This tinted post card view of the lower promenade at Saltburn, viewed from above the Hazelgrove acess.
Image courtesy of Ken Jonson.

An excellent tinted postcard view of the lift at Saltburn.
Image courtesy of Maurice Grayson.

Another tinted postcard view of Saltburn.
Image courtesy of Maurice Grayson.

Thanks to Owen Rooks for this photo that he took of Saltburn pier on a lovely clear February day in 1972.

This view over the beck to the Ship Inn and Huntcliff was taken by Owen in February, 1972.

Thanks to Owen Rook for this photograph of the Halfpenny Bridge that he took in February, 1972.

Thanks to Owen for this photograph of the Halfpenny Bridge, looking downstream.  The roof of the toll cottage can just be seen at the far end of the bridge.

Thanks to Owen for this photo of the railway viaduct which spans the valley close to the site of Marske Mill.

Thanks to Owen Rooks for this view looking down over the Italian Garden and tea room in Saltburn Glen, taken in the spring of 1973.

Our thanks go to Owen Rooks for sending this image with the following information:

”The attached image is of a newly delivered shiny locomotive named ’Prince Charles’ purchased by Mr. Cyril Pickering in 1954 for his Saltburn Miniature Railway.  My dad had retired from British Rail the previous year and had been commissioned by Mr. Pickering to supervise the replacement of the entire track with heavier metals to accommodate the new loco which came from the Lakeside Miniature Railway in Southport.  Of course, I had to ’help’ with the task, even being allowed to drive the new loco quite often.  I believe that ’Prince Charles’ still survives at Saltburn after all these years.”

Do you remember it like this? What were the buildings behind the Ship Inn, I remember cows grazing on Cat Nab.
photo courtesy of Joyce Dobson.

A different view of Saltburn a photo loaned to us by Joyce Dobson.

Shows them off a treat and is that the complete pier in the background? Callum Duff advises us: ” Saltburn pier as originally built was 1500 feet long. The pier was shortened after a storm in 1874 destroyed the landing stage and pierhead. The now 1250 feet pier is the one we can see in this postcard. This pierhead was lost in 1974 and the pier was further shortened to its present length to reopen in 1979.”

 (photo courtesy of Joyce Dobson and thanks to Callum for that update)

Looking towards the station, but there is no division of the road and no parking places, again what date is it? Thanks again to Keith Bowers for the loan of the photo.

An old photo of Old Saltburn as the road doesn’t look to be made up yet. I know a morgue ws one of the three buildings on the right but what were the other buildings?
(photo courtesy of Keith Bowers)

Thanks to Tina for this card with views of Saltburn that was posted on 11th August, 1914.

Yes I know this isn’t an old photograph, but it will be one day and you must admit it is beautiful and shows how the station has changed over the years.

(photo courtsey of Ray Brown)

This, I think, is when the Zetland Hotel was still a hotel and the lovely Victorian facade of the station, including the canopy was intact. Before expediency destroyed the excursion platform with its beautiful Victorian cupolas and when the station building was still a station building instead of a shopping arcade.
(image courtesy of Russ Pigott)

 Looking towards the east,  1971/3 the date when this photo was taken, it was a lovely station as most of them were, what a pity such a lot of them were demolished.

Russ Piggott advises us : ”This picture is later than 1960 I would say about 71-73 The track into the trainshed was closed in 1970 and the sleepers are still present. Also the poster has a mk2 inter-city coach on it which were not introduced until 1966.”

Yes another photo of Saltburn station this time looking towards the Zetland Hotel where the trains could pull right into the hotel. The celebrities could enter the hotel without being seen by the public.

Do you remember Watson’s shop at Saltburn? Everything you wanted for a car, what year was it changed?

Yes, what was Watson’s shop as we see it today all lovely new flats

Not the hydraulic funicular we know and love today, but the original vertical lift – quite a scary contraption, no wonder they changed it out!

How often do you see a beach cleaner on the beach these days?

(image courtesy of Mike Holliday)

The funicular on this photo looks as it is today but the pier building is significantly different. Note the fashions of the day. When do you think this was?

Another view of the funicular. Note the stalls on the beach: do you have any ideas on what was taking place?

