Rare pictures of when trawlers ruled the waves on Yorkshire’s coast

From Marske, Saltburn and Redcar in the north to Hull in the south, the ports of the North and East Ridings constituted the largest fishing community in England, and today’s selection of rarely-seen pictures from the archive points to a time when trawlers dotted the waves.

From the 18th century to the first half of the last one, at least 25 ports had fishing boats working from them. The smaller locations could count the craft on the fingers of one hand, while in Bridlington, nearly 40 landed their catches. Even today, Brid remains the leading shellfish port in Europe.

Cod, haddock, whiting, plaice, sole, salmon, sea trout and squid were among the catches landed year-round at Whitby. It was also the main port for the landing of herring, with some boats fishing as far out as 60 miles.

Some of the first experiments in deep-sea trawling had been conducted slightly further south, off the Flamborough coast, early in the 19th century. But the craft most associated with the area remains the flat-bottomed fishing coble, which, with no need of a large harbour, could simply be pulled on to the beach when not in use.

Yet the economic benefits of fish to the region have never overshadowed the dangers faced by those who put to sea. Between 1808 and 1970, more than 400 ships were lost off the Yorkshire coast, around three-quarters directly or indirectly as the result of military action, and every winter a Lost Trawlermen’s Memorial service is held at St Andrew’s Dock in Hull.

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