The aerodrome station headquarters were housed in this building on Martinet Road.
This memorial to the Thornaby Aerodrome was unveiled by Wing Commander Hank Costain MBE on 8th of May 1997. Sculptor – Tony Maw, Architect- David Shuttlesworth, Stonemason – Bob Weatherill.
Just behind the memorial is an aerodrome boundary marker which was re-located from Stainsby at the eastern side of the aerodrome
This sculpture unveiled on 1st May 2009 was designed and created by the 2009 year 10 and 11 Engineering classes at Hall Garth Community Arts College. It is constructed from recycled materials and stands outside the visitors centre at Steel House.
Charles Robinson Sykes is the sculptor of the Spirit of Ecstasy found on Rolls-Royce cars, he was born in Brotton in 1875 and has recently been commemorated with a plaque.
The Lingdale Branch junction went south-west to the Lingdale Ironstone Mine and south-east to the Kilton Ironstone Mine.
The central cutting was for the never completed Paddy Waddells Cleveland Extension Mineral Railway. The substantial remains of the bridge supports for the junction still stand on the edge of Kilton Thorpe
This trig point has been given a coat of paint and adopted as a memorial to Cleveland Ironstone Miners, its position does actually give a view of a large number of mines.
I’ve been unable to located any information on who did this, but have seen photos of it unpainted and in a hedge in 2009, theres also an impressive new cairn.
Some useful details have been provided by Dave Walsh :-
I have done some local digging and have found that the cairn and the plaque on the old trig point was the work of a guy called Fred Ramage from Beechcroft, Stanghow. I don’t know him myself, but I was told the cairn was a labour of love, using old stonework from some abandoned walls in the area, and that Fred both lugged the heavy stonework up to the hill top and erected the memorial. It seems the OS were happy for the plaque and the paintwork on the trig point, as they do not use them now, relying instead on aerial surveys and GPS. As I said I do not know Fred. However, I feel his work needs some celebration, and hopefully this site can provide it.
The redevelopment of Redcar seafront has revealed the old Palace Cinema which sits over the top of the deserted amusement arcade which is to become “The Hub”
Theres a much more detailed “Palace Watch” blog being kept which also contains the history of the Palace
Below are some photos that appeared on Redcar.net, but its currently offline so I cannot credit them to the right people, if they are yours let me know.
Update : All trace of the Palace are now gone as ‘The Hub’ gets built in its place.
Next door to Erdely Villa stood Grove Lea which was the home of Herman Harkewitz a German iron and steel merchant.
In 1885 it became the home of the first Bishop of Middlesbrough Richard Lacy
The gates still remain near the current Aldi supermarket
Also next to the gate is small gatehouse which now looks very out of place with its surroundings.
This photo of Bishop Lacy is his study was most likely taken at Grove Lea, the same contact of mine has also unearthed a picture of Grove Lea so many thanks for those.
Below is a map of the location
Erdely Villa is located at 404 Marton Road.
It was the childhood home of of E. W. Hornung the creator of Raffles – The Gentleman Thief. His father was Hungarian born iron and coal merchant John Peter Hornung. (Erdely is the Hungarian name for Transylvania)
I’ve been told he was actually born at Cleveland Villas which was next door, but even his descendants didn’t seen sure of that when they visited the town last year.
Quote from Bernard Hornung
BH: It is my first time and I have never been to Middlesbrough before. I travelled up from London yesterday. But there is a dual purpose for my visit and that is we cannot be certain where E W Hornung was born because it was at the time when the family was moving out of Cleveland Villas to Erdley. We don’t know whether he was born in Cleveland Villas or whether he was actually born at Erdley. But one thing is for certain and that is that on 23rdFebruary 1886 my great grandmother gave birth to my grandfather, Bernard Hornung, after whom I am named. So I am certain that at least one Hornung was born at Erdley and that was my grandfather and I am very proud of that as well.
Between 1924 to 1979 the building was the Convent of the Holy Rood, I believe its now offers temporary accommodation for ex-offenders.
Outside the villa is a cross in memory of Edith Mary Cordeux of Brierley who donated Hodroyd Hall to the Convent of the Holy Rood of Middlesbrough