Explore Our Heritage In Loftus Town Hall
Teesside’s Oldest House
A talk by Dr Steve Sherlock

Friday 24 February 2017,7pm for 7.30pm
Loftus Town Hall TS13 4HG

Mostly about 2016’s nationally important finds of evidence of dwelling at Street House from Early Neolithic times, but Steve may also be persuaded to explain about the evidence of early industry (Salt, ceramics, jet working) in the area.

Everyone welcome – free entry (but donations towards costs welcomed!)

This is the second in a short series of heritage talks and events for 2017 organised by Loftus Town Council with the active support of local experts, held on the 4th Friday in the month.

February 24 – Teesside’s Oldest House, Neolithic Settlement, Timber Circles and Iron Age Saltworking, Dr Steve Sherlock “Street House before the Saxons”
March 24 – Where the Wild things were , Tees Valley Wildlife Trust, Kate Bartram
April 28 – Made in India (a play/show, part of the Rural Arts Create Tour), Tamasha Theatre Company (entry fee of £5 for adults)
May 26 – Habitat Restoration , Nature Reserves and Wildlife Monitoring in the Tees Estuary and East Cleveland Coast, Ian Bond of INCA .

Handale was site of Cistercian nunnery founded in 1133 and dissolved in 1539. In the 1750s the site was used as a Cotton Mill.

None of the original priory buildings remain today but the stone has been reused in the current farm buildings and walled garden.

A Medieval cross base and tomb lid are located just outside the walled garden.

Sixteen skeletons, a stone coffin and a sword were found on the site in 1830. Local legends speak of a serpent (or a dragon) that would devour the beautiful maidens of Loftus, until a brave Knight called Scaw killed it and rescued Emma Beckwith

The stone coffin supposedly carried the words “Snake Slayer” with Scaw inside still holding his sword, but the stone coffin on-site doesn’t seem to carry such an inscription and the present location of the sword appears to have been lost.

An unusual memorial on the site was erected to the last carthorse on the farm, before diesel tractors took over

The walled garden has been restored with funding from the National Park and LEADER

Initially I drew a complete blank on this one, but from the many comments Loftus historian and local Councillor, Eric Jackson, thinks he has answer. For a period between the 1890′s and WW2 the site housed the Loftus Bible Christian Chapel, and he feels that the stone is a survivor from that church

The stone looks to have been laid as a dedication stone on what is now a garage.

Best I could come up initially was “A Pease” followed by an obscured date.

The new information helped me locate a direct link to “A Pease” and the Bible Christian Chapel in 1882.

Gaskell Lane Bridge was damaged by flooding in September 2013. The bridge is thought to be on private property hence not the responsibility of the council to repair.

As of July 2014 it’s still the same, so presumably no solution or funding has yet been found.