New Holland

New Holland is a small village on the south bank of the Humber Estuary in North Lincolnshire, around four miles east of Barton-upon-Humber. It grew almost entirely around a single purpose: getting people across the water. A ferry crossing to Hull began here in the early 1800s, and for well over a century paddle steamers, then diesel ferries, carried passengers, cars and goods wagons across one of England's widest tidal estuaries.

The village today is much quieter than in its Victorian heyday, when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway built a long timber pier, a station, and hotels to serve the crossing. The ferry service closed in 1981 when the Humber Bridge opened a few miles upstream, and New Holland settled back into being a working port and residential village rather than a transport hub. Its flat, open setting along the estuary still gives long views across the water towards Hull and the docks on the Yorkshire side.

Top things to do near New Holland

New Holland itself is modest, but it sits within easy reach of the Humber Bank's nature reserves, historic towns and the bridge that made the old ferry redundant.

• Humber Bridge — one of the UK's longest single-span suspension bridges, a few miles west near Barton-upon-Humber, with a riverside country park at its southern end.
• Far Ings National Nature Reserve — reed-fringed former clay pits on the estuary near Barton-upon-Humber, good for birdwatching and waterside walks.
• Waters' Edge Country Park — a Barton-upon-Humber park with trails, ponds and a visitor centre looking out over the Humber.
• Barton-upon-Humber town centre — a historic market town with the Anglo-Saxon St Peter's Church, independent shops and cafes, a short drive or cycle from New Holland.
• Humber Estuary foreshore — the estuary itself is a huge draw for walkers and birdwatchers, with wading birds and wildfowl along the mudflats at low tide.

Getting to New Holland

New Holland has its own railway station on the line between Cleethorpes and Barton-upon-Humber, making it a straightforward stop for day visits without a car. By road, the village sits just off the A1077, which links Barton-upon-Humber and the Humber Bridge to Immingham and Grimsby. The Humber Bridge itself, a short drive to the west, gives quick access across to Hull and the wider East Yorkshire coast, a route that has replaced the ferry New Holland was built around.

Best time to visit New Holland

Spring and autumn suit the estuary well, with migrating wading birds passing through the mudflats and reserves at Far Ings. Summer brings the longest days for walking the Humber Bank and visiting Barton-upon-Humber, while winter can be atmospheric but exposed, with the flat, open landscape offering little shelter from the wind coming off the water.

Where to stay near New Holland

New Holland has little in the way of visitor accommodation itself, so most people base themselves in nearby Barton-upon-Humber or further along the Humber Bank towards Grimsby and Cleethorpes, both of which offer a wider choice of hotels, guest houses and self-catering options within a short drive.

Food and drink near New Holland

New Holland is a small village and options directly on the doorstep are limited, but Barton-upon-Humber a few miles away has a reasonable spread of pubs, cafes and takeaways to cover a day out along the Humber Bank.