The Ross Castle

The Ross Castle appears be the ruins of an ancient castle built to guard Cleethorpes against attack from the sea but appearances can be deceptive.  There never was a castle on the site and the building was never more than the ruin we see today.  Its a sham - a mock ruin that dates back to 1863.  Its existence is due to the arrival of the railway in Cleethorpes.  Its position actually marks the highest point of the cliffs.

The Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway Company were instrumental in developing Cleethorpes as a holiday destination. Cleethorpes was situated on a cliff and suffered from coastal erosion. The railway company began work on sea defences in 1883-85 by building a promenade one mile long and 65 feet wide below the cliff. Above the promenade they built the mock ruin known as Ross Castle. The castle was named after the railway company's secretary Mr Edward Ross.  The steps that lead the way down to the Ross castle are intricately designed in Art Deco style.

"It is a peculiar conical structure built after an ancient fashion with stones of all shapes and sizes roughly stuck together with cement - the pile appearing at short distance like some tower or castle of the olden times."
Mr E.Jackson - from 'The Illustrated Guide'(1885)

The above article was written by pupils of Matthew Humberston School, Cleethorpes for a brochure produced by North East Lincs Council.