Immingham

"IMMINGHAM, a capacious deep-water dock situated on the Lincolnshire shore of the Humber estuary, 9 m. S.S.E. of Hull and 5 m. N.N.W. of Grimsby, England. Constructed by the Great Central Railway Co., the dock in 1921 comprised a square basin and two long arms (including a graving dock) running parallel to each other on the western side, of a total area of 45 ac., with 5,400 ft. of quayage; the depth, ranging from 303 5 ft., is sufficient for practically any vessel afloat. The dock is specially designed and equipped for dealing with the coal, timber, grain and wool trades. Construction was begun in 1906 and the official opening by the King took place on July 22 1912.

The area of the dock property, 2 a m. in length and 1 m. in greatest depth, is just over 1,000 ac. with a river frontage of 12 miles. Railway sidings extend to 172 m. and have a capacity for 16,850 waggons carrying upwards of 174,000 tons of coal. The particular site of Immingham was chosen because the deep-water channel of the Humber, which lower down runs midway between the shores, here makes an inward sweep and leads right to the dock gates, thus obviating much initial dredging, providing ingress and egress at any state of the tide, and rendering the towage of the vessels unnecessary.

The entrance lock, 840 ft. in length and 90 ft. broad, has a depth ranging from 47 ft. at high water to 27 ft. 6 in. at low water of spring tides, and is furnished with three sets of gates. Long jetties spring out on either side of the entrance, curving round about midway in order to run parallel to the river, thus forming a huge funnelshaped entrance; the eastern jetty forms a landing-stage for passenger traffic and the western is designed for the shipment of bunker and cargo coal. Eight hydraulic hoists, of the most up-to-date pattern, are capable of shipping 5,600 tons of coal per hour.

There is an immense granary and a wool warehouse with capacity for 40,000 bales. A new town is springing up near-by - the original village of Immingham lies a little inland. The Grimsby electric tramways have been extended to Immingham and, in addition, a light railway runs between the two places.

Categories: I-IOL | England