Category Archives: Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough Heritage

Tuxedo Royale, Middlebrough

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TSS Dover was a cross channel car ferry built by Swan Hunter on the Tyne in 1965. In 1977 she was renamed the Earl Siward and in 1982 the Sol Express based in Cyprus.
Tuxedo Royale (sinking)
Most people however know her under her last rename as the floating nightclub Tuxedo Royale.
Tuxedo Royale (sinking)
The nightclub operated in Middlesbrough between 2000 and 2006 before being forced out for the Middlehaven development (which is barely much further on 6 years later)
After a spell at Able UK ship-breakers near the Hartlepool Nuclear Power Station she is now back at their site on the banks of the Tees, listing.

Cargo Fleet Road – Toll Bar

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This lovely but neglected building was once a Toll Bar on the road between Middlesbrough and Cargo Fleet.
Cargo Fleet Toll Bar
The building looks solid but the missing pieces of roof suggest it will now be ruined inside.
Cargo Fleet Toll Bar
Cargo Fleet Toll Bar‘Bolckow‘ has this fantastic photo of it on his Flickr account.
Cargo Fleet Road Toll Bar
The building is said to date from 1854 and Middlesbrough was one of the last towns in the UK to have toll roads, only being abolished on 31st July 1916

Forgotten park at Cargo Fleet Wharf

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This area looks to have been developed as a public park in the late 1980s but is no longer maintained and tricky to reach for the public. It was actually opened by Prince Charles
Cargo Fleet Wharf
At the top of the hill is a viewpoint which has been vandalised in the past, but looks forgotten about now.
Viewpoint at Cargo Fleet Wharf
No traces of any older structures are visible, although the view up the river towards Middlesbrough is still good.
View from Cargo Fleet Wharf
Down by the riverside is interesting as this is one of the only points downstream of Middlesbrough you can access the banks of the Tees without being on private property.
Cargo Fleet Wharf
A large concrete pillar stands in the water which may correspond to a Slag Conveyer shown in the 1929 OS map, although i’m by no means certain of that.
Cargo Fleet Wharf


Rows of rotted wooden posts are also visible at the waters edge which presumably are the mooring posts for Cargo Fleet Wharf, although i’m yet to locate a photo of this area in use.
Cargo Fleet Wharf

Bridge between Cargo Fleet Ironworks and Cargo Fleet Wharf

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This bridge crossing the main railway now stands isolated behind Dockside Road and the back of the South Tees Motor Sports Park which covers the location of the Cargo Fleet Ironworks
Bridge to Cargo Fleet Wharf
Its inaccessible from either end, presumably to stop vandals throwing things onto passing trains as crossing wouldn’t actually get you anywhere.
Bridge to Cargo Fleet Wharf
Dave Walsh then quickly posed an interesting question about whether this was actually the bridge that carried the Cleveland Railway to the Normanby Jetty, to which I didn’t know the answer. Looking at the 1894 map there are actually two adjacent bridges, the northern one going to the Cargo Fleet Wharf and the southern one going to the Normanby Jetty used by Bell Brothers to transport ironstone to their works at Port Clarence.

The 1915 map appear the show the southerly bridge gone, leaving only the remaining one to the Cargo Fleet Wharf, but i’m by no means certain of all its functions over the years so any additional information would be welcome.

Update : Simon Chapman has kindly shared a 1972 photo of the bridge with me. In front of the bridge on the right can be seen the remaining parapet of the Cleveland Railway bridge to Normanby Jetty which was subsequently demolished. On the left of the photo is Normanby signalbox which controlled the junction for mineral traffic into Cargo Fleet Works.

Brittania Test House – Middlesbrough

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The 1250 Ton Testing Machine in this building was used by Dorman Long to test the girders for the Sydney Harbour Bridge amongst many others.
Brittania Test House
Brittania Test House
The site is now run by Durham Lifting and their website carries the following detail :-

The largest testing house in the UK holds Lloyds approval to undertake tensile and compressive testing up to 1250 tons. Its 50ft long bed can accept specimens 30ft wide and up to 4ft deep. The recent manufacture of a 1.6 mechanical advantage lever assembly for the test machine now allows tensile testing of 2000 Ton to be carried out.

Newham Grange Farm

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The Hopper family bought Newham Grange in 1809, a stone by the gates remains from a building dating from August 1840 laid by Isaac Hopper
Newham Grange Farm
A second plaque from 1847, still on a building also bears his name.
Newham Grange Farm
The farm was sold to the Council by Albert Hopper in 1976 as the land around it became the town of Coulby Newham and the A174 parkway, the farm itself has since become a tourist attraction.