The name
Barton is referred to as Bertone in the Doomsday Book in 1086; the "upon Humber" is of later origin possibly dating from the 13th century. Barton almost certainly comes from the Old English, meaning "a barley or corn farm".
There are many interesting street names in Barton as well including: Burgate meaning "the town-gate"; Far Ings lane - "Ings" referring to a meadow; Fleetgate meaning " the road to the estuary" and Soutergate meaning " the street of the shoe-makers"
More detailed information can be found in:
Kenneth Cameron's The Place-Names of Lincolnshire. Part Two. 1991.
(Available in North Lincolnshire Local Studies Library).
The place
The history of Barton upon Humber goes back to early Saxon times with an established settlement there by around AD 400. According to the listing in the Doomsday Book in 1086 Barton had a population of more than 1000, probably making it the most important town in the north of Lincolnshire.
During the Middle Ages Barton declined in importance as Hull began to emerge as the chief port for the Humber. Barton however remained a busy trading centre and market town. The surrounding agricultural area has always been of importance to Barton but in the 19th century Barton also became known as a centre for industry, particularly ship-building, rope-making, brick and tile manufacturing, and later bicycle production. These traditional industries have now declined but they have left a valuable legacy of buildings in the town.
In 1981 the Humber Bridge was opened linking Hull and Barton. The bridge was once the longest single-span bridge in the world and is still a notable landmark dominating the landscape.