Grangetown Millenium Green and Sundial

Posted on by
Reply
Geotag Icon Show on map

Despite regularly driving past I had failed to notice this in the last 12 years until I finally spotted this stone circle in a park.
Millenium Green Grangetown
On closer investigation the slate monoliths mark the hours on a sundial.
Millenium Green Grangetown
You stand on the appropriate footsteps for the time of year and then your shadow is cast towards the time.
Millenium Green Grangetown
Sadly despite only being just over 10 years old the area was covered in broken glass and the paths are getting overgrown.
Millenium Green Grangetown
There also some small mosaics of local scenes on the dial.
Millenium Green Grangetown

Forum Cinema – Normanby

Posted on by
5
Geotag Icon Show on map

The Forum cinema dates in 1939 and closed in 1965 when the site was taken over by Walter Bakers furniture store which closed recently, although it has now re-opened as Beevers.

Forum Cinema - Normanby
Forum Cinema - Normanby
A broken sign for the Forum can still be seen on top of the building
Forum Cinema - Normanby
Inside the building can easily be identified as a cinema with a foyer and banked seating areas, this plan is displayed at the back of Beevers showroom.
Forum Cinema - Normanby

A short video by the Normanby Local History Group is included below

1884 Bible Christian Church, Eston

Posted on by
Reply
Geotag Icon Show on map

The ‘Bible Christians’ were a Methodist denomination formed in 1815 and centered on Devon and Cornwall.
1884 Bible Christian Chapel, Eston
I think there’s a very strong possibility that miners from that area migrated to Cleveland to work in the mines and brought this specific brand of religion with them, as emigrants from Devon and Cornwall also took the religion to America and Canada.
1884 Bible Christian Chapel, Eston
The church name ceased to exist in 1907 when they merged to become the United Methodist Church which itself merged in 1932 to become the Methodist Church of Great Britain.

Middlesbrough Co-operative Society – Ghostsign

Posted on by
7
Geotag Icon Show on map

These old signs have recently been uncovered while this shop on Marton Road is being refitted
Middlesbrough Co-operative Society
Middlesbrough Co-operative Society
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 recollection elsewhere 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.
Co-Op Dairy, Marton Road Middlesbrough

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

Ayresome Quaker Burial Ground

Posted on by
9
Geotag Icon Show on map

This area of Linthorpe Cemetery is entiely populated with the identical simple gravestones of Quakers.
Quaker Burial Ground, Linthorpe Cemetery
Quaker Burial Ground, Linthorpe Cemetery
It pre-dates the rest of cemetery hugely as it was established in 1660, all the original stone were removed in 1717 as was the custom of the time for Quakers. Between 1745 and 1855 other sites were used before burial resumed here with the simple gravestones up until the present day.
Quaker Burial Ground, Linthorpe Cemetery
The current main Linthorpe graveyard surrounding this one was not established until 1869.

Holgate Wall, Middlesbrough

Posted on by
Reply
Geotag Icon Show on map

The Holgate wall started life as the perimeter of a workhouse called the Holgate Poor Law Institution, the site of which later became Middlesbrough General Hospital.
Holgate Wall, Middlesbrough
The wall enclosed the Holgate end of Ayresome Park football stadium which stood here between 1903 and 1997, it is now the only remaining part of the stadium in its original position.

North Eastern Railway, Cottage Homes, Redcar

Posted on by
3
Geotag Icon Show on map

These two cottages on Lilac Grove carry plaques for “NER Cottage Homes” NER Cottage Homes, Redcar
The ‘North Eastern Railway Cottage Homes and Benefit Fund was formed in 1919 and funded by a deduction for railway workers wages, presumable houses at that time were only for railwaymen.
NER Cottage Homes 1925, Redcar
NER Cottage Homes 1926, Redcar
Despite being neighbours one was built in 1925 and the other in 1926 so are relatively early in the organisations existence.
The charity still exists today and is known as the Railway Housing Association which provides affordable rented homes for anyone.

Imperial Tramway Company Post, 1897, Norton

Posted on by
Reply
Geotag Icon Show on map

This fantastic survivor still sits in Norton High Street, originally steam driven trams owned by the Middlesbrough and Stockton Tram Company ran from Norton to Thornaby, but they were taken over in 1896 by the Imperial Tramway Company who electrified the system and joined it with Middlesbrough.

The first electric tram ran in 1898 so this post must be one of the very first when the route was being electrified, the extended service ran from Norton Green to North Ormesby

Trams ran from Norton until the end of 1931, this excellent article in Remember When has many pictures of the trams in operation including the depot at Norton. A more detailed history can be found here.

Many thanks go to Wayne Martin for making me aware of this and sending photos.