Teesside’s Oldest House – Friday 24 February 2017

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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 .

Picton Junction Brickworks

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The remains of of the Picton brickworks stand adjacent to the Eaglescliffe to Northallerton line just north of what was Picton railway station.
Picton Brickworks
It was opened by the Picton Junction Brick and Tile Company in the 1920s, using a 20ft layer of clay just below the surface (the flooded pits are immediately to the east)
Picton Brickworks
There are 5 double ended Newcastle Kilns which are 38ft long (the chimney is central with a loading entrance and stoke holes at either end)
Picton Brickworks
The kiln with the brick front still contains the last load of un-fired bricks which date from its closure in 1938.
Picton Brickworks

Picton Liberty Stone (Where is it !!)

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This 17th century boundary marker would be a fine addition to Hidden Teesside, if it was there !

A report on the 6th April 2005 said it had been stolen. On the 8th April 2005 Police said “It had been removed by a man trying to protect it from theft. It will be returned to its position”

Parish meetings in 2008/2009 talks about getting it listed by English Heritage and having a replica made.

Nearly 10 years later there still appears to be a sign but no liberty stone, I can find no further references to it or any photos online, the only one being from the original 2005 news report
Liberty Stone
Does anyone know what became of it ? Clearly things don’t move quickly in Picton.
Picton Liberty Stone

North Skelton Miners Payslip

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Theres lots of information held within this payslip that Gavin Brett shared, theres quite a bit thats difficult to read so I will add to this over time.

Dorman Long and Co. North Skelton Mines, 9th November 1935.
The payslip is for two people, G Thornton and  (J Barnet ?) suggesting they were working as a team, probably one breaking the rock and one filling the tubs.
Their token number is 163, this would allow the weighman to record the stone extracted by them at surface.
received_955300857933597

They only worked 1.5 days and extracted over 29 tons of ironstone and a small amount of sulphur (this sits in a thin band at the top of the ironstone)

Theres a small amount paid for a consideration I can’t read.

The district percentage might apply if a certain area was more difficult to work than other parts of the mine.

8% piecework award, not sure yet.

Yards I suspect would be for driving passages through unproductive ground.
received_955300887933594
They are paying for their own blasting powder, its not provided.

The checkweightmans fund it most likely to pay for an impartial individual to confirm that the mine owners internal weighman is not underpaying the miners.

Northumberland and Durham Miners Permanent Relief Fund Friendly Society - Established in 1862, following the Hartley Pit Disaster, for provision of relief to miners and their families in case of fatal accidents or permanent disablement. The fund was wound up in 1995.

received_955300851266931

The amount earned is equivalent to about £90 today, so not much for 1.5 days work by two people

Mining Geology Of The North York Moors – Friday 3rd February

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Mining Geology Of The North York Moors By Dr Steve Liverast
Local Jurassic rocks include Ironstone, Coal, Cement, Jet, Building Stone and Alum
Find out about the formation and resulting mining of these ores
Friday 3rd February at 7pm
St. Matthew’s Church, Grosmont
Donation of £3 includes refreshments

We are very fortunate to have a superb sequence of rocks across the North York Moors. They helped pioneering geologists define the early framework of the science and continue to be used to train the next generations. However the rocks have also been exploited throughout human history to build prosperity and develop the region. The Jurassic section spans some 50 million years of deposit and contains a large variety of ore minerals including ironstone, coal, cement, jet, building stone and alum. Each ore required unique environmental conditions for its formation and the talk will outline what these were and illustrate the resulting mining activity used in extraction.

The photo shows Cleveland Ironstone seams and infilled mine adits near Staithes

Saltergate Inn – The fire that never goes out

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The Saltergill Inn was said to contains a peat fire that had never gone out since the 1730s. The folklore tale is that smugglers hid the body of a murdered Customs and Excise Man under the hearth and he would never be found as long as the fire was kept burning.
Saltersgate Inn
The inn dates to 1648 but sadly has been closed since 2007 and is now in a poor state (not sure if anyones checked for the body under the hearth yet either)

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