West Dyke currently goes underground at the edge of the A174, an area now prone to flooding. An open stream is shown here on 1970s maps and until recently the top of Oxgang Bridge was still visible at the edge of Plantation Road, although the parapets have since been removed.

A footpath which follows the course of the steam runs from Plantation Road all the way down the side of the racecouse, this is shown as an open stream on 1950s maps before the construction of West Dyke Road and Lakes estate. Being pushed underground around Greystoke Road by the 1970s

A sharp westerly turn is taken at  the end of Thrush Road, and in the 1930s it came back to surface alongside Corporation Road, this area must have been culverted when Sandringham/Buckingham Roads were built.

The stream can then be seen going back south and under Corporation Road, amazingly the concrete parapet for this old bridge still exists despite the College having been built over the site in the 1960s when that stretch was most likely culverted too

The 1950s map  shows an open stream going under Corporation Road and behind the houses on the south side before going into Locke Park

The water re-emerges in Locke Park with an identical concrete bridge to the one on Corporation Road, so they most likely both date from the opening of the park in 1929.

Virtually the full length of the culvert remains under footpaths, presumably in case of collapse.

Today my hometown threw up something I had never noticed before, the old offices of the North Eastern Daily Gazette on Station Road in Redcar.

The building itself is known as Peels Place and seems to be built from light coloured Pease bricks like much of Saltburn.

The North Eastern Daily Gazette was the name of what is today the Evening Gazette, between 1881 and 1936

The Zetland Lifeboat Museum is a familiar sight on Redcar Seafront, but it dates from 1877 much later than when the Zetland itself was in service from 1802 – 1864.

This lifeboat station and lifeboat were funded by the philanthopy of Emma Dawson and the United Order of Free Gardeners, the boat being named ‘Emma’ in her honour, it actually operated independantly of the RNLI.

There are several sandstone carvings, all of which are now heavily weathered.

The left stones are the emblem of the United Order of Free Gardeners and the build date 1877, with her intials “ED”

Emma Dawsons family crest is on the right, with ‘WH’ for Weston Hall her home.

Weston Hall (Gordon Hatton) / CC BY-SA 2.0
Emma Dawson died on 29th October 1880, a memorial and stained glass window can be seen in All Saints Church near Weston Hall.

‘This monument was erected by her Redcar Lifeboat crew as a record of their respectful gratitude for the disinterested services, the eminent usefulness, and the long-tried and faithful attachment of their glorified friend.’

The ‘Emma’ was in service from 1877 to 1884 and the building becamethe home of the Zetland in 1907.