Stuck Pixels: Grimsby

A cartographic deconstruction of Grimsby; one old limb of the British Isles. P.S. I live here.

[stuckpixelsgrimsby-blog]

Working on a new layer to the map: breaking it up into zones; Shopping & Leisure, Residential & Industrial. Better choose some nice colour swatches as boy is their going to be a lot of one particular colour 

[stuckpixelsgrimsby-blog]

Photoshop messed up the colours / I have inadvertently messed with Photoshop’s colour settings, but other than that, I <3 Animation. Reminds me of an old GameBoy Map screen, though, goodness knows what you would get up to in “Grimsby: the Game”

[stuckpixelsgrimsby-blog]

Neater...

I don’t know why I insist on doing everything back to front...A nice overview of the town’s limits.

[stuckpixelsgrimsby-blog]

Do keep in mind...

Keep in mind that pixel art only has to be an approximation, the resolution simply isn’t high enough (intentionally so), therefore you have to strike a balance between accuracy and what looks darn good.

[stuckpixelsgrimsby-blog]

TADA! The first draft of the greater Grimsby area, split into it’s districts. It’s by no means finished; under closer inspection Heneage is completely wrong, the roads need cleaning up and as I write this, I realise I appear to have left Weelsby road off entirely. Duh..

[stuckpixelsgrimsby-blog]

Boroughs? Zones? Districts?

At last! Typically from the horse’s mouth, (thank you North East Linconshire Council) the map in question. As it turns out, keywords are everything. The various districts of Grimsby are the different council Wards (well how was I to know...) Whether these areas developed naturally from the local inhabitants or were assimilated the into common knowledge from council defined zones, I could not say! I’m aware this is the kind of thing that’s probably only interesting to me.

Image Source

[stuckpixelsgrimsby-blog]

If you live in a place for a long enough period of time you get to know it more intimately, in a way that a map cannot. A variety of social topography, those local, hidden gems become steadily familiar. I was nevertheless surprised to find no clear or consistent references (I had expected to see border lines for sure) to commonly known areas such as West Marsh, the Yarborough, or the Weelsby on either the Ordinance Survey or Google Maps. I mean honestly Google, today, you have failed me.

Image Source: OldeMaps

[stuckpixelsgrimsby-blog]

The Old Bull Ring and Market Place, Grimsby

Here’s something that might be of interest to native Grimbarians (did I say that right?). I’ve made a GIF transition of the Old Bull Ring and Market Place, c1840. The whole heritage area was progressively flattened across the 1970s to make way for a redevelopment, which is a slight shame. A thorough article from the Grimsby Telegraph, with some lovely vintage photos of the area, can be found HERE

Note: St James’ Church (Now Grimsby Minster) in the bottom left corner, can be used as a reference point. Wilko is just to the right. 

[stuckpixelsgrimsby-blog]

Time for some Low Res Tracing!

I’m using a vector pixel art template (of my own design) underlaid with the satellite imagery to begin outlining some basic areas and shapes of our Great Grimsby. Roads first and foremost, of course.

[stuckpixelsgrimsby-blog]

There we are! (Good old Google Maps). I do find it a bit sad, watching the land jut out to a point into the Humber and the A180 come to a dead end at Grimsby. Reminds me somewhat of the tale of old western America and how, as the trains and the highways came into being, many old towns on the way to nowhere in particular, dependant on outside trade, became largely obsolete at the turn of the century...

[stuckpixelsgrimsby-blog]

You are here >

I love maps. I love their beauty, the precision, the balance between form and function; between art and information. I moved to North East Lincolnshire when I was seven and, despite it’s flaws, I developed an affinity for the old fishing port town of Grimsby. With those two things in mind I thought I would take on the role of hobbyist cartographer and attempt to visualise my home town in a way that hasn't been done before.