This monument stands at the junction of the main paths in North Road Cemetery, contemporary news reports state :- A CEMETERY FOR DARLINGTON. In accordance with the wish of the late Mr. Joseph Pease, his sons, the Mayor of Darlington (Mr. Arthur Pease), and his four brothers, Mr. J. W. Pease, M.P., Mr. Edward Pease, Mr. Gurney Pease, and Mr. Charles Pease, have presented to the borough of Darlington, for the use principally of residents in the northern part of the borough, a cemetery of fifteen acres, walled in, planted with shrubs, &c. The value of this munificent gift is about £20,000.
THIS MEMORIAL WAS ERECTED A.D. 1877, BY THE CORPORATION OF DARLINGTON IN GRATEFUL RECOGNITION OF THIS CEMETERY HAVING BEEN PRESENTED BY JOSEPH WHITWELL PEASE, ESQ. M.P. EDWARD PEASE, ARTHUR PEASE, GURNEY PEASE AND CHARLES PEASE, IN MEMORY OF THEIR LATE FATHER JOSEPH PEASE OF SOUTHEND DARLINGTON. FORMERLY MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR THE SOUTHERN DIVISION OF THE COUNTY OF DURHAM WHO DIED FEBRUARY 8th 1872
CEMETERY COMMITTEE ALDERMAN EDWARD KIPLING. CHAIRMAN HENRY PEASE. RICHARD LUCK. COUNCILLOR EDWARD LUCAS PEASE. THEODORE FRY. THOMAS SWINBURNE. HENRY FELL PEASE. GEORGE SHAW. GEORGE ELWIN
THE FOUNDATION STONE OF THE CHAPELS WAS LAID BY ARTHUR PEASE, ESQ. MAYOR ON THE 8th DAY OF APRIL 1874 THEY WERE OPENED FOR PUBLIC USE A.D. 1877.
Many thanks to Michael Thompson for this submission.
Opened 1.5.1882
Closed 23.7.1982
Operating Company on opening – North Eastern Railway.
An ‘Island’ design station which appears to be confined to NER stations. The broad island platforms’ southern face was straight, but the northern face had a shallow curve.
In 1880 the new South Bank station was authorised, together with three cottages and a warehouse; the total cost was £7,703. For three years it co-existed with the first South Bank station which was located about a mile to the east and closed in 1885.
The station was reached from the south by a footbridge over the up track (towards Middlesbrough), at the western end of the platform. The bridge was of iron, slightly arched, and originally roofed. Two sets of stairs led down eastwards towards the station building, whilst a single staircase led down to the west.
A functional single-storey red brick building with a ridged slate roof contained all of the facilities, the booking office being at the western end close to the footbridge. Window and door openings had a segmental arch design. Generous partly glazed ridge-and-furrow awnings covered the platform faces and extended over much of the roof of the station building. The columns which supported the awnings had swelling Gothic bases but lacked ornamental capitals. The brackets included the Star of David motif which could be seen at some other NER 1880s stations. The awnings were more substantial than at the neighbouring Cargo Fleet and Grangetown stations.
The station formally closed in 1984 with the opening of the present South Bank Station about 700 yards to the east. The platform remained in situ for many years, finally being erased when the north track was straightened across the platform site.
All that remains of the station today is a ‘ghostly’ mark in the ground. The present day bridge over the rail track on ‘Old Station Road’ is where the access bridge to the platforms was located.
Photos
1 The ghostly shape of the olds station, looking east. The modern South Bank Station is just visible in the distance. (Photo M. Thompson)
2 South Bank 2nd Station 1905. Clearly showing the access bridge and the ‘eastward’ facing stairs leading down to the platform. (Photo John Allsop Collection @ Disused Stations.org.uk)
3 Map 1895. Note how close the river bank was in 1895. (Courtesy National Library of Scotland)
Thanks to Michael Thompson for the following contribution.
In 1894 Bolckow Vaughan & Co discovered a thick seam of salt, which led to the forming of the Greatham Salt and Brine Company. In 1903 this was bought out by Cerebos, part of the Rank-Hovis McDougall (RHM) group. The site ceased producing salt in 1971. Sharwood’s also part of RHM had taken over part of the site in 1966 for the production of curry and chutneys. RHM took over full control in 1968 producing such brands a Bisto; Atora and others. The site fully closed in 2002.(Info-This is Hartlepool: Cerebos Salt Works)
Railtracks at Cerebos Salt Works, looking east towards Hartlepool.
