Mermaid Café building’s bright new future

150 years ago, in 1874, the Mermaid Café building on Cleethorpes North Prom sea front was constructed as a waiting room for the recently opened Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway.  It now forms part of the listed buildings on Cleethorpes Railway Station.

Over the years, the building has been used for various food and beverage businesses, most recently as a Fish and Chip café and takeaway.

As part of the Discover Cleethorpes Heritage Townscape Heritage Programme, which has been funded thanks to National Lottery players through The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Mermaid building has been identified as one of the eligible properties to be able to bid for grant funding to help with external restoration works.

The programme has already seen several balconies and shop fronts restored along Alexandra Road and in Sea View Street.

The project will see conservation work to the Victorian cast iron framework of the building, as well as full restoration and conservation of the timber elements of the building. The building will also be re-roofed, and cast iron gutters and downpipes will also be replaced.

The building will be repainted in the original livery colours of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway company.

Leaseholders, Charles Crawford and Craig Brown said: “This is something that we’ve been wanting to do for a long time, having gained planning and Listed Building consent back in 2021. Due to the complexities of the restoration, we knew that financial support would be required, and we’re really pleased to get the backing of The National Lottery Heritage Fund for some of the work. We can’t wait to see what the building will look like when it’s restored.”

The Railway Trust are providing match funding for this project. Tim Hedley–Jones of The Railway Trust said: “We’re really happy to be working collaboratively with both the leaseholders and the council, and provide this additional funding to help restore this former railway building.”

Cllr Philip Jackson, Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “I’m really pleased to see this particular building come forward as part of the Townscape Heritage Project. It’s one of the key buildings that people see as they arrive in Cleethorpes on the train, and to have it restored to its former glory will be wonderful!”

The work will be carried out by CAG, who have completed heritage works in other areas of the resort as part of the National Lottery funded Townscape Heritage grant programme.

Planning permission is already in place for the work to the building, and initial internal work has begun, with hoardings already up around the building and the iron work set to be removed before Christmas. The main work will start in the new year, with a view to being completed before the main summer season.