Wesleyan Chapel, West Terrace, Redcar

Posted on February 1, 2013 by chris.twigg

For such a prominent building in Redcar, information is surprisingly hard to come by, the recently published Redcar and District Local History says it was built in 1869 at a cost of Â£4000 with seating for 650. That information is sourced from the Bulmers Guide of 1890

Although the 1884 Ward and Lock Guide state that a Wesleyan Chapel was built near the center of town in 1860 (although this could be elsewhere it doesn’t seem to tie in with anything else)

There are addition references to hint at both dates :-

Guisborough Wesleyan Methodist Circuit Register Of Baptisms Redcar Section. (1860 – 1926)
Redcar Chapel (Trinity) – Booklet entitled “100 years of Service. Trinity Methodist Church, 1869 – 1969.

Update : Fred Brunskill comments that the earlier methodist chapel was from 1853 and on the High Street where Clinkards now is on the right of this photo.

UPDATE April 2013 :-

Walked past today and it looks like the building is being demolished, another sad loss.

I managed to get a shot of the roof from the beacon.

Memories of exploring Steetley Magnesite in 2007

Posted on January 24, 2013 by chris.twigg

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These shots were taken in 2007 shortly after my first visit when it looked like this.

At this time itÂ was possible to climb inside the hugeÂ storage tanks

The scale of the ‘stirrer’ was quite something.

A set of ladders gave access to the top, but sadly (or perhaps wisely?)Â I never took the opportunity to climb them.

The sides of the tank were caked in a thick residue, i’ve not been for many years but as far as I know this site is now pretty much flattened.

North Ormesby Pavilion

Posted on January 22, 2013 by chris.twigg

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There is much conflicting information on this site, so any local knowledge would help.

The Evening Gazette claims the building originally opened in 1911 as the Grand Electric Theatre , becoming known as theÂ Pavilion Picture Palace in 1915 (or maybe 1914). It closed as a cinema in 1963 (or maybe 1960). It was known as the Playbarn in the 1970s and is now once again a community centre called the Pavilion.

However the Theatre Trust say its dates from 1906, became a cinema in 1916, closed in the mid-1950s and became a bingo hall.

TheÂ community centreÂ was refurbished in 2006 which is when the current outside decoration probably dates from.

UPDATE : Demolished 23rd August 2013

Unbuilt Dorman Long HQ

Posted on January 21, 2013 by chris.twigg

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In 1965 Dorman Long had plans drawn up for a new modern headquarters building designedÂ by Sir James Stirling. The following photos of the plans and model were taken by Steve Collins in an exhibitionÂ at the Tate Modern in 2011, he’s kindly allowed me to use them, you can find his Flickr photostream here

Plans were advanced enough that a scale model of the proposed building was constructed.

Of course the building was neverÂ constructed because the company was nationalised in 1967 becoming part of British Steel.Â At first I had assumed it was to be built in the same location as the 1970sÂ Steel House, but this photo montage suggests it was toÂ be built further down the Trunk RoadÂ near GrangetownÂ

Acklam Ironworks

Posted on January 20, 2013 by chris.twigg

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Three 70ft furnaces of the Acklam Ironworks were blown in by Stevenson, Jacques & Company in December 1865, they were places on wooden piles driven into a marsh, in an area which become known as the Ironmasters district of Middlesbrough. At this point they are using ironstone from the Brotton ironstone mine as the companys own mine at Boosbeck had not started.

A fourth furnace was added in 1868.

They passed into the ownership of the Acklam Iron Company in 1888 and in turn to North Eastern Steel Company in 1896, which then become part of Dorman Long around 1904.

A 1924 Dorman Long publication shows a photo of the furnaces.

Carlton Moor Gliding Club

Posted on January 8, 2013 by chris.twigg

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Carlton Moor Gliding Club had its roots in the Newcastle Gliding Club founded in 1931, becoming the Newcastle and Teesside Gliding Club when it moved to Carlton Moor in the early 1960s. For reasons unknown flights seem to have ceased at the end ofÂ 2008.

I visited the site in late 2011 and although vandalisedÂ there was still quite a lot of equipment lying around, I kept it off this public website to avoid it getting pillaged by scrapmen or further trashed by vandals. A friend has visited at the end of 2012 and reports that sadly the whole place is now pretty much ruined and stripped.

Theres a large hanger, presumably for glider storage

And a club hut with aÂ workshop

Kitchen

Also an office with books recording all the flights over the years

Including the final flight by G Terry and D Heslop on 5th October 2008.

There was also a seperate accomodationÂ hut decorated much in the style of a 1970s semi.

UPDATE : As of April 2013 the buildings have been demolished and all traces removed.

Aelfleda Terrace Landslide, Whitby

Posted on January 2, 2013 by chris.twigg

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A landslide occuredÂ immediately in front ofÂ Aelfleda Terrace on 27th November 2012, the 150-year-old former jetworkersâ€™ cottages were very quicklyÂ demolished afterwards.

The heavy rain has provoked a further scare near Fortunes Kippers, here the same area viewed from Google Streetview before the collapse.

Middlesbrough Co-operative Society – Ghostsign

Posted on October 10, 2012 by chris.twigg

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These old signs have recently been uncovered while this shop on Marton Road is being refitted

I don’t know when the Middlesbrough Co-operative Society ceased to exist, but suspect it was some time in the early 1970s. I also have no specific details on when this branch was open other than a recollectionÂ elsewhereÂ of one window being a butchers in the 1950’s

As kindly pointed out to me in the comments, there are also some remaining signs for the dairy on the gateposts of the nearby flats.

Update : The new shop is now complete and the signs are hopefully just hidden again rather than destroyed.

Oxgang Bridge, Redcar

Posted on September 28, 2012 by chris.twigg

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Oxgang Bridge was on what is nowÂ Plantation Road and is marked on every Ordnance Survey map since the first edition, it is where Roger Dyke / West Dyke passes under the road between Marske and Kirkleatham.

I took these photos on an evening in 2007 in poorÂ light and always intended to get better photo and find out something more about the bridge, at this point just the sides of the bridge were visible.

Since that time the side have also been removed leaving no trace of the bridge, although presumably the rest of the structure is still buried under the road.

Also of interest is the Fever Hospital and mortuary just upstream which is now the site of the Grewgrass Lodges

Saltscar School Demolition, Redcar

Posted on September 10, 2012 by chris.twigg

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The old Saltscar School was demolished in March / April 2012.

The buildings only dated from 1960-63 but needed Â£1.7mÂ to bringÂ them back into use.
The site started life asÂ Sir William Turners Grammar School, became Saltscar in 1975 which lasted until 1987 when it merged with Westfield to become West Redcar, although theÂ two top yearsÂ finished offÂ here until 1989, finallyÂ in later years it was the Redcar Education Development Centre. The Architect was Julian Leatheart and Sons of London who specialised in cinemas.