Public parking

Abbey Walk Car Park

The Abbey Walk car park was built in 1969 by Holst & Company of Scunthorpe at a cost of approximately £200,000.

Whilst a key asset for the town centre, the car park was closed in May 2024, after structural defects were found. This was water ingress into key structural supports, making the car park potentially unsafe to use.

It has now been approved to proceed with plans to demolish the car park, and replace it with a 120-space surface car park, but with the capability in the foundations of being built on in future years if needed.

Update: May 2025 – The planning application has now been approved for the demolition of the car park. If you wish to view the application, visit DM/0018/25/FUL | Demolish existing multi storey car park along Abbey Walk | Multi Storey Car Park Abbey Walk Grimsby North East Lincolnshire DN31 1NB.

The car park is due to be demolished in the summer of 2025.

Artwork: Harold Gosney Reliefs

On the pillars of Abbey Walk car park, there are a series of modern art concrete panels that were designed in the 1960s by artist and sculptor, Harold Gosney, having been asked to carry out the car park commission by the architects, Nicholson and Rushton.

Though there are 40 panels on the structure, these are a repeated series of 4 designs – some flipped 180 degrees.

In an interview with the BBC, artist Harold Gosney explained the inspiration for these: “The four designs I produced were inspired by drawings in the handbook of the car that I had at the time, which was an Austin Cambridge estate car, and included suspension, carburettor, etc.”

The artist confirmed that these panels were cast in situ, with metal bars running through them which were integral to the car park structure, which is likely to make removal of the artwork incredibly difficult. Other options to preserve this artwork were discussed, and agreed.

In early 2025, Lincoln University digitally scanned these artworks for permanent digital preservation.

View the artwork in 3D.

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