Another photo we have to thank Ray Brown for, this lovely shot of the cliff lift at Saltburn.

Apart from the broad concrete strip of the promenade, the pier and Hunt Cliffe not much of this seaside view remains – sad really!

Do you remember them like this?  About what date would this photo be taken?

It’s thanks to Ray Brown for this photo of the pier as it used to be at Saltburn, I should be able to remember it like this but I guess the memory is going because I cannot recall it   but doesn’t it look lovely?  Now I have been reading about the pier and at one time it was 1.500 feet long and the seaward end we see here was removed by a storm on October 29th 1974

Ah, Saltburn with a long pier, a little before my time ,but I do remember the long pier, the end was washed away with a storm in October 1974.

Thanks to Julie Riddiough for the update.

Quite a bit different from the pier as it now stands, it has gone through two shortening exercises in recent years, but look at the buildings – two of them – minus the noisy amusement arcade we have today, but obviously just as popular (there could be a moral here somewhere!).

I don’t know the date of this photo once again loaned to us by Eric Johnson, but it is before the end of the pier was lost. Although we don’t see many people collecting sea coal now it can still be seen some days on the beach.

This photo is a bit of a rarity as well. It is of an experimental Bottrail Tractor on Redcar beach around the 1920s. I couldn’t see this as being very successful due to the length of the treads. Too many parts to go wrong. Perhaps that is why we never see this kind of thing to day. It must have been quite a bumpy ride too. Julie Riddiough confirms this is Redcar (pier legs in the background are different.
(thanks to Derick Pearson for the photo and information, also Julie Riddiough for the update.)

Viewing Huntcliffe from above the chalets which still exist, overlooking the Beach Cafe as it used to be before Rosie O’Grady’s, Stella Mar or Vista Mar (as it is at present time!). Names change, but the views remain the same.

Thanks to Jeanette Jefferson for the reminder.

A little different to how we see it today.

The caption that is printed on the back of this card reads:  ”Old Saltburn, Yorkshire.   At the foot of the valley through which Skelton Beck reaches the sea, Old Saltburn’s few cottages are so close to the breakers that spray beats on the windows.  The headland of Huntcliff to the south forms a fine background.”

Thanks to Tina for this card that was published by J.Arthur Dixon, Ltd.  David Richardson believes this may have been taken in the 1950’s.

A photograph contemporary with that in ”Saltburn, A Renaissance”, only taken from Cat Nab (as far as I can tell).  This shows the roundabouts where the boat park is now.

I think this dates into the 1960’s.

A lovely photo of Saltburn taken from Catnab.

A lovely walk along here by the miniature railway and into the gardens with the halfpenny bridge looking splendid in the background. Do you remember riding on the miniature railway?

Here is a picture that shook the cobwebs out of my brain!  Saltburn with its paddling pool (no longer PC since the Health and Safety laws and Litigative Society), Miniature Railway running from the tourist hot spot (even more appropriate today – but sadly no longer possible because of the afore-mentioned reasons) and the beck as a useful facility instead of the debris choked mess we have today.

Notice that the miniature railway (15 inch Gauge) with its rake of toast-rack carriages is still in its original Saltburn Motor Services livery of red with cream lining (although I have been informed that the original colour was green and this was the early Council livery called ’Dustcart Red’ and white!). The 4 carriages were built in the SMS garages in Saltburn and the train was driven  by one of SMS’s regular drivers during the brief summer season.

If you look at the pier you can see how much of its beauty has been lost in the name of expediency as well!

It looks positively beautiful!

Care to date it anyone?

We think this image was taken in the 1950s .  Do you remember this boating lake?

Hiya my grandad remembers it. It was known as just Saltburn boating Lake. Whats left of it now is now the orange beck that runs through the valley gardens into the sea.

Where the cars are is now the car park and public loos, and the little hut behind them is the beach cafe.

I remember going to the kids paddling pool down there when i was little and my grandad telling me, that when he was younger the beck was a lot bigger and wider than it is now and it went under the road bridge too.

be great to find out who it is in the boat.

