A decorative buttress on the Turner Mausoleum carries the coat-of-arms of the Turner family.

It was originally from inside and dates from the construction around 1740-1742

The are many stages to this wall, built to surround the kitchen gardens of Kirkleatham Hall, some dates from the 17th Century.


I recall this being a council garden centre in 1980s when I was a child but its since become overgrown, although there was some activity in the buildings at the back, suggesting something is happening.

Chomley Turner, nephew of Sir William Turner built this school at a cost of £1000 in 1709 thought to be designed by Robert Hooke (although Wikipedia says he died in 1703). It remained a school until 1864 when that moved to Coatham Road in Redcar.
The building was later used for convalescing soldiers in World War 1.

It opened as the Old Hall museum (even though it was never the home of the squire) in 1981.

There are two sundials on the wall inside the Almshouses. The first has the motto “Every Hour Shortens Life”

The second has the equally rousing “Work today & play tomorrow”

The sandstone is heavily weathered and I believe its the intention of the almshouses to have them repaired in the future.

This chandelier by Claud Demeny dates from 1735 and it believed to have originated from St. John’s Cathedral in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands although it later years it hung in the offices of insurance company Royal and Sun Alliance.

Its only been in the Almshouses since November 2007, replacing the giltwood ‘Chandos’ chandelier by James Moore from around 1719 which was sold for £337,250 at Christies to help fund almshouse repairs. That chandelier was mades for James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos for the Chapel at Cannons. Later aquired by Cholmley Turner for the Chapel of his great uncle Sir William in 1747.

As well as 20 elderly people, the Almhouses originally cared for 20 children / orphans

It actually still functioned as a school until as late as 1942, and the upper stalls in the chapel are covered in carved initials and dates (including 1797 in the picture below)

Its interesting to note that as you move along the balcony to where the staff would have sat, the graffiti gradually disappears until there’s none at the other end. I’m sure at the time there would have been ‘youth of today’ style comments about the vandilism, but now 200 years later its a fascinating insight.

Although its hard to imagine how you wouldn’t get caught it a fresh set of your own initials just appeared ?

A death mask is a wax cast made after a persons death, considering Sir William died in 1692, this one is in fabulous condition.

Calculations from the size of the head suggest he was 5 ft 3 inches tall.