is a small town and civil parish in North Lincolnshire, England located on the south bank of the Humber Estuary, and at the end of the Humber Bridge. It lies east of Leeds, southwest of Hull and north northeast of the county town of Lincoln...
handles timber from Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
and Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
. From its inception in 1848, the railway station consisted of a single open platform on the south side of the railway line to the east of Ferry Road. In the early 20th century a wooden ticket office and waiting room, complete with pot-belly stove, was constructed on the northern side of the railway line. This remained in place until the 1970s but with modernisation, was removed to a Railway Museum
Railway museum
A railway museum is a museum that explores the history of all aspects of rail related transportation, including: locomotives , railway cars, trams, and railway signalling equipment.See List of railway museums...
, in Kirton Lindsey, on the Windmill site. Later it was taken to Burgh le Marsh
Burgh Le Marsh
Burgh-le-Marsh is a town to the west of Skegness in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. The A158 used to run through from west to east but this was rerouted when a new bypass opened in late 2007. The village has a population of 2,016....
, near Skegness
Skegness
Skegness is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. Located on the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, east of the city of Lincoln it has a total resident population of 18,910....
. An open platform is again in use.