Cleethorpes - Promenade & Gardens

Essential Intel

Pier Gardens are closed off for major refurbishment, likely until Spring 2027. The Trail is still usable, but avoid the closed-off gardens during your investigation.

Navigating The Route

This is a circular Detective Mystery around Cleethorpes Promenade & Gardens, with Detectives helping Detective Chief Inspector Jill Artoe crack the case of Cleethorpes' newest ice cream vendor, Connie Etto, by following the clues around the town and putting the culprit back where they belong - in the cooler.

The investigation covers approximately 1.7 miles and should take around 2 hours to complete. You'll explore the streets and seafront of Cleethorpes, follow the coastal path and beach, gather evidence around the promenade and finish in Dolphin Gardens.

This Trail is wheelchair accessible and pushchair accessible. The route is pretty level and follows clear paths and pavements, but there is one clue at the top of some steps.

Use the crossings on the route carefully. The Trail also follows roads near the beach and promenade, so keep Mini Detectives close while the case heats up.

The route loops back to the seafront area and finishes in Dolphin Gardens rather than at the Library entrance, so factor that into your final steps if you need to return to Alexandra Road.

Getting There

By car: Start your investigation at the entrance of the Library on Alexandra Road, near the junction with Albert Road (DN35 8LG). The recommended car park is Yarra Road car park (DN35 8LS), just behind Cleethorpes Library. If you park here, solve your first clue on the way.

By public transport: Make your way to the entrance of the Library on Alexandra Road, near the junction with Albert Road (DN35 8LG), to begin the case.

Need the Loo?

There are toilets at St Peters Avenue Car Park, near Clue 05, or next to the exit of Pier Gardens at the end.

Bring Your Furry Sidekicks

If you're bringing four-legged Detectives, plan for town streets, the seafront and promenade, roads near the beach, careful crossings and one clue at the top of some steps. 🐾

Keep canine companions close around traffic, busy promenading and beachside sections while you sniff out the evidence.

Food & Drink Stops

Solving an ice-cream mystery is hungry work.

There are places to pick up provisions in the town centre around Clues 05 to 07, and you could stop for ice cream on the seafront. The route also passes a parlour where you could sample their wares, but you'd need to pay.

Want to Make a Day of It?

Cleethorpes seafront and promenade

The investigation takes you along the seafront of this famous seaside resort, following the coastal path and beach. The views are over the Humber estuary rather than the open sea, and at low tide bathers are separated from the sea by several hundred yards of mud. It's also a great stretch for watching shipping traffic entering and leaving the Humber.

Cleethorpes Pier

Cleethorpes Pier opened on 4th August 1873 and cost £8000, which is now £720,000. It was financed by what became the Grand Central Railway, was originally 1200ft long, then was shortened in WWII to impede German invasion. Its first pavilion was destroyed by fire in 1903, and the replacement has since been a cafe, shops, nightclub, live venue and now a restaurant.

RNLI lifeboat station

The new RNLI lifeboat station now stands on the beach, putting crews much closer to the water for faster launches. It includes modern kit rooms, training space and improved access for volunteers and vehicles, while the Blue Peter-funded lifeboat keeps watch over the estuary and its busy sands.

Greenwich Meridian marker

Look out for the stainless-steel strip and granite globe on the coastal path marking the Greenwich Meridian, which runs right through the seafront just south of here. Detectives can stand with one foot in the east and one in the west - ideal for any suspect trying to be in two places at once.