Scunthorpe () is an
industrial town
An industrial city or industrial town is a town or city in which the municipal economy, at least historically, is centered around industry, with important factories or other production facilities in the town. It has been part of most countries' ...
in
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...
, England, and the county's third most populous settlement after
Lincoln
Lincoln most commonly refers to:
* Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the 16th president of the United States
* Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England
* Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S.
* Lincoln (na ...
and
Grimsby
Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town in Lincolnshire, England with a population of 86,138 (as of 2021). It is located near the mouth on the south bank of the Humber that flows to the North Sea. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes dir ...
, with a population of 81,286 in 2021. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement of the
North Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Lincolnshire, England. At the 2011 United Kingdom census, 2011 Census, it had a population of 167,446. T ...
district. Scunthorpe lies north of Lincoln and is between Grimsby to the east and
Doncaster
Doncaster ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don, it is the administrative centre of the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough, and is the second largest se ...
to the west, while
Hull
Hull may refer to:
Structures
* The hull of an armored fighting vehicle, housing the chassis
* Fuselage, of an aircraft
* Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds
* Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a sea-going craft
* Submarine hull
Ma ...
is to the north-east via the
Humber Bridge
The Humber Bridge is a single-span road suspension bridge near Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. When it opened to traffic on 24 June 1981, it was the longest of its type in the world; the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge surpassed ...
.
Etymology
The town appears in the
Domesday Book
Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...
of 1086 as , which is from the
Old Norse
Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...
meaning "Skuma's homestead", a site which is believed to be in the town centre, close to Market Hill. Today Skuma’s homestead means ‘A secondary settlement, a dependent outlying farmstead or hamlet’.
History
Scunthorpe as a town came into existence due to the exploitation of the local
ironstone
Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical replacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron ore compound from which iron (Fe) can be smelted commercially.
Not to be c ...
which began in 1859; iron production commenced in 1864,
steel smelting in 1891.
Scunthorpe's population grew from 1,245 in 1851 to 11,167 in 1901 and 45,840 in 1941. The boundaries of Scunthorpe expanded to include the former villages of
Bottesford,
Yaddlethorpe
Yaddlethorpe is a district in the south of Scunthorpe, in the North Lincolnshire district, in the ceremonial county of Lincolnshire, England. It is close to the M180 and next to Bottesford, divided by the A159 road. It is in the civil parish o ...
,
Frodingham,
Crosby,
Brumby
A brumby is a free-roaming feral horse in Australia. Although found in many areas around the country, the best-known brumbies are found in the Australian Alps region. Today, most of them are found in the Northern Territory, with the second la ...
and
Ashby Ashby may refer to:
People
* Ashby (surname)
* Alan la Zouche, 1st Baron la Zouche of Ashby (1267–1314), governor of Rockingham Castle and steward of Rockingham Forest, England
* Walter Ashby Plecker (1861–1947), American physician and public ...
. Scunthorpe became an
urban district
An urban district is a division generally managed by a local government. It may also refer to a city district, district, urban area or quarter
Specific urban districts in some countries include:
* Urban districts of Denmark
* Districts of Germa ...
in 1891, merged as 'Scunthorpe, Brumby and Frodingham Urban District' in 1919, and became a
municipal borough
A municipal borough was a type of local government
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state.
Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of ...
in 1936. Scunthorpe was originally dominated, socially, politically and culturally, by
Rowland Winn, the most significant landowner in the district. By the First World War local working class culture, drawing on trade unions and the Labour Party had emerged to challenge the Conservative Party's hegemony.
Geology

Scunthorpe is located close to an outcrop of high-lime-content ironstone (~25% iron average) from a seam of the
Lias Group
The Lias Group or Lias is a lithostratigraphic unit (a sequence of rock strata) found in a large area of western Europe, including the British Isles, the North Sea, the Low Countries and the north of Germany. It consists of marine limestones, ...
strata which dates from the
Early Jurassic
The Early Jurassic Epoch (geology), Epoch (in chronostratigraphy corresponding to the Lower Jurassic series (stratigraphy), Series) is the earliest of three epochs of the Jurassic Period. The Early Jurassic starts immediately after the Triassic� ...
period and runs north–south through Lincolnshire. Ironstone was mined by
open cast methods from the 1850s onwards, and by underground mining from the late 1930s. In the 1970s the steel industry in Scunthorpe began to use of ores imported from outside the UK with higher iron content. Underground mining in the area ceased in 1981.
Scunthorpe was close to the epicentre (at
Middle Rasen
Middle Rasen is a village and civil parish in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England, located about west from the town of Market Rasen. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 2,043.
History
Rasen is mentioned in ...
) of the
2008 Market Rasen earthquake, the second largest earthquake experienced in the British Isles, which had a magnitude of 5.2. Significant shocks were felt in Scunthorpe and the North Lincolnshire vicinity. The main 10-second quake, which struck at 00:56 GMT on 27 February 2008, at a depth of , was second only to a 1984 quake, with a magnitude of 5.4, in
North Wales
North Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdon ...
.
Governance

Scunthorpe forms an
unparished area
In England, an unparished area is an area that is not covered by a civil parish (the lowest level of local government, not to be confused with an ecclesiastical parish). Most urbanised districts of England are either entirely or partly unparis ...
located within the
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
...
and unitary authority of
North Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Lincolnshire, England. At the 2011 United Kingdom census, 2011 Census, it had a population of 167,446. T ...
.
The town forms six of the borough's seventeen wards, namely Ashby, Brumby, Crosby & Park, Frodingham, Kingsway with Lincoln Gardens and Town. The Scunthorpe wards elect 16 of the borough's 43 councillors. As of 2018, 26 are members of the
Conservative party, and 13 are members of the
Labour party. The councillors form the
charter trustees In England and Wales, charter trustees are set up to maintain the continuity of a town charter or city charter after a district with the status of a borough or city has been abolished, until such time as a civil parish council or in larger settle ...
of the Town of Scunthorpe and they continue to elect a town mayor.
North Lincolnshire Council was based in
Scunthorpe Civic Centre off Ashby Road (former
A159) next to Festival Gardens. It was designed by Charles B. Pearson, Son and Partners and was completed in 1962. It was the home of Scunthorpe Borough Council until 1996. It was named Pittwood House after Edwin Pittwood, a local Labour politician, who worked in the opencast ironstone workings near Normanby Park.
Civic history
In 1889 the area was included in the Lincolnshire,
Parts of Lindsey
The Parts of Lindsey are a traditional division of Lincolnshire, England, covering the northern part of the county. The Isle of Axholme, which is on the west side of the River Trent, has normally formed part of it. The district's name origina ...
administrative county
An administrative county was a first-level administrative division in England and Wales from 1888 to 1974, and in Ireland from 1899 until 1973 in Northern Ireland, 2002 in the Republic of Ireland. They are now abolished, although most Northern ...
. Separate local government began in 1890 when the Scunthorpe
local board of health
A local board of health (or simply a ''local board'') was a local authority in urban areas of England and Wales from 1848 to 1894. They were formed in response to cholera epidemics and were given powers to control sewers, clean the streets, regulat ...
was formed. In 1894 the local board was replaced with an
urban district
An urban district is a division generally managed by a local government. It may also refer to a city district, district, urban area or quarter
Specific urban districts in some countries include:
* Urban districts of Denmark
* Districts of Germa ...
council. At the same time the neighbouring townships of Brumby and Frodingham were also constituted an
urban district
An urban district is a division generally managed by a local government. It may also refer to a city district, district, urban area or quarter
Specific urban districts in some countries include:
* Urban districts of Denmark
* Districts of Germa ...
. The two urban districts were amalgamated, along with the
parishes
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...
of Crosby and Ashby in 1919 to form an enlarged Scunthorpe urban district. Scunthorpe received a charter incorporating the town as a
municipal borough
A municipal borough was a type of local government
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state.
Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of ...
in 1936.
Local authority boundary changes brought the town into the new county of
Humberside
Humberside () was a non-metropolitan and ceremonial county in Northern England from 1 April 1974 until 1 April 1996. It was composed of land from either side of the Humber, created from portions of the East Riding of Yorkshire, West Riding of ...
in 1974, and a new
non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially "shire districts", are a type of Districts of England, local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties (colloquially ''s ...
, the Borough of Scunthorpe was formed with the same boundaries as the old municipal borough. The opening of the
Humber Bridge
The Humber Bridge is a single-span road suspension bridge near Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. When it opened to traffic on 24 June 1981, it was the longest of its type in the world; the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge surpassed ...
on 24 June 1981 provided a permanent link between North and South Humberside but did not secure Humberside's future. To the relief of its many detractors, the county of Humberside (and
Humberside County Council
Humberside County Council was the county council of the non-metropolitan county of Humberside in northern England.
History
Humberside was a non-metropolitan county governed by Humberside County Council and nine non-metropolitan district councils ...
) was abolished on 1 April 1996 and succeeded by four
unitary authorities
A unitary authority is a type of local government, local authority in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Unitary authorities are responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are ...
.
The previous Humberside districts of
Glanford
Glanford was, from 1974 to 1996, a local government district with borough status in the non-metropolitan county of Humberside, England.
Creation
The district was created on 1 April 1974 as part of a general reform of local government in Engla ...
and Scunthorpe, and that part of
Boothferry district south of the northern boundaries of the parishes of
Crowle,
Eastoft
Eastoft is a village and civil parish in North Lincolnshire, England. It is situated within the Isle of Axholme, north-east from Crowle, Lincolnshire, Crowle, and on the A161 road.OS Explorer Map 280: Isle of Axholme, Scunthorpe and Gainsboroug ...
,
Luddington, Haldenby and
Amcotts
Amcotts is a village and civil parish in the North Lincolnshire district of Lincolnshire, England, and on the Isle of Axholme. The village is situated north-west from Scunthorpe, and on the west bank of the River Trent facing Flixborough on th ...
, now compose the unitary authority of
North Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Lincolnshire, England. At the 2011 United Kingdom census, 2011 Census, it had a population of 167,446. T ...
.
On amalgamation
charter trustees In England and Wales, charter trustees are set up to maintain the continuity of a town charter or city charter after a district with the status of a borough or city has been abolished, until such time as a civil parish council or in larger settle ...
were formed for Scunthorpe,
and they continue to elect a town mayor.
Coat of arms
When Scunthorpe was incorporated as a borough in 1936, it also received a grant of a
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
from the
College of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional Officer of Arms, officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the ...
. These arms were transferred to the new borough council formed in 1974, and are now used by the town's charter trustees.
The green shield and golden wheatsheaf recall that the area was until recently agricultural in nature. Across the centre of the shield is a length of chain. This refers to the five villages of Crosby, Scunthorpe, Frodingham, Brumby & Ashby linking together as one. At the top of the shield are two fossils of the species ''Gryphaea incurva''. These remains of oysters, known as the "devil's toenails", were found in the rock strata from which ironstone was quarried.
The crest, on top of the helm, shows a blast furnace. This is also referred to in the
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
motto: ''Refulget labores nostros coelum'' or ''The heavens reflect our labours'' popularly attributed to the glow observed in the night sky from the steelmaking activities.
Geography
Scunthorpe lies on an escarpment of ridged land (the
Lincoln Cliff) which slopes down towards the Trent. The surrounding environs are largely low-lying hills and plains. Although the town itself is heavily industrial it is surrounded by fertile farmland and wooded areas. In terms of general location it lies a mile east of the
River Trent
The Trent is the third Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, longest river in the United Kingdom. Its Source (river or stream), source is in Staffordshire, on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through and drains the North Midlands ...
, south of the
Humber Estuary
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 rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Trent, Trent. From there to the North Sea, it forms ...
, west of the
Lincolnshire Wolds
The Lincolnshire Wolds which also includes the Lincolnshire Wolds National Landscape are a range of low hills in the county of Lincolnshire, England which runs roughly parallel with the North Sea coast, from the Humber Estuary just west of the t ...
and north of
Lincoln
Lincoln most commonly refers to:
* Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the 16th president of the United States
* Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England
* Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S.
* Lincoln (na ...
. The town is situated at the terminus of the
M181, from
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...
.
Nearby towns and cities are
Hull
Hull may refer to:
Structures
* The hull of an armored fighting vehicle, housing the chassis
* Fuselage, of an aircraft
* Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds
* Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a sea-going craft
* Submarine hull
Ma ...
(18 miles northeast),
Doncaster
Doncaster ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don, it is the administrative centre of the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough, and is the second largest se ...
(20 miles west),
Grimsby
Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town in Lincolnshire, England with a population of 86,138 (as of 2021). It is located near the mouth on the south bank of the Humber that flows to the North Sea. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes dir ...
(22 miles east) and
York
York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...
(46 miles northwest).
Scunthorpe is approximately east of
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the north, the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north-east, Lincolnshire ...
and south by south west to the
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, often abbreviated to the East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, S ...
.
Climate
Like most of the United Kingdom, Scunthorpe has an
oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
: Cfb).
Average temperatures are around in the summer, and can be as low as in the winter.
Economy
Steel industry

The Iron industry in Scunthorpe was established in the mid 19th century, following the discovery and exploitation of middle Lias ironstone east of Scunthorpe. Initially iron ore was exported to iron producers in
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the north, the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north-east, Lincolnshire ...
. Later, after the construction of the
Trent, Ancholme and Grimsby Railway
The Trent, Ancholme and Grimsby Railway was a railway line in north Lincolnshire which commenced at an end on junction with the South Yorkshire Railway where that railway crossed the River Trent near the village of Gunhouse. This was known as Gunh ...
(1860s) gave rail access to the area iron production in the area rapidly expanded using local ironstone and imported coal or coke. Rapid industrial expansion in the area led directly to the development of the town of Scunthorpe, eventually incorporating several other former hamlets and villages, in a formerly sparsely populated entirely agricultural area.
From the early 1910s to the 1930s the industry consolidated, with three main ownership concerns formed – the
Appleby-Frodingham Steel Company, part of the
United Steel Companies
The United Steel Companies was a steelmaking, engineering, coal mining and coal by-product group based in South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, England.
History
The company was registered in 1918 and the following year saw a joining together of ste ...
; the
Redbourn Iron Works, part of
Richard Thomas and Company of South Wales (later
Richard Thomas and Baldwins
Richard Thomas and Baldwins Ltd (RTB) was a major iron, steel and tinplate producer, primarily based in Wales and formed in 1948 by the merger of Richard Thomas & Co Ltd with Baldwins Ltd. It was absorbed into British Steel Corporation in 1967. The ...
); and
John Lysaght's
Normanby Iron Works, part of
Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds.
In 1967 all three works became part of the nationalised
British Steel Corporation
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and cultur ...
(BSC), leading to a period of further consolidation – from the 1970s the use of local or regional ironstone diminished, being replaced by imported ore via the
Immingham Bulk Terminal. Conversion to the
Linz-Donawitz process (or "basic oxygen" process) of steel making from the
open hearth process took place from the late 1960s onwards and was complete by the 1990s. Both the Normanby Park and the Redbourn works closed in the early 1980s.
Following privatisation in 1988 the company, together with the rest of BSC, became part of
Corus (1999), later
Tata Steel Europe
Tata Steel Europe Ltd. (formerly Corus Group plc) was a steelmaking company headquartered in London, England, with its main operations in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The company was created in 2007, when Tata Group took over the Br ...
(2007). In 2016 the
long products
In steel industry terminology, long steel products or long products refers to steel products including wire, rod, rail, and bars as well as types of steel structural sections and girders.
The term long products may include hot rolled bar, cold rol ...
division of Tata Steel Europe was sold to
Greybull Capital
Greybull Capital LLP is a private investment company that specialises in medium- to long-term investments in UK-based companies. It was incorporated as a limited liability partnership in April 2010. After the 2008 financial crisis, Greybull's de ...
with Scunthorpe as the primary steel production site.
In May 2019, after a drop in future orders, and a breakdown in rescue talks between the government and the company's owner, Greybull,
British Steel Limited entered insolvency.
Industries associated with the steelworks include metal engineering as well as a
BOC plant.
Other industries

Although the historical predominance of the steel industry made Scunthorpe a virtual
monotown
A monotown (a calque from Russian , ) is a city/town whose economy is dominated by a single industry or company. This means that most employment (except for service to residents like schools and shops) is by the main company.
Russia
The term ' ...
, there are other industries in the town. These include food production, distribution and retailing. North of the town next a waste management firm, Bell Waste Control, which services the majority of industry in Scunthorpe and the surrounding areas. On the Foxhills Industrial Park, north of the A1077 northern bypass, are many distribution companies, notably a large building owned by the
Nisa NISA may refer to:
* National Independent Soccer Association, a third tier United States soccer league
* National Intelligence and Security Agency of Somalia
* Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, part of the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade a ...
co-operative type
mutual organisation
A mutual organization, also mutual society or simply mutual, is an organization (which is often, but not always, a company or business) based on the principle of mutuality and governed by private law. Unlike a cooperative, members usually do not ...
which has its UK headquarters there. Also on the Foxhills Industrial Park is a 500,000 square foot factory occupied by
Wren Kitchens, employing 350 full-time workers.
2 Sisters Food Group have a large chicken processing plant in the town. Key Country Foods produces meat products on an industrial scale. The Sauce Company produces sauces, soups and other foodstuffs for the catering and supermarket sectors. In 1947, Riley's Crisps was created in the town, moving to Colin Road before becoming
Sooner Snacks in 1981.
The factory is still operational manufacturing
Golden Wonder
Golden Wonder is a British company that manufactures snack foods, most notably crisps. These include Ringos, Golden Wonder and Transform-A-Snack. Since 2006, it has been a wholly owned subsidiary of the Northern Irish company Tayto, purchased ...
crisps.
Ericsson Mobile Platforms produces printed circuit boards for the telecommunications industry. There are a number of other firms, mostly involved in manufacturing and light engineering.
In the 2001 census 19.3% of the working age population were economically inactive.
Retail
Scunthorpe has two major shopping centres, effectively a single site: the Foundry Shopping Centre and the Parishes Centre. The former was constructed in the late 1960s/early 1970s during a wholesale reconstruction of the old town; the latter was constructed in the early part of the 2000s decade on the site of the town's old bus station. There are also many well known retailers on High Street. On 6 January 2011
Marks and Spencer
Marks and Spencer plc (commonly abbreviated to M&S and colloquially known as Marks & Sparks or simply Marks) is a major British multinational retailer based in London, England, that specialises in selling clothing, beauty products, home produc ...
closed their High Street store after 80 years of trading, but a new Marks and Spencer store opened near the football ground in 2014.
However the size of the remaining retail units reflects the size of the area's population and with larger shopping facilities within reasonable travelling distance in
Grimsby
Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town in Lincolnshire, England with a population of 86,138 (as of 2021). It is located near the mouth on the south bank of the Humber that flows to the North Sea. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes dir ...
,
Hull
Hull may refer to:
Structures
* The hull of an armored fighting vehicle, housing the chassis
* Fuselage, of an aircraft
* Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds
* Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a sea-going craft
* Submarine hull
Ma ...
,
Doncaster
Doncaster ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don, it is the administrative centre of the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough, and is the second largest se ...
,
Lincoln
Lincoln most commonly refers to:
* Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the 16th president of the United States
* Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England
* Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S.
* Lincoln (na ...
,
Leeds
Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...
and at
Meadowhall,
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...
.
The once-thriving market, mostly under cover in market halls just to the north of the Central Library, at the eastern end of the High Street, had shrunk noticeably in the last ten years, and has now moved to the new St John's Market, close to the Bus Station. The opening date was 22 March 2019.
All of the big food retailers are represented in the area. There is a
Tesco Extra
Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in the United Kingdom at its head offices in Welwyn Garden City, England. The company was founded by Jack Cohen (businessman), Sir Jack Cohen in ...
, and an Aldi (in the former Toys R Us unit) opposite the football ground, while
Sainsbury's
J Sainsbury plc, trading as Sainsbury's, is a British supermarket and the second-largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom.
Founded in 1869 by John James Sainsbury with a shop in Drury Lane, London, the company was the largest UK r ...
(formerly a
Safeway
Safeway, Inc. is an American supermarket chain. The chain provides grocery items, food and general merchandise and a variety of specialty departments, such as bakery, delicatessen, floral and pharmacy, as well as Starbucks coffee shops, and veh ...
) have their store on the site of the old Scunthorpe United stadium, The Old Show Ground.
Morrisons
Wm Morrison Supermarkets Limited, trading as Morrisons, is the List of supermarket chains in the United Kingdom, fifth largest supermarket chain in the United Kingdom. As of 2021, the company had 497 supermarkets across England, Wales and Sco ...
have a store at the bottom of Mortal Ash Hill (known locally as "Motlash") (
A18 road) at the Lakeside Retail Park, on the eastern entrance to the town, while
Asda
Asda Stores Limited (), trading as Asda and often styled as ASDA, is a British supermarket and petrol station chain. Its headquarters is in Leeds, England. The company was incorporated as Associated Dairies and Farm Stores in 1949. It expanded ...
have a store on Burringham Road. In 2011 Asda opened another store in the former Netto, on Carlton Street.
On 24 October 2014 Marks and Spencer's returned to the town after almost a 4-year absence. The store is housed in a purpose-built location at the North Lincolnshire Shopping Park, beside Glanford Park. The shopping park also includes
Boots
A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearl ...
, B&M Bargains,
Costa Coffee
Costa Limited, trading as Costa Coffee, is a coffeehouse chain with headquarters in Loudwater, Buckinghamshire, England, that operates in the United Kingdom and 37 other countries.
Costa Coffee was founded in London in 1971 by Sergio Costa (co ...
and
Subway.
Transport
Scunthorpe railway station
Scunthorpe railway station serves the town of Scunthorpe in North Lincolnshire, England. The station is located a short walk from the town centre, on Station Road.
As one approaches the station by road, there is a pay and display car park with ...
is on the
South TransPennine
TransPennine Trains Limited, trading as TransPennine Express (TPE), is a British train operating company that has operated passenger services in the TransPennine Express franchise area since May 2023. It runs regional and inter-city rail servi ...
Line which has trains from Liverpool Lime Street to
Cleethorpes
Cleethorpes () is a seaside town on the estuary of the Humber in North East Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, England with a population of 29,678 in 2021. It has been permanently occupied since the 6th century, with fishing as its original industry ...
. Scunthorpe station (SCU), has two platforms and is serviced by two train companies,
TransPennine Express
TransPennine Trains Limited, trading as TransPennine Express (TPE), is a British train operating company that has operated passenger services in the TransPennine Express franchise area since May 2023. It runs regional and inter-city rail ser ...
and
Northern Trains
Northern Trains, Trade name, trading as Northern, is a British train operating company that operates Commuter rail, commuter and Inter-city rail, medium-distance intercity services in the North of England. It is owned by DfT Operator for the Dep ...
. TransPennine Express eastbound trains to Cleethorpes call at platform 1, whilst TransPennine Express westbound services to Liverpool Lime Street and the Northern westbound stopping service to Doncaster use platform 2.
The
M180 passes south of Scunthorpe and connects to the town via the
M181 and the
A1077M. Before the M180 was opened in 1979, all east–west traffic took the
A18 over
Keadby Bridge.
Humberside Airport
Humberside Airport is an international airport at Kirmington in the Borough of North Lincolnshire, England, from three large settlements: Grimsby (east), Kingston upon Hull, Hull (north) and Scunthorpe (west), on the A18 road (England), A18 ...
is a short drive to the east along the M180. The town's bus station is off Fenton Street. The bus station is predominantly used by
Stagecoach in Lincolnshire
Stagecoach in Lincolnshire is a bus company, formerly known as Lincolnshire RoadCar, operating services throughout Lincolnshire. The company is a division of Stagecoach East Midlands, which is a subsidiary of the Stagecoach Group.
History Linco ...
that operate services within and out of the town along with Hornsby Travel.
East Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, often abbreviated to the East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, South Yorkshire to the south-west ...
operate services to
Hull
Hull may refer to:
Structures
* The hull of an armored fighting vehicle, housing the chassis
* Fuselage, of an aircraft
* Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds
* Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a sea-going craft
* Submarine hull
Ma ...
and
Goole
Goole is a port town and civil parish on the River Ouse, Yorkshire, River Ouse in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The town's Historic counties of England, historic county is the West Riding of Yorkshire.
At the 2021 United Kingdom censu ...
.
Demographics
According to the
2021 Census, Scunthorpe had a population of 81,286, while the
urban area
An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...
, which extends to the nearby village of
Messingham to the south of the town, had a population of 84,665.
At the 2021 Census, the local population was recorded as being 90.4%
White British
White British is an ethnicity classification used for the White population identifying as English, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish, Northern Irish, or British in the United Kingdom Census. In the 2011 census, the White British population was 49 ...
, with 6%
British Asian
British Asians (also referred to as Asian Britons) are British people of Asian people, Asian descent. They constitute a significant and growing minority of the people living in the United Kingdom, with a population of 5.76 million people or 8.6 ...
, 1.4%
Mixed-race British, 1.2%
Other ethnic minorities and 0.8%
Black British
Black British people or Black Britons"Black Briton, N." ''Oxford English Dictionary''. Oxford UP. December 2024. https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/1136579918. are a multi-ethnic group of British people of List of ethnic groups of Africa, Sub-Saharan ...
, making the town roughly 90% White and 10%
BAME
A number of different systems of classification of ethnicity in the United Kingdom exist. These schemata have been the subject of debate, including about the nature of ethnicity, how or whether it can be categorised, and the relationship betwe ...
. According to the census, the town's religious composition was 51%
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
, followed by 42.1% who were
non-religious
Irreligion is the absence or rejection of religious beliefs or practices. It encompasses a wide range of viewpoints drawn from various philosophical and intellectual perspectives, including atheism, agnosticism, religious skepticism, ration ...
and 5% following
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
. Other religions and not stated respondents were recorded at 2.9%.
Scunthorpe is also home to the largest
British Asian community in the county of Lincolnshire, followed by both
Lincoln
Lincoln most commonly refers to:
* Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the 16th president of the United States
* Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England
* Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S.
* Lincoln (na ...
and
Grimsby
Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town in Lincolnshire, England with a population of 86,138 (as of 2021). It is located near the mouth on the south bank of the Humber that flows to the North Sea. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes dir ...
.
Culture

The
North Lincolnshire Museum is on Oswald Road, near the
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
. The former church of St John the Evangelist is now the 20–21 Visual Arts Centre. The
Plowright Theatre, named after
Joan Plowright
Joan Ann Olivier, Baroness Olivier (; 28 October 1929 – 16 January 2025), commonly known as Dame Joan Plowright, was an English actress whose career spanned over six decades. She received several accolades including two Golden Globe Awards, an ...
, is on Laneham Street (off the west end of High Street and also near the
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
). It was built in 1958 as Scunthorpe Civic Theatre. The
Baths Hall
The Baths Hall is an entertainment venue in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, England. It hosts many types of entertainment, including live music, dance and comedy.
History
Situated at 59 Doncaster Road, the Scunthorpe building is a former publi ...
, reopened in 2011, a 1,700 capacity venue also hosts visiting musical and theatrical events.
The
Scunthorpe Co-operative Junior Choir from Scunthorpe won the title of
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...
''Choir of the Year'' 2008 at the Grand Finals on 7 December 2008 at the
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London, England. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a G ...
, London. The main choir is made up of 90 members aged between 9 and 19 years whilst also having two training choirs taking children as young as 3 years old. They have made several CDs, performed numerous concerts in the area and further afield, have been subject of documentaries and are internationally renowned as having travelled the world.
Scunthorpe was the setting of a
2012 Cultural Olympiad
The 2012 Cultural Olympiad was a programme of cultural events across the United Kingdom that accompanied the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2012 Summer Paralympics. It included 500 events nationwide throughout the UK, spread over four years and culmina ...
community opera called ''Cycle Song'', about past steel-worker and
Olympic
Olympic or Olympics may refer to
Sports
Competitions
* Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896
** Summer Olympic Games
** Winter Olympic Games
* Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...
cyclist
Lal White. It was composed by Tim Sutton and the librettist was
Ian McMillan. The
Scunthorpe Co-operative Junior Choir, Proper Job Theatre Company and over a thousand locals participated.
Media and entertainment
Television
*
''BBC Look North'' broadcast by the BBC from Queen's Gardens in Kingston upon Hull covering the East Riding of Yorkshire and most of Lincolnshire
*
''Calendar'', broadcast by
ITV Yorkshire
ITV Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire Television and commonly referred to as just YTV, is the British television service provided by ITV Broadcasting Limited for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV (TV network), ITV network. Until 19 ...
from
Leeds
Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...
, West Yorkshire with a crew in Grimsby covering the local area.
Radio
*
BBC Radio Humberside
BBC Radio Humberside is the Local BBC Radio, BBC's local radio station serving the former county of Humberside which includes the unitary authorities of England, unitary authorities of East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston upon Hull, North Lincolns ...
is broadcast on 95.9 FM from
Hull
Hull may refer to:
Structures
* The hull of an armored fighting vehicle, housing the chassis
* Fuselage, of an aircraft
* Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds
* Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a sea-going craft
* Submarine hull
Ma ...
, with its coverage given to the old county of
Humberside
Humberside () was a non-metropolitan and ceremonial county in Northern England from 1 April 1974 until 1 April 1996. It was composed of land from either side of the Humber, created from portions of the East Riding of Yorkshire, West Riding of ...
, now including the East Riding of Yorkshire and all of North and North East Lincolnshire as well as Lincolnshire at certain times. Coverage often includes broadcasts of local football team
Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system.
The club was formed in ...
.
*
Greatest Hits Radio Lincolnshire broadcasts on 102.2 FM from Lincoln, covering the whole of Lincolnshire including the Scunthorpe area.
*
Hits Radio East Yorkshire & North Lincolnshire broadcasts on 96.9 FM from
Hull
Hull may refer to:
Structures
* The hull of an armored fighting vehicle, housing the chassis
* Fuselage, of an aircraft
* Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds
* Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a sea-going craft
* Submarine hull
Ma ...
, having some of its coverage given to North Lincolnshire, which includes Scunthorpe.
Print
The local newspaper is the ''
Scunthorpe Telegraph
The ''Scunthorpe Telegraph'' is a local paid-for newspaper published and distributed weekly in Scunthorpe, England.
History
The newspaper was launched on 8 September 1937. Prior to the ''Scunthorpe Telegraph''s launch, the town was served by ...
'' (formerly the ''Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph'') with an online version at ''www.scunthorpetelegraph.co.uk''.
Venues

Scunthorpe has a leisure centre (
The Pods) next to Pittwood House, museum, galleries, craft centres, several clubs, pubs and bars, a
Vue
Vue or VUE may refer to:
Places
* Vue, Loire-Atlantique, a commune in France
* The Vue, a skyscraper in Charlotte, North Carolina
Arts, entertainment and media
* Vue (band), a rock and roll band from San Francisco, California
* Vue International, ...
multiplex cinema adjacent to the bus station. The
Baths Hall
The Baths Hall is an entertainment venue in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, England. It hosts many types of entertainment, including live music, dance and comedy.
History
Situated at 59 Doncaster Road, the Scunthorpe building is a former publi ...
in Doncaster Road was a popular music venue, before it was closed because of the costs of bringing the building up to scratch, and dealing with industrial contamination on site. The Labour Council prevented the Baths from being demolished in 2007 and commenced a major rebuild of the venue, which has involved demolishing all but the facade of the building. The building re-opened in November 2011.
Education
Primary schools
Primary schools include: Frodingham Infant School; Scunthorpe CofE Primary School; Oasis Academy Henderson Avenue; Bushfield Road Infant School; Crosby Primary School; Saint Augustine Webster Catholic Voluntary Academy; Berkeley Primary School; Oasis Academy Parkwood; Lincoln Gardens Primary School; Priory Lane Community School; St. Bernadette's Catholic Primary Voluntary Academy; Westcliffe Primary School; The Grange Primary School; Oakfield Primary School; Willoughby Road Primary Academy; Enderby Road Infant School; Leys Farm Junior School; St Peter and St Paul CofE Primary School; and Holme Valley Primary School
Secondary schools

Secondary schools within Scunthorpe include: The St Lawrence Academy; Engineering UTC Northern Lincolnshire; Outwood Academy Brumby; Outwood Academy Foxhills; Melior Community Academy; St Bede's Catholic Voluntary Academy; and Frederick Gough School
Further education
John Leggott Sixth-Form College (JLC) is on West Common Lane and
North Lindsey College is close by on Kingsway (A18).
Scunthorpe's only university is UCNL, which offers undergraduate courses to approximately 1,500 students.
SEN Schools
There are three schools within this category: St Luke's Primary School; St Hugh's Special School; and Trent View College (which is yet to be inspected)
Law and order
The area is served by
Humberside Police
Humberside Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the East Riding of Yorkshire, including Kingston upon Hull, and northern parts of Lincolnshire, including Grimsby and Scunthorpe.
History
Humberside Police was created ...
. According to
Home Office
The Home Office (HO), also known (especially in official papers and when referred to in Parliament) as the Home Department, is the United Kingdom's interior ministry. It is responsible for public safety and policing, border security, immigr ...
data the area has crime rates higher than the national average, especially in the categories of violence against the person, sexual offences, burglary and theft of motor vehicles.
Sport
Football

The town has a former
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...
club,
Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system.
The club was formed in ...
(nicknamed "The Iron") who play at
Glanford Park
Glanford Park, currently known as The Attis Arena for sponsorship reasons, is a association football, football stadium in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England, and is the home of team Scunthorpe United F.C., Scunthorpe United.
Opened in 1988 at ...
. For most of its existence in the professional game (since only 1950) it has been in the lower leagues of the
English Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...
. At the end of the 2006–07 season they won promotion to the
Football League Championship
The English Football League Championship, known simply as the Championship and for sponsorship purposes as Sky Betting & Gaming, Sky Bet Championship, is a professional association football league in England and Wales. Contested by 24 clubs, i ...
as champions of
League One, with 3 games to spare, when they defeated
Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. They compete in , the third tier of English football league system, English football.
Huddersfield Town we ...
at home. They amassed a total of 91 points, and never trailed from January on, despite being outsiders earlier in the season. The last time they had played in the second division was for 44 years previously. The club were relegated on 12 April 2008, with three games to spare, away to
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace may refer to:
Places Canada
* Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick
* Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario
* Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition buildin ...
. However, they returned to the Championship after one season, winning the League One playoffs in May 2009. At the end of the 2021–22 season, Scunthorpe for the first time
got relegated from the Football League. A further relegation in the 2022–23 season consigned Scunthorpe United to the National League North.
England stars
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan (born 14 February 1951) is an English former footballer and manager. Nicknamed "King Kev" or "Mighty Mouse", Keegan was recognised for his dribbling ability, as well as his finishing and presence in the air, and is regard ...
and
Ray Clemence
Raymond Neal Clemence (5 August 1948 – 15 November 2020) was an English professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, he is one of the few players to have made over 1,000 career ...
both played for
Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system.
The club was formed in ...
in the early 1970s before signing for
Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
, where they made their names. Former
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
cricket captain
Ian Botham
Ian Terence Botham, Baron Botham (born 24 November 1955) is an English cricket commentator, member of the House of Lords, a former cricketer who has been chairman of Durham County Cricket Club since 2017 and charity fundraiser. Hailed as one of ...
played a number of games for the club, being a resident of nearby
Epworth at that time and in an attempt to keep fit during the winter months. The team mascot is called the "Scunny Bunny".
Semi-professional sides within the Town or greater town boundaries include
Appleby Frodingham and
Bottesford Town. Local teams play in the
Scunthorpe & District Football League.
Rugby
Scunthorpe Rugby Club play in the
National League 2 North
National League 2 North is one of three level four leagues in the English rugby union system and provides semi-professional competition for teams in Northern England. The remainder of England is covered by the two counterpart leagues National L ...
, the fourth tier of the
English rugby union system
Men's Rugby union in England consists of 106 leagues, which includes professional leagues at the highest level, down to amateur regional leagues. Promotion and relegation are in place throughout the system.
Women's Rugby union in England consi ...
. Their home ground is at Heslam Park, close to Brumby on Ashby Road.
Scunthorpe Barbarians play
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...
also at Heslam Park.
Motorsports
Scunthorpe also has a
speedway
Speedway may refer to:
Racing Race tracks
*Daytona International Speedway, a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida.
*Edmonton International Speedway, also known as Speedway Park, a former motor raceway in Edmonton, Alberta.
*Indianapolis Motor Spe ...
team known as the
Scunthorpe Scorpions
The Scunthorpe Scorpions are a motorcycle speedway team in the British SGB Championship. They have raced at various times since 1971, at three different venues.
History Origins and 1970s
Speedway in Scunthorpe began on 3 May 1971 at the ...
who compete in the British Premier League, the sport's second tier in Britain.
The speedway team has been running since 2005 and won a grand slam of the Conference League trophies in both 2006 and 2007 before claiming the Premier League title in 2012, alongside this Speedway world champion
Tai Woffinden
Tai Woffinden (born 10 August 1990) is a British speedway rider. He is a three-time World Champion (2013, 2015 and 2018).
Early life
Woffinden was born in Scunthorpe, the son of former speedway rider Rob Woffinden. Although born in the Unite ...
was born in Scunthorpe, riding for the Scunthorpe Scorpions in his youth. It runs at the
Eddie Wright Raceway, which is a mile north of the town on Normanby Road (B1430).
The
Eddie Wright Raceway is also host to the sport of
stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of Auto racing, automobile racing run on oval track racing, oval tracks and road courses. It originally used Production vehicle, production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifical ...
, the town has featured stock car racing at two other venues in its past, 2009 saw a return to the town of the oval racing sport
*
Scunthorpe Scorpions
The Scunthorpe Scorpions are a motorcycle speedway team in the British SGB Championship. They have raced at various times since 1971, at three different venues.
History Origins and 1970s
Speedway in Scunthorpe began on 3 May 1971 at the ...
– Premier League team
*
Scunthorpe Saints
The Scunthorpe Scorpions are a motorcycle speedway team in the British SGB Championship. They have raced at various times since 1971, at three different venues.
History Origins and 1970s
Speedway in Scunthorpe began on 3 May 1971 at the ...
– National League (formerly Conference League) team
Athletics
The Appleby-Frodingham Athletic Club uses the site near the Civic Centre for many types of sport. They have a clubhouse and also use Brumby Hall next-door. The site includes a 3G football pitch and an artificial Astro hockey pitch, along with several grass football pitches and an area for cricket. There is also the Scunthorpe and District Athletics Club. They train at Quibell Park Stadium, Scunthorpe's athletic track on Brumby Wood Lane named after
David Quibell, the town's former Labour MP. Around the running track is
cycle trackused by Polytechnic Cycle Club.
The leisure centre was on Carlton Street opposite th
bus stationvia
footbridge After The Pods opened this was demolished. Th
Scunthorpe Anchorswimming club are based at the Riddings Pool on Enderby Road next to South Leys School.
The Pods, a
leisure centre
A leisure centre, sports centre, or recreation centre is a purpose-built building or site, usually owned and provided by the local government authority, where people can engage in a variety of sports and exercise, and keep fit.
Typical facilit ...
near Central Park, opened in 2011 costing an estimated £21 million. Facilities include an 8 lane 25m pool and a separate shallow pool, a state of the art gym, a
dance studio
A dance studio is a space in which dancers learn or rehearse. The term is typically used to describe a space that has either been built or equipped for the purpose.
Overview
A dance studio normally includes a smooth floor covering or, if used ...
, a large sports hall with climbing wall, a creche and a cafe.
As part of the project, Central Park is being improved. These expensive improvements are also in their final stage. North Lincolnshire Council's website regularly show photographs and videos of how the work is progressing.
Scunthorpe has two
parkrun
Parkrun (stylised as parkrun) is a collection of 5K run, events for runners, walkers and volunteers that take place every Saturday morning at more than 2,000 locations in 23 countries across five continents.
Parkrun was founded by Paul Sinto ...
s. One in
Central Park
Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...
and another at
Normanby Hall
American football
The
Scunthorpe Alphas who were formed in 2018 play their home games at
Quibell Park Stadium
Quibell Park Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, owned by North Lincolnshire Council, primarily used for athletics, cycling, and American football. The stadium consists of an outdoor velodrome, an athletics tra ...
and for 2021 will complete in the
BAFA National Leagues
The BAFANL (BAFA National Leagues) is the primary American football domestic league competition in Great Britain. Originally formed in 1983, the league is run by the British American Football Association to coordinate American football, contact ...
Division One. The town's previous American football side was the Scunthorpe Steelers who folded in 1990.
Internet obscenity filters
In 1996 there was controversy when
AOL
AOL (formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City, and a brand marketed by Yahoo! Inc.
The service traces its history to an online ...
's
obscenity
An obscenity is any utterance or act that strongly offends the prevalent morality of the time. It is derived from the Latin , , "boding ill; disgusting; indecent", of uncertain etymology. Generally, the term can be used to indicate strong moral ...
filter (among others) refused to accept the name of the town due to its embedded word '
cunt
"Cunt" () is a vulgar word for the vulva in its primary sense, and it is used in a variety of ways, including as a term of disparagement. "Cunt" is often used as a disparaging and obscene term for a woman in the United States, an unpleas ...
'. Some online forums such as
Ultimate Guitar
Ultimate Guitar (Ultimate Guitar USA LLC), also known as Ultimate-Guitar.com or simply UG, is an online platform for guitarists and musicians, started on October 9, 1998 by Eugeny Naidenov and based in San Francisco, US. Its website and mobile ...
forums displayed the name as Scumthorpe, while
Fark
Fark is a community website created by Drew Curtis that allows members to comment on a daily batch of news articles and other items from various websites. The site receives many story submissions per day and approximately 100 of them are publi ...
would display it as Scoonthorpe. This form of censorship overreach is known in the computing world as the
Scunthorpe problem.
