Docks pioneer honoured with blue plaque

Sir Edward Watkin has been honoured with a plaque at Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre

A blue plaque honouring a Victorian railway entrepreneur credited with transforming Grimsby into a major fishing port has been unveiled at the town's heritage centre.

The memorial is a tribute to Sir Edward Watkin, who helped drive major rail expansion in the area as part of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway.

It celebrates his role in developing the Port of Grimsby, overseeing the construction of the Royal Dock and later the Union and Alexandra Docks.

David Ornsby, operations manager at the heritage centre, said: "Edward Watkin helped to pioneer the industry our centre celebrates and we hope that his story will inspire our visitors for generations to come."

Watkin's involvement in developing Grimsby's dock allowed fishing boats to land their catch with a direct rail link to London from 1856.

The railway was also the catalyst behind the growth of Cleethorpes as a popular holiday resort.

Sir Edward earned the nicknames "Mr Grimsby" and "Mr Cleethorpes" for his role in the development of both towns.

There is also a plaque dedicated to Watkin at Cleethorpes railway station

The plaque was unveiled by local Watkin Group member Jane Hyldon-King and Jonathon Hyldon of law firm Bridge McFarland, who were sponsors of the plaque.

Another plaque dedicated to Sir Edward can also be found at Cleethorpes railway station.

Councillor Hayden Dawkin said: "We're always pleased to celebrate the history and culture of North East Lincolnshire.

"This plaque, coupled with the one at Cleethorpes train station, shows just how important Watkin's work was for our area."

Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.

Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices