This sign is painted onto the gable end of the last house in Carlow Street.
I don’t know how long its been there or if it was once associated with a garage.
Anyone ?
Esso Ghostsign Middlesbrough
9
Show on map Monthly Archives: August 2011
Show on map Gainford Spa
Show on map This sulpherous spring can be found between the river and the A67 just outside Gainford
It was apparently an 1840 borehole for coal (or 1834 from a different source) and with the addition of a railway link sparked some minor interest in Gainford as a Victorian spa town.
The spa fell into disrepair and was vandalised but was then thankfully restored in 2002, the original bowl now stands nearby as a memorial to those involved.
Kilton Thorpe Auxiliary Unit OB
Show on map I was reminded by an article in edition 14 of Coastal View and Moor News that I had visited this Auxiliary Unit site way back in 2003 with a very low res digital camera before I ever thought of creating Hidden Teesside.
Auxiliary Units were going to form a resistance force should Germany have invaded during the war.
A plan of the bunker can be found on Auxunit News although unfortunately its now little more than a depression in the ground.
Coatham Hotel, Windsor Ballroom, Redcar – In Atonement Colours
Show on map One wing of the Coatham Hotel was never completed in the style of the rest of the building and the Windsor Ballroom was added some time between 1955 and 1961 (see discussion in comments). In later years it became a nightclub and a gym.
The lop-sided appearence of the hotel made it perfect to be a bombed out Dunkirk ruin when Atonement was filmed in Redcar in 2006
The building has remained derelict since with its French set-decorations still on display, until August 2011 when its been given a fresh coat of paint and is now covered.
Redcar Outdoor Swimming Pools / Skating Rink
Show on map Redcar once had an outdoor swimming pool and paddling pool next to the existing boating lake.
I recall perhaps 20 years ago the curve of the large pool was visible in the waste land between the boating lake and the swimming baths (now demolished)
This area is currently being redeveloped for the Tuned In / myPlace centre, while this was happening I noticed a lot of concrete has been dug out of that area.
Its possible these are the remains of the swimming pool, although I also have a recollection of some concrete steps leading into the ground in this area, so it could also just be an old drainage tank of some sort.
Update : Some discussion below has pointed out the concrete was actually the skating rink, thanks to those involved for clearing that up.
Foxrush Farm Community Woodland, Redcar
Show on map Foxrush Farm Community Woodland was only planted in 1997 but is already pretty well established. The farm itself is now owned by Saltburn Animal Rescue Association (SARA). and is also the site of an Iron Age settlement
The carved fox is the work of Steve Iredale back in late 2007, as of 2011 a mosaic map of the area has also appeared, produced by the Redcar Community College
Halfpenny Bridge, Saltburn
Show on map The Halfpenny Bridge was constructed in 1869 for Mr John Thomas Wharton of Skelton by Messers Hopkins, Gilkes and Company Limited for a cost of £7000. Its purpose was to open up the opposite side of the valley for development (which never actually happened)
The iron bridge was somewhere between 120ft – 160ft high (depending on your sources) and 660 feet long. Faced with rising maintenance costs the bridge was sadly demolished on 17 December 1974
A small bridge made from salvaged parts of the original still crosses the river.
In the woodland on the Saltburn side, remains of the bridge abutment can still be found.
Next to the modern bandstand is a plaque which marks the Saltburn end of the bridge
The railings behind the bandstand are also the same design from the bridge
The toll-keepers house also still stands on the Skelton side.
Minewater pollution in Saltburn Gill
Show on map Minewater first appeared in Saltburn Gill on 18 May 1999, since then the beck has been stained with ochre, this occured 35 years after Longacres mine actually closed so many think its probably due to the construction of the Skelton – Brotton bypass between Longacres and this location causing some movement underground.
This problem also exposed a legal loophole whereby neither the current landowners nor former operators can be held responsible. The coal authority is also not currently responsible for old metal mines.
An extrememly informative article on the subject can be found in a recent issue of Geoscientist.
The interesting overlay of the workings is to be found on the informations boards by the beach.
Barnard Castle Station Portico, Valley Gardens, Saltburn
Show on map This portico originally stood on the 1856 railway station at Barnard Castle.
It was moved to Saltburn in 1863 and placed in the Valley Gardens as a memorial to Prince Albert by the Saltburn Improvement Company
Sadly the memorial is currently in a pretty poor state, which is very suprising considering the amount of time and effort Saltburn ususally spends on its heritage and it being a listed building.
North Eastern Railway Tile Map, Saltburn
Show on map These maps were manufactured by Craven Dunnill of Jackfield in Shropshire.
9 are said to still exist in their original stations, Beverley, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Morpeth, Saltburn, Scarborough, Tynemouth, York and Whitby.
This one if unfortunately hidden behind a sheet of horrible scratched perspex (although that is saving it from vandals)
It is possible to purchase these tiles maps from new if you have about £3K burning a hole in your pocket.