Redevelopment work starts on landmark former hotel

Work has started on the restoration of a former hotel in North East Lincolnshire to help return it to its former glory.

The hotel, which sits on the corner of Market Place and Alexandra Road, Cleethorpes, was built in 1760 and became a key part of the seaside town's heritage over the years.

It was given a revamp in the 1820s and became the Dolphin Hotel.

Project manager Carol Heidschuster said it would be "fantastic" to see the site return to its Victorian roots.

Over the years, the building has also been a hotel, a restaurant, an oyster bar, a café and a nightclub, but now it is having some of its original features restored.

"The key for me is seeing the buildings transformed through the works, and the owners develop a new respect for the architecture and the history of their building," Ms Heidschuster said.

The project is being run by the Cleethorpes Townscape Heritage Programme and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The building was originally built as the Cleethorpes Hotel as the town started to attract visitors wanting to swim in the sea.

At the time, cold bathing was being recommended by doctors as beneficial for ailments such as skin conditions and arthritis.

Its popularity resulted in the hotel being given its revamp when it became the Dolphin in the 1820s.

North East Lincolnshire Council leader Philip Jackson said: "This is one of the really prominent buildings in Cleethorpes that's been here for hundreds of years.

"The work planned will really transform this building, and it will be great to see it done."

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