Etymology The name
Immingham is thought to mean the "Homestead of the people of Imma"; (de)constructed from the elements "Imma" +
inga +
ham. The place was referred to as
Imungeham in the
Domesday Book, and recorded as
Immingeham in around 1115. The patronymic, (interpreted as "Imming" or "Emming") has been noted as occurring elsewhere, such as in
Imminghausen (
Immenhausen), or
Emmingen (
Emmingen-Liptingen) (Germany).
Early history Immingham is mentioned (as
Imungeham) as a manor in the 11th-century
Domesday Book. Saint Andrew's church dates to the early medieval period, with much of the structure dating to the 13th century, with parts of the nave as early as the 11th or 12th century. The tower was constructed in the 16th/17th century, to a similar design to that found in nearby
Aylesby,
Wootton and
Healing. The structure was restored in the 1880s and 1920. A decorated octagonal font in the church dates to the 15th C. In the later medieval period Immingham declined from 66 households in 1523 to 46 in 1723, in common with other Lincolnshire places on or near the Humber banks. The silting of the haven leading from the Humber has been supposed as one possible cause. Churchfield Manor, in the north-west of the town dates to the late 1600s/early 1700s. As part of the development of the new port some wood framed, corrugated iron clad housing was constructed; several of these survived to the 21st century, and one of these dated 1907 is now a listed structure. There was also an anti-aircraft battery in the town, manned with
1 pounder and later a
12-pounder gun. By the mid-1930s the village had grown as much to require a comprehensive school which opened in 1936. During the
Second World War,
John Dowland and
Leonard Harrison received the
George Cross for defusing a bomb that had fallen onto the grain ship SS
Kildare in February 1940 in Immingham Dock. Development of new
industries on the South Humber bank after the
Second World War caused further growth of the town. By 1981 the population had risen to 11,506; making it North Lincolnshire's fourth town, after
Grimsby,
Cleethorpes and
Scunthorpe. The expansion of the village included:
Eastfield County Junior School built in 1970; expansion of the comprehensive school, 1973; a shopping centre "Kennedy Way" constructed in 1965–7; and north of the centre 18 blocks of five storey flats constructed by
George Wimpey from 1965; a Civic Centre also opened in 1965. Standard housing also expanded: By 1968 there were many new side streets, in particular a new estate encompassed by Pilgrim Avenue; development along Pelham Road had become almost continuous, and the new village now expanding north-west towards the old Immingham. Further growth took place in the late 1960 and 1970s: north-west of Pelham Road, with the village continuous towards Church Lane; a new estate south-east of Pilgrim Road; as well as further infilling to the south-west.
Immingham Dock Station, originally part of the
Barton and Immingham Light Railway closed in 1969, In 1979 the Kennedy Way centre was extended to house a further supermarket and other shop units. The local council added a Sports centre in 1980. The expansion of the new town had peaked by the mid-1980s, with only minor extra expansion in the next two decades to 2006. In 2007 Immingham School was renamed
Oasis Academy Immingham. Supermarket retailers
Somerfield took over a former
Kwik Save shop at Kennedy Way c.2006; the branch became part of the
Co-op after the takeover of the chain in 2010; in 2014 the Co-op announced it was to close the shop (closed September 2014). Supermarket chain
Aldi acquired the site in 2014 with the aim of opening a new store in 2015; the store was opened in May 2015 by the Mayor of Immingham. The town's
Yorkshire Bank closed in August 2009 after 40 years of operation. the
Norwich and Peterborough Building Society closed their Immingham office in March 2010;
Barclays Bank closed their branch in the centre in late 2010. In 2012 planning permission was granted for a new large
Tesco store to the north of Immingham Civic Centre, (originally consented 2009.), and refurbishment and alterations to the Kennedy Way shopping centre. Preparatory work on a £10 million Tesco supermarket began 2014, with the Immingham Sports Centre to be demolished; a new sports facility was to be provided at
Oasis Academy. A
Poundstretcher opened in November 2014 at the development, and
B & M store in December 2014. The new "Multi User Games Area" (MUGA) opened March 2015. In January 2015 Tesco announced cost-cutting plans following falling sales, and halted development of 49 stores, The built but unopened store in Immingham was
mothballed, having had its opening previously delayed. As of late 2015 the unopened Tesco supermarket was being retained by Tesco. On 20 September 2018 Tesco opened one of their first
Jack's stores in the unused building. in the 1960s and demolished from 2017 to 2018 In early 2016 work began on the reconstruction of Immingham Civic Centre – an aim was to concentrate public services at one location including Immingham Town Council, North East Lincolnshire Council offices, Humberside Police offices, Shoreline (housing agent) offices, a Library and the Immingham museum, which portrays the role of the
Great Central Railway in the building of the docks and construction of the local rail network. The museum, which is home to the Great Central Railway Society archive, is open from 1pm to 4pm, Wednesday to Saturday from March through to November. ==Governance==