History

‘Fitties’ is an old Lincolnshire word meaning ‘salt marsh’. The Humberston Fitties were originally one of a number of fitties along this part of the coastline.

The Humberston Fitties developed when the area was divided up into plots of different sizes during the 1920’s. These areas became known as plot lands. During the First World War the coastal area was used for billeting soldiers who were stationed in the nearby Haile Sands Fort.

After the war a local family set up a tent so they could have access to fresh air to combat ill health. The following year they erected a bungalow and after the soldiers were demobbed other people moved in with tents or into the original camp huts used by the soldiers.

More holidaymakers arrived bringing their own accommodation in the form of caravans, buses and old railway carriages. As the area developed holiday bungalows were built on stilts and wheels because the area was prone to flooding.

In 1938 the land ownership was passed to Cleethorpes Borough Council. During World War II the bungalows were again returned to military duty, and it is believed that a decoy representing Grimsby Docks was erected nearby.

In 1947 the Planning laws were changed and became much more stringent in respect of holiday chalets. As a result, caravans became more popular because they were subject to fewer restrictions.

In 1953 many of the bungalows were destroyed by the disastrous floods, which breached the Lincolnshire Coastline. Others had to be recovered from neighbouring plots. The sea defences were then improved which meant that many bungalows lost their sea views.

During the 1980s and 1990s the ‘staycation’ began to fall out of favour and many of the bungalows fell into disrepair or were lost altogether through decay. Some bungalows would remain up for sale for years and only achieve modest sums if sold. This was despite the gradual addition of modern conveniences such as roads, water, sewage systems and eventually electricity.

In 1996 the area was declared a conservation area following requests from the tenants after North East Lincs Council mooted the idea of selling off the site and demolishing the bungalows.

NELC did sell off the site in 2017. Currently there are around 300 plots held on leases from Tingdene. The Humberston Fitties has a closed season which prohibits the overnight occupation during the months of January and February.