Show on map West End Methodist Chapel was built in 1877 for the Wesleyan branch of the Methodists. It was built for a congregation of about 500 people at that time.
The final service took place on 14th October 2012 and the building is now home to Puma Cheer and Dance.
Show on map This almost blank stone tells an interesting story, all that remains is the name R Sawtell, County Surveyor, the rest has been chipped away.
During 1940/1941 the threat of German invasion was great enough that many signs and markers were removed, to confuse the potential invaders.
Mr. Ronald Sawtell, is the county surveyor by 1934, and there are many news reports from 1934 complaining of the state of the previous bridge which must have prompted the current one to be built some time after that.
So the inscription is only likely to have been in place for a few years in the late 1930s. I have been unable to discover exactly what it said. Presumably it mentioned “Skelton” or “Apple Orchard Bridge” which would have helped invaders confirm their location.
Show on map Primitive Methodists split from the Wesleyan Methodists in 1807 and continued until the Methodist Union in 1932. They became known as the “‘Ranters” due to their evangelical preaching.
They had a strong following among the poor and working class, which perhaps explains the involvement of local ironstone mine owners Pease and Bell Brothers.
There’s an account of the opening of Skelton Primitive Methodist chapel by H Pratt in the Primitive Methodist magazine of April 1866
The cost was around £259, Donors included Jos. Pease, Mr Bell, Earl of Zetland, J Wharton, J Pease MP, G Pease, Captain Challoner, FA Millbank MP and Jos Fawcett.
Show on map Wednesday 20th November – (01) Skelton – 900 years of history
Distance: 1½ miles; Ascent 120ft; Duration: 2-2½ hours
Meet at 10:30am outside the Wharton Arms on the High Street. This walk will be based around the Mosaic Trail which runs through the village. The walk’s full title is “900 years of history in 900 yardsâ€
A charge of £2 per person will be made on each walk to offset the costs of Insurance. Please wear appropriate footwear and have clothing suitable for the likely weather conditions on that day. On the longer walks, it is suggested that you bring food and drink as we usually stop between midday and 1:00pm for a lunch break.
Further details can be had from: skeltonhistorygroup@gmail.com or by contacting Peter Appleton (Tel: 01287 281752)
Tuesday 15th October – (10) Biggles and the Zeppelins
Distance: 3 miles; Ascent 65ft; Duration: about 2-2½ hours
Meet at 10:30am in the Stray car park near Green Lane, Redcar (NZ 624 237). This easy-paced walk takes place on mostly level ground. There are two ladder styles to negotiate to cross the rail line. The heritage interest includes: the 1913 summer camp of the Northumberland & Durham Brigade of the Territorial Force, the WW1 RFC/RAF airfield, and the Sound Mirror for detecting incoming Zeppelins.
A charge of £2 per person will be made on each walk to offset the costs of Insurance. Please wear appropriate footwear and have clothing suitable for the likely weather conditions on that day. On the longer walks, it is suggested that you bring food and drink as we usually stop between midday and 1:00pm for a lunch break.
Further details can be had from: skeltonhistorygroup@gmail.com or by contacting Peter Appleton (Tel: 01287 281752)
Show on map Blue tinged Scoria blocks are still a fairly common sight in the gutters around Cleveland as they were manufactured from molten blast furnace slag, a waste product that was available in huge quantities in our area.
Joseph Woodward first took out a patent in the mid 1870s for a machine for making blocks from molten blast furnace slag.
The Wharton Arms was built in 1878 so the bricks in the yard behind could be original examples from this early phase. Nearly all the blocks carry the name “Tees Scoria Company – Patent” where most examples in Cleveland are just plain.
In 1893 the Institution of Mechanical Engineers visited the Tees Scoria Brick Co. at Cargo Fleet Iron Works and described a more advanced process :
The manufacture carried on at these works is that of slag blocks for paving. The plant comprises one rotating wheel, fitted with 140 moulds; and also eighteen kilns, each capable of holding 1,000 blocks. From twenty to thirty different sizes of blocks are made. By arrangement with the Cargo Fleet Iron Co. these works are carried on at U, Plate 55, within the boundary of the Cargo Fleet Iron Works.