A bit further upstream, at the footbridge, the water flooded the field and filled the valley.  The tollbridge keeper’s cottage for the old Ha’penny Bridge can be seen at the top of the bank on the left. 

(Image courtesy of Kathleen Hicks).

A very watery view up the valley towards Rushpool Hall.

(Image courtesy of Kathleen Hicks).

This image, taken from the Ha’penny Bridge (or Valley Bridge) in 1948, shows the original station of the Saltburn Miniature Railway – it was moved further towards the beach the year after this was taken.  The footpath was in better condition than it is now!  Notice the caravans where the picnic area is now.
(image courtesy of Saltburn Miniature Railway).

We have photos of the halfpenny bridge being blown up but this is the first one I have seen of it being built in 1869. 

It was built by Gilks and Wilson, and was 126ft. high and 650ft. long.  

The tolls were:- Pedestrians – half-penny.  Bicycles and rider – one penny.  Carriages – half-penny per wheel, passengers – one half-penny.  (Information courtesy of Howard Wilson).

 Any more photos of this bridge out there that you would like to share with us?

A rather blurred image of ”The Ha’penny Bridge” at Saltburn taken from the boating pool – this beautiful Victorian edifice was destroyed for expediencies sake.
I can remember cycling across the bridge delivering paraffin to White House School and paying the toll to the gate-keeper at the bungalow on the far side in 1963 – rodders
(has anybody got a better image?)

A great view of the Halfpenny Bridge what a beautiful structure it was such a pity it wasn’t maintained so more people could have marvelled at it today.

(photo courtesy of Geoff Hore)

Plenty of people listening to the band at Saltburn, the halfpenny bridge can just be seen in the background.

If you look carefully into the distance the magnificent Half-penny Bridge can be seen, sadly no longer there any more, badly maintained in more modern times it was deemed expedient to demolish it rather than repair it.

This magnificent display is still replenished every year – although the floral masterpiece has changed design over the years.  The gardeners no longer raise the plants themselves on site however – they and their greenhouses and potting sheds are long gone.  The gardening staff are provided by Redcar and Cleveland Parks and Gardens and are just as skilled at providing the wonderful displays.

(I’ve called this ’The Italian Gardens’ – but I have a feeling that this part of the gardens has another name – I’ve no doubt someone will correct me!)

Do you remember the Half Penny Bridge?  Beautiful views as you walked across it but sadly it had to go, there are another two photos showing the bridge as it goes into the beck.  The cost of building the bridge (by Gilkes Wilson of Middlesbrough) was around £7,000 and sadly three men lost their lives whilst working on it.

(Image courtesy of Howard Wilson).

The second lot of photos and on December 1974 and the bridge falls into the beck.  The cost of  £50,000 to demolish the bridge was far greater than the  cost of building it.

As you can see by the comments a photo of the bridge under construction has been asked for, so I appeal to you people out there do you have one we could borrow?  If so please take it into Loftus library where John will copy it while you wait. Thank you, Joanj

(Image courtesy of Howard Wilson).

This photo shows all that remains after the Halfpenny Bridge was blown up a lovely landmark gone but not forgotten.
(photo courtesy of Pem Holliday)

Two for one Saltburn beck and the Mill Race, two nice, not very often seen photos.

Bill Danby tells us: ”This is a collage that I made myself and is taken from my website Skelton in Cleveland in History to illustrate the mill race to Marske Mill on Skelton Beck.” Bill refers us to his Skelton in Cleveland in History, a website with lots of further interesting images and information.

Thanks to Bill for the update and wish him well with his site.

 This image features on the website ”Skelton in Cleveland in History”, it was created from a colour photo taken by Bill Danby as he did not have an old one at the time to illustrate the facts. If you look to the right you can see the modern PVC conservatory. Rushpool Hall was made of ironstone and was built in 1863 to 1865, at a cost of £100,000 by the late John Bell, who with his brother Sir Lothian Bell [Bell Brothers] was one of the founders of the Cleveland Iron Industry and the first to work ironstone in Skelton. The Hall burnt down in 1904 and then restored in 1905.

Thanks to Bill Danby for use of the image and notes, also David Richardson for the update.