The Steel Gala was a huge event in Redcar for 30 years, with commemorative mugs being issued annually. My collection has been built over a number of years from local charity shops.
1 – 27th August 1977 – Redcar Racecourse
The 1977 Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II features on the mug.
2 – 8th July 1978
The Arc Plant at the Cleveland Works features on the 1978 mug, with the reverse being the Royal Military Police Mounted Display Team who presumably performed that year.
3 – 7th July 1979
The Transporter Bridge and Redcar Blast Furnace (which has just opened that year) feature on the 1979 mug, with a rather random image of a Wild West Cowboy on the reverse, i have seen images online of variations with different Cowboy scenes.
4 – 5th July 1980
Various elements of the recently completed Teesside Works appears on the 1980 mug with the reverse showing the ‘Life Guards Mounted Review Order’
5 – 4th July 1981
The mug from 1981 returns to a Royal theme with the marriage of Prince Charles and Lady Diana a few days after the gala on 29th July 1981
6 – 3rd July 1982
In 1982 main event at the Gala must have been an appearance by the Red Arrows who feature on that years mug.
7 – 2nd July 1983
1983 begins a run of years where the mugs just feature random images, this years being a 1908 Model T Ford and 1903 Dion Bouton
8 – 7th July 1984
1984 continues the theme (or lack of it) with The Hokey Pokey Man from 1896 (an Italian Ice Cream seller) and The Milkman from 1885.
9 – 6th July 1985
Officer of the 5th Dragoon Guards 1833 and Officer of the 15th Hussars 1841 mysteriously grace the 1985 mug.
10 – 1986 – Missing from my collection
11 – 1987 – Missing from my collection
12 – 2nd July 1988 – Redcar Racecourse
I have found two variations so far on the 1988 cartoon animals mugs, which are both very jolly.
13 – 8th July 1989
1989 sees a return to some site specific information, this mug is sponsored by the Continuous Casting Plant at Lackenby (Concast) and an illustration of Kirkleatham Hall Museum and the 1989 Queens Award for Technological Achievement.
A search of the London Gazette reveals the award was won by the Continuous Casting Plant of the Teesside Works of British Steel Plc for Immersed rotary valve for quality steel making (jointly with Thor Ceramics Ltd.)
I beleive this was the first year the Gala was held at Kirkleatham Showground rather than the traditional Redcar Racecourse.
14 – 1990 – Missing from my collection
15 – 7th July 1991
1991 appears to have seen a switch to a Sunday event from the previous years all being on a Saturday (unless that happened first in 1990 which i’m missing !)
Sponsored by the Universal Beam Mill and Skinningrove Works, there are illustrations of a yacht, submarine and bulldozer.
16 – 5th July 1992
A theme of athletics (perhaps because 1992 was the Barcelona Olympics) boasts “Through Training Comes Achievement” there a Teesside TEC Logo (which I believe was the Training and Enterprise Council) and also a logo for the “National Training Award MCMXCI (1991)”
“Ford Q1” Certification is awarded to suppliers who demonstrate excellence beyond the ISO/TS certification requirements in five critical areas: capable systems, continuous improvement, ongoing performance, superior manufacturing process and customer satisfaction.
17 – 4th July 1993
Sponsored by Steelmaking Teesside Works, the 1993 mug features a lot of popular gala events such as floats, skydivers and dog display teams,.
18 – 3rd July 1994
Sponsored by Accident Prevention, the 1994 mug is similar to the previous year showing Gala favourites such as the floats, motorbike displays and brass bands. The Fire Safety Competition also get a mention.
19 – 2nd July 1995
Environmental Services Teesside, Premier Winners of the Business Commitment to the Environment Award sponsored the 1995 mug, for the first time it seems to be based on real photographs.
20 – 1996 – Missing from my collection
21 – 6th July 1997
Clowns and a Spitfire feature on the 1997 mug, which also marks the production of 50 Million Tonnes by the Redcar Blast Furnace and the 25th Anniversary of the Concast.
22 – 5th July 1998
1998 features much more realistic images of a Spitfire, the Red Arrows and a Mountain Biker. Sponsored by the Redcar Blast Furnace it mentions a European Record Breaker of 37 Million Tonnes of Iron, this is a little confusing as the previous year mentioned 50 Million Tonnes, but perhaps we are talking about 37 million from the the 2nd campaign which started in 1986.
23 – 1999 – Missing from my collection
24 – 2000 – Missing from my collection
25 – 1st July 2001
2001 is my first mug which mentions the second switch of venue to Redcar Rugby Club and also the first to mentioned “Corus” rather than “British Steel”
Corus formed in late 1999, so the missing 2000 mug is most likely a Corus one too.
Sponsored by Teesside Cast Products it commemorated the 25th anniversary of the gala.
26 – 7th July 2002
Sponsored by Corus Northern Engineering Services and featuring the Corus website address for the first time, photos of people enjoying the gala made a come back.
I also very recently acquired a blue version of the 2002 mug with completely different images, the main one being a man with a kite.
27 – 6th July 2003
Sponsored by Teesside Cast Products, gala favorites the Cumberland Giants finally make an appearance in 2003, along with floats and aerobatic aircraft.
28 – 4th July 2004
A second year of sponsorship by Teesside Cast Products, the theme is the old favourite of people enjoying the gala.
29 – 3rd July 2005
Sponsored by Corus Northern Engineering Services, there a James Bond themed float and also come external sponsorship by 96.6 TFM Radio
30 – 2nd July 2006
30 years of fun in the sun and a float featuring “Bob the Builder”
I’ve seen conflicting reports online that 2006 was the last gala, with another saying there were 31 galas but one was cancelled due to bad weather (not sure which!)
On 18th August 2019 the ‘Ladies of Steel’ community group resurrected the Steel Gala at the Corus Sports & Social Club in Dormanstown, which used to be the British Steel Club.
Covid stopped the 2020 event taking place and it looks like nothing has happened since.
The Lady of Bilsdale is mentioned in Tom Scott Burns 1993 book “Cleveland Hills” where it is described as the ‘enigmatic face of a lady carved on a rock wall who gazes eternally down into Bilsdale’.
I have been unable to find any other references to the carvings existence, so the phrase ‘enigmatic’ is certainly true. For those unable to access the remote sandstone quarry above Hasty Bank I have made a 3D scan of the carving.
Thank you to Michael Thompson for this contribution.
Officially opened in c1830 as Middleton and Dinsdale station, although it had been an unofficial stop since 1825 being renamed to Fighting Cocks in 1866. The station closed to passengers in 1887. This was due to a new line being constructed between Bank Top Station (Darlington) and Oak Tree Junction, east of Fighting Cocks. The original 1825 line was still used as a bypass when work was required on the new line. Fighting Cocks station closed completely in 1964.
The track bed is now a public footpath and off road cycleway. The platform and station buildings still exist as a private dwelling. Also still in existence is the Station Masters House complete with S&D Railway 1825 plaque.
The area gets it’s name from the then land owner Squire Henry Cocks who died in 1894. The family emblem was three cockerels fighting.
As the station is now a private residence will anyone visiting the site kindly respect the owners privacy.
Old track bed at Fighting Cocks. The station building can just be seen behind the bushes.
The old Station Masters House.
Detail of the S&D Railway 1825 plaque.
All the above photo’s by Michael Thompson.
Fighting Cocks Railway Station (Illustrated London News 1875)
A valiant attempt to recreated a historic photo by M. Heavisides. These natural rock formations were a major tourist attraction in Victorian times but are now largely forgotten.
These wood carvings of Barn Owls by Steve Iredale were erected at various points around Skelton in 2022. These are at the junction of Station Lane and Saltburn Lane.
They have proved very popular and sadly there have since been several incidents of damage and theft.
This remote cross is a memorial to Probationary Flight Officer Francis Holt Yates Titcomb of the Royal Naval Air Service.
Flying a Maurice Farman Longhorn, he took off from the RNAS training airfield at Redcar on his first solo flight on 15 April 1917. He crashed after encountered snow clouds over the moors and died aged 19.
He is buried in Brompton Cemetery in London
The cross was erected by Mr J K Foster JP of Egton Manor in 1929 and sculpted by Mr J.W. Hill of Whitby.
Based on the design of a wayside cross near Vittel in the Vosges designed by Sir E L Lutyens
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