The blocks were also manufactured at Skinningrove up until the 1950s.
Show on map Monday 9th September – (11) Skelton Park and Shaft mines
Distance: 4½ miles; Ascent 500ft; Duration: 4½-5 hours
Meet at 10:30am at Skelton Methodist Community Church, Castle Grange, Skelton Green. Today, we will be walking from Skelton Green along a permissive footpath that would have been used by the ironstone miners to get to and from their place of work.
A charge of £2 per person will be made on each walk to offset the costs of Insurance. Please wear appropriate footwear and have clothing suitable for the likely weather conditions on that day. On the longer walks, it is suggested that you bring food and drink as we usually stop between midday and 1:00pm for a lunch break.
Further details can be had from: skeltonhistorygroup@gmail.com or by contacting Peter Appleton (Tel: 01287 281752)
Show on map Sunday 18th August – (12) Guisborough alum works
Distance: 4 miles; Ascent 690ft; Duration: 4-4½ hours
Meet at 10:30am in the Fountain Street car park. This walk begins with a long, uphill stretch to get to the quarries that once formed part of Belman Bank alum works. Recent tree felling has made the extent of these quarries clearly visible. We will then walk through the wood to Cass Rock quarry, where further evidence of alum working can be seen. Our return route (downhill all the way!) will be via Butt Lane.
A charge of £2 per person will be made on each walk to offset the costs of Insurance. Please wear appropriate footwear and have clothing suitable for the likely weather conditions on that day. On the longer walks, it is suggested that you bring food and drink as we usually stop between midday and 1:00pm for a lunch break.
Further details can be had from: skeltonhistorygroup@gmail.com or by contacting Peter Appleton (Tel: 01287 281752)
Saturday 27th July – (19) Boulby from above
Distance: 4 miles; Ascent 720ft; Duration: 4-4½ hours
We meet at 10:30am in Boulby lane (NZ 760187), where there is ample roadside space to park cars. We will head over to the Cleveland Way coastal footpath and then turn left and walk along it towards Loftus. After a couple of miles, we then leave it and take field paths across to the Street Houses road and follow this back to our cars. The walk will take about 3-3½ hours. Along the way will pass sites relating to the alum industry, ironstone mining and WW1 air-raid warnings. There are no facilities of any kind on this walk.
A charge of £2 per person will be made on each walk to offset the costs of Insurance. Please wear appropriate footwear and have clothing suitable for the likely weather conditions on that day. On the longer walks, it is suggested that you bring food and drink as we usually stop between midday and 1:00pm for a lunch break.
Further details can be had from: skeltonhistorygroup@gmail.com or by contacting Peter Appleton (Tel: 01287 281752)
Show on map Friday 21st June – (21) Ravenscar
Distance: 4 miles; Ascent 620ft; Duration: 4-4½ hours
This walk starts at the National Trust information centre at Ravenscar, where we meet at 10:30am. Cars can be parked along the roadside in Ravenscar. This all-day walk takes us northwards along the old railway track, passing a brick-works and some quarries associated with two alum works (Peak and Stow Brow). We will have a stop for a picnic lunch near Stow Brow quarries. After lunch we walk down the road to the Cleveland Way footpath and follow that back to Ravenscar, calling at the remains of the alum house at Peak. Our final port of call will be the tea rooms at Ravenscar, for some well-earned refreshment.
A charge of £2 per person will be made on each walk to offset the costs of Insurance. Please wear appropriate footwear and have clothing suitable for the likely weather conditions on that day. On the longer walks, it is suggested that you bring food and drink as we usually stop between midday and 1:00pm for a lunch break.
Further details can be had from: skeltonhistorygroup@gmail.com or by contacting Peter Appleton (Tel: 01287 281752)