Notable people
*
Roy Axe
Royden Axe (September 1937 – 5 October 2010) was a British car designer, widely known for his design work on the Chrysler Alpine, Hillman Avenger/Plymouth Cricket, Chrysler Horizon, and Rover 800 — as well his affable character and a ...
, car designer for
Chrysler
FCA US, LLC, Trade name, doing business as Stellantis North America and known historically as Chrysler ( ), is one of the "Big Three (automobile manufacturers), Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn H ...
and
Rover
Rover may refer to:
People Name
* Constance Rover (1910–2005), English historian
* Jolanda de Rover (born 1963), Dutch swimmer
* Rover Thomas (c. 1920–1998), Indigenous Australian artist
Stage name
* Rover (musician), French singer-songw ...
was born in Scunthorpe
*
Darren Bett, television weather presenter
*
Nina Nannar, journalist and ITN news reporter, was born and raised in the town
*
Ryan J. Brown
Ryan J. Brown (born 29 August 1991) is an English screenwriter, born in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom. Brown is the writer and creator of BBC comedy-horror series '' Wreck''.
Education and career
Brown studied at Goldsmiths and Mountv ...
, actor and screenwriter
*
Jack Burnell, Olympic open water swimmer
*
James Cobban, English educator and headmaster, as well as a prominent lay leader in the Church of England
*
Richard G. Compton, Oxford professor, was born in Scunthorpe
*
Neil Cox
Neil James Cox (born 8 October 1971) is an English former professional Association football, footballer and manager who is currently the assistant manager of National League (division), National League club York City F.C., York City. A Defender ...
Manager of Scunthorpe United FC
*
Howard Devoto
Howard Devoto (born Howard Andrew Trafford, 15 March 1952) is an English singer and songwriter, who began his career as the frontman for punk rock band Buzzcocks, but then left to form Magazine, an early post-punk band. After Magazine, he went ...
, singer with the
Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band that singer-songwriter-guitarist Pete Shelley and singer-songwriter Howard Devoto formed in Manchester in 1976. During their career, the band combined elements of punk rock, power pop, and pop punk. The ...
and
Magazine
A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...
*
Kevin Doyle, actor who has appeared in ''
Coronation Street
''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...
'' and ''
Downton Abbey
''Downton Abbey'' is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes. It first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV (TV network), ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United St ...
''
*
Stephen Fretwell
Stephen Fretwell (born 10 November 1981) is an English singer-songwriter. He has released four studio albums and is often compared with acts such as Bob Dylan, Fred Neil, and Tim Buckley. Though receiving critical success, Fretwell has enjoyed l ...
, singer-songwriter
*
Jeff Hall, English footballer who played as a right back for Birmingham City and England
*
Tony Jacklin
Anthony Jacklin CBE (born 7 July 1944) is an English golfer. He was the most successful British player of his generation, winning two major championships, the 1969 Open Championship and the 1970 U.S. Open. He was also Ryder Cup captain from ...
, golfer, was born in Scunthorpe
*
Reece Mastin
Reece John Phillip Mastin (born 24 November 1994) is an English-born Australian singer and songwriter who won the The X Factor (Australia season 3), third season of ''The X Factor (Australian TV series), The X Factor Australia'' in 2011. Mastin ...
, singer and winner of
2011 X-Factor Australia, was born in Scunthorpe
*
Iain Matthews
Iain Matthews (born Ian Matthews MacDonald, 16 June 1946) is an English musician and singer-songwriter. He was an original member of the British folk rock band Fairport Convention from 1967 to 1969 before leaving to form his own band, Matthew ...
, singer with
Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention are an English British folk rock, folk rock band, formed in 1967 by guitarists Richard Thompson (musician), Richard Thompson and Simon Nicol, bassist Ashley Hutchings and drummer Shaun Frater (with Frater replaced by Marti ...
*
Rob McElnea
Rob McElnea (born 12 December 1959) is a British former professional motorcycle road racer. At the peak of his career he raced six seasons in the MotoGP, then named 500cc Grand Prix Championship. He also competed for five years in the World Su ...
, 500cc grand prix rider, team manager of the
Virgin Mobile
Virgin Mobile is a wireless communications brand used by seven independent brand-licensees worldwide. Virgin Mobile branded wireless communications services are available in Ireland, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emi ...
Yamaha team
*
Ross McLaren, actor, was born in Scunthorpe
* Sheffield born
Alfie Moore, comedian who was formerly a
Police Officer
A police officer (also called policeman or policewoman, cop, officer or constable) is a Warrant (law), warranted law employee of a police, police force. In most countries, ''police officer'' is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. ...
based in Scunthorpe.
*
Graham Oates, is an English former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder.
*
John Osborne
John James Osborne (12 December 1929 – 24 December 1994) was an English playwright, screenwriter, actor, and entrepreneur, who is regarded as one of the most influential figures in post-war theatre. Born in London, he briefly worked as a jo ...
, writer. Creator of Sky 1 sitcom ''
After Hours'' as well as six half-hour Radio 4 storytelling shows.
* Dame
Joan Plowright
Joan Ann Olivier, Baroness Olivier (; 28 October 1929 – 16 January 2025), commonly known as Dame Joan Plowright, was an English actress whose career spanned over six decades. She received several accolades including two Golden Globe Awards, an ...
, award-winning actress, born in nearby Brigg, attended
Scunthorpe Grammar School
The St Lawrence Academy (formerly High Ridge School) is a coeducational Church of England secondary school with Academy (English school), academy status, in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, England. The Academy teaches General Certificate of Secon ...
*
David Plowright, television executive and producer
*
Jake Quickenden
Jacob Quickenden (born 3 September 1988) is an English singer, ex-footballer and reality television personality. He was a contestant on the ninth and eleventh series of '' The X Factor'' in 2012 and 2014, before being runner-up in series 14 o ...
, former contestant on ''
The X Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
'', ''
I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'' and ''
Dancing on Ice
''Dancing on Ice'' is a British television series broadcast from 2006 to 2014 and then from 2018 to 2025. It was presented by Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern. Other previous hosts include Phillip Schofield and Christine Lampard. The series ...
''
*
Jordan Sangha, winner of
Big Brother 2023
*
Martin Simpson
Martin Stewart Simpson (born 5 May 1953) is an English folk singer, guitarist and songwriter. His music reflects a wide variety of influences and styles, rooted in Britain, Ireland, America and beyond. He builds a purposeful, often upbeat voi ...
, guitarist and singer-songwriter, was born in Scunthorpe
*
Sam Slocombe, professional football player for
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club is a professional football club in Nottingham, England, which competes in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of English football, following promotion from the National League in the 2022–23 season. Founded in 1862, ...
and formerly of local side
Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system.
The club was formed in ...
, was born in the town
*
Liz Smith, actress
*
Andy Stevenson, footballer
*
Graham Taylor
Graham Taylor (15 September 1944 – 12 January 2017) was an English football player, manager, pundit and chairman of Watford Football Club. He was the manager of the England national football team from 1990 to 1993, and also managed Lincoln ...
