Cottages which served fishing families for 100 years to go under the hammer
A row of cottages which has served the fishing families of Grimsby for more than 100 years will go under the hammer next week.
The ten homes will be sold by Regional Property Auctioneers (RPA) at their next sale on Wednesday 21 February. The owner of the properties, Grimsby Sailors and Fishing Charity, said it hopes to sell all 40 of its cottages once residents have been re-housed.
James Vandenbrook, head of auction at RPA, said the properties in The Square, Weelsby Street, were offered in association with Grimsby-based agents Jackson, Green and Preston and are expected to attract significant interest from bidders.
Vandenbrook said: “There is a lot of history behind these properties and we hope very much that the heritage will appeal to prospective bidders.”
The Grimsby Sailors and Fishing Charity houses around 200 people in properties across North East Lincolnshire. Graham Johnston, general manager of the charity, said all but one or two have direct links to fishing or to more modern maritime industries.
He said: “We have deeds going back to the 1860s for some of the properties in this area and some of the residents have lived there most of their lives. Years ago, a lot of the lads lived on the boats and to them these properties were like heaven!
“They still have a certain charm but these days they’re not really fit for purpose and we took the decision some time ago that the best move for the charity would be to dispose of them and buy two-bedroom, semi-detached bungalows.
“Even though the fishing industry has diminished we have quite a significant waiting list for people who want to come into the types of property that we are looking to buy.”
The guide price for the entire row is £200,000, with Jackson,Green and Preston estimating that they could generate an income of £36,400 per annum when fully let. There are 10 more cottages in The Square, with further properties nearby in Castle Street.
