The railway line through Cleethorpes forms a natural barrier for pedestrians and cyclists. If you’re around North Cleethorpes then you can cross at the Fuller Street footbridge only. You used to be able to cross at the crossing at Sugitts Lane too. This was useful for pushchairs, wheelchairs and cyclists too. But unfortunately this has been closed for a couple of years now for Network Rail safety reasons.
So mapping paths and routes around Green Cleethorpes has to take into account crossing the railway line. Reaching North Beach or the open ground that we’re calling the ‘pocket park’ means Fuller Street bridge or the long route around into town and along North Promenade.
Local residents have been campaign to reopen Suggitts lane crossing or to come up with an alternative, and it may be in 2021 this might turn into a reality.
In the meantime this shows how barriers such as rivers or railways lines can interrupt natural circuits and walks of an area.
For now we’re sharing various routes around Cleethorpes, but by 2022, should the crossing (or bridge) become available then this will change the way people can get around the area.
Watch this space.