, former
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
manager grew up in the town.
*
Brian Tierney, published historian and medievalist
*
Alan Walker
Alan Olav Walker (born 24 August 1997) is a Norwegian DJ and record producer. His songs "Faded (Alan Walker song), Faded", "Sing Me to Sleep", "Alone (Alan Walker song), Alone", "All Falls Down (Alan Walker song), All Falls Down" (with Noah Cy ...
, musicologist and biographer of
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic music, Romantic period. With a diverse List of compositions by Franz Liszt, body of work spanning more than six ...
, was born in Scunthorpe
*
Albert 'Lal' White, Olympic cycling silver medallist at the 1920 Antwerp games. Was the subject of the opera: Cycle Song.
*
Tai Woffinden
Tai Woffinden (born 10 August 1990) is a British speedway rider. He is a three-time World Champion (2013, 2015 and 2018).
Early life
Woffinden was born in Scunthorpe, the son of former speedway rider Rob Woffinden. Although born in the Unite ...
, speedway world champion
Twinned municipalities
*
Clamart
Clamart () is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris.
The town is divided into two parts, separated by a forest: ''bas Clamart'', the historical centre, and ''petit Clamart'' with urban ...
, France
*
Lüneburg
Lüneburg, officially the Hanseatic City of Lüneburg and also known in English as Lunenburg, is a town in the German Bundesland (Germany), state of Lower Saxony. It is located about southeast of another Hanseatic League, Hanseatic city, Hambur ...
, Germany
*
Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski
Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski (), often referred to as Ostrowiec, is a city in southeastern Poland, in the historical region of Lesser Poland, with 66,258 residents (as of 2021). The town is one of the historic centers of Polish industry and metallurgy ...
, Poland
See also
*
Queen Bess, Scunthorpe, Grade-II listed public house
References
Bibliography
General history
* Ambler, R. W. (ed.), ''Workers and Community: The People of Scunthorpe in the 1870s: A Study Based on the 1871 Census Returns'' (Scunthorpe:
Scunthorpe Museum Society, 1980).
* Armstrong, M. Elizabeth (ed.), ''An Industrial Island: A History of Scunthorpe'' (Scunthorpe:
Scunthorpe Borough Museum and Art Gallery, 1981).
* Cooke, Reg, and Kathleen Cooke, ''Scunthorpe'', Images of England series (Stroud: Chalford Publishing, 1997).
* Creed, Rupert, and Averil Coult, ''Steeltown: The Real Life Drama of the Men and Women Who Built an Industry'' (Beverley: Hutton Press, 1990).
* Dudley, H. E., ''History and Antiquities of the Scunthorpe and Frodingham District'' (Scunthorpe: W. H. & C. H. Caldicott, 1931).
* Ellis, Stephen, and Dave R. Crowther (eds.), ''Humber Perspectives: A Region Through the Ages'' (Kingston-upon-Hull: Hull University Press, 1990).
* Holm, Stuart (ed.), ''The Heavens Reflect Our Labours'' (Scunthorpe:
Scunthorpe Museum and Art Gallery, 1974).
* Knell, Simon J., ''The Natural History of the Frodingham Ironstone'' (Scunthorpe:
Scunthorpe Museum and Art Gallery, 1988).
* Lewis, Peter, and Philip N. Jones, ''Industrial Britain: The Humberside Region'' (Newton Abbot:
David & Charles
David & Charles Ltd is an English publishing company. It is the owner of the David & Charles imprint, which specialises in craft and lifestyle publishing.
David and Charles Ltd acts as distributor for all David and Charles Ltd books and cont ...
, 1970).
* McEntee-Taylor, Carole, ''A History of Women's Lives in Scunthorpe'' (Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2019).
* Pocock, D. C. D., "Iron and steel at Scunthorpe", ''East Midlands Geographer'', no. 19 (vol. 3, part 3) (1963), pp. 124–138.
* Pocock, D. C. D.
"Stages in the development of the Frodingham ironstone field" ''
Transactions and Papers of the Institute of British Geographers'', no. 35 (1964), pp. 105–118.
* Pocock, D. C. D.
"Specialised industrial towns as service centres: a comparison of Scunthorpe and Corby" ''
Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers
The ''Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the Royal Geographical Society.
According to the ''Journal Citation Reports'', the journal has a 2019 impa ...
'', no. 40 (1966), pp. 97–109.
* Pocock, D. C. D., "Landownership and urban growth in Scunthorpe", ''East Midland Geographer'', vol. 5 (1970), 52–61.
*
Tonks, Eric S., ''The Ironstone Quarries of the Midlands: History, Operation and Railways, Part VIII, South Lincolnshire'' (Cheltenham: Runpast, 1991).
* Walshaw, G. R., and C. A. J. Behrendt, ''The History of Appleby-Frodingham'' (London:
Appleby-Frodingham Steel Co., 1950).
* Wheeler, P. T., "Ironstone working between Melton Mowbray and Grantham", ''East Midland Geographer'', vol. 4, no. 4 (1967), pp. 239–250.
* Wright, Neil R., ''Lincolnshire Towns and Industry, 1700–1914'', History of Lincolnshire Series, no. 11 (Lincoln: History of Lincolnshire Committee of the
Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology
The Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology or SLHA aims to create a greater awareness of the history of Lincolnshire, and works to discover and record its heritage. In its present form, the society came into being in 1974, but it has an ...
, 1982).
* Wright, Neil R. "The varied fortunes of heavy and manufacturing industry 1914–1987", in Dennis Mills (ed.), ''Twentieth Century Lincolnshire'', History of Lincolnshire, no. 12 (Lincoln: History of Lincolnshire Committee of the
Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology
The Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology or SLHA aims to create a greater awareness of the history of Lincolnshire, and works to discover and record its heritage. In its present form, the society came into being in 1974, but it has an ...
, 1989), pp. 74–102.
* Wright, Neil R., ''Lincolnshire's Industrial Heritage: A Guide'' (Lincoln:
Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology
The Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology or SLHA aims to create a greater awareness of the history of Lincolnshire, and works to discover and record its heritage. In its present form, the society came into being in 1974, but it has an ...
, 2004).
Other
* Ginns, Arthur, ''Jubilee History of the Scunthorpe Mutual Co-Operative and Industrial Society'' (Manchester: Co-operative Printing Society Ltd, 1924).
* Hutchison, I. M., ''Superstores: The Impact on Shopping Patterns within the Scunthorpe Are''a (Scunthorpe: Scunthorpe Borough Council, n.d.).
* Staff, John, ''From Nuts to Iron: The Official History of Scunthorpe United F.C., 1899–2012'' (Harefield: Yore Publications, 2012).
External links
*
North Lincolnshire CouncilScunthorpe – The Heavens Reflect Our Labours Documentary on Scunthorpe history made by local schoolchildren
Pathe newsreel, 1958, Queen visits Lincoln, Scunthorpe, GrimsbyScunthorpe Co-operative Junior Choir
{{Authority control
Towns in Lincolnshire
Unparished areas in Lincolnshire
Local Government Districts created by the Local Government Act 1858
Former civil parishes in Lincolnshire
Borough of North Lincolnshire