A lovely coloured photo of the gardens with Rushpool Hall looking rather like a fairy tale castle

Once again a photo believed to have been taken between 1880 and 1895, but it is not as we know Saltburn today.
(photograph courtesy of Pem Holliday and thanks to David Richardson for the update)

Saltburn in it’s hey day the swing boats are there and I think they are bathing huts lined up on the beach

I think it is the waltzers at Saltburn, do you remember them? I almost feel giddy thinking if riding on them. Looking pat the waltzers it is a lovely photo of the bay and Huntcliff, hasn’t changed a lot has it?

Many years ago by the look of the picture but there are lts of people there.

Wonderful old caravans at Saltburn, Owen Rooks tells us: ”I believe that these caravans belonged to a showman named Laurie Rudland whose permanent home was in Middlesbrough. They appeared each year for the duration of the summer holiday seasons during the 1950?s and early 1960?s when Mr Rudland and his family set up and operated the fairground over the road next to the beach.”

Thanks to Owen for the update.

Caravans and rides but not as we know them today, but I bet they still pulled the crowds it would be a great occasion.

One of Saltburn’s well known land marks, no car park there and is that the miniature railway in the background?

Same land mark different angle, the pier can be clearly seen in this photo.

Another angle of Cat Nab,  looks quite different a long the front, what are the buildings?  There is only one that stands there now the old mortuary.  Look at that beautiful long pier.

Saltburn Mill in the foreground still stands, much modernised, to this day, although no longer a working mill.  The small buildings behind it are now gone – replaced by the sewage treatment plant.  Cat Nab (so named because it looks like a crouching cat) shows the paths from the bootmarks of the boots of adventurous Victorians, eager to try the air – the scars are much deeper these days and beyond recovery.

1890 is the date on this photo, the Miner’s Bridge which spanned the stream and narrow valley of  Saltburn Gill. The bridge was used by those miners who lived in Saltburn and worked at the Huntcliffe Mine (today the only remaining part of the mine is the Guibal Fan house close to the railway line).

Julie Riddiough tells us: ”the late Mrs Chester from Brotton told me about it, I remember asking her why it was the called the miners footbridge, as I’d assumed it led to the mill. I’ll have to dig out my notes but, off the top of my head, I think she said it was a footbridge used by miners to get to work at the Huncliff Mine (I think thats the one where the fan house is) I seem to remember her telling me that it was not very stable and farmers even used to lead animals over it, i’m sure, she told me it was made of wood and took quite a battering from use and being so close to the sea it got into bad repair and it was demolished as it was dangerous.” 

Thanks to Julie Riddiough for the update, as well as Chris Twigg and Ian Scott  for their comments.

First of a series of postcard views of Saltburn, showing a view of Old Saltburn cottages, beside the Ship Inn and a view down the lower section of Hazelgrove from the bandstand now no longer in existence. Callum Duff tells us: ”The pillars that used to support the roof of the Hazelgrove bandstand were salvaged and now hold hanging baskets along one side of the Italian Gardens.”

Many thanks to Callum for the update.

The boats are pulled up and the Ship Inn is there and the cottages, but no made up roads. Please tell me what date you think this photo would be.

A tinted postcard of the cottages at Old Saltburn that was posted in 1905.

(Image courtesy of Tina Dowey).

A fairly recent image of Saltburn taken from the steep climb up the Cleveland Way behind The Ship Inn.
Ray Brown was asking about the old building next to the Old Mortuary – Callum Duff advises us: ”In actual fact, the building next to the Mortuary was the Rocket Brigade. The Brigade were designed to aid the lifeboat crews and attempt to secure a line from dryland to ships in difficulty. The lifeboat house actually stood next door and was demolished sometime between 1924 (when the Saltburn lifeboat ‘Mary Batger’ was sold) and the start of WW2.”

(image courtesy of Raymond Brown and many thanks to Callum for that update.)

From a booklet of picture postcards, this shows the pier at Saltburn (with a length of 1250ft!), possibly in the period 1924-1939, Marine Parade also shows to good advantage. The original pier was some 1500ft long, but was shortened following an incident with a motor launch in 1874.

A photograph often taken today, although now the skyline is much busier with the heavy industry at Teesmouth and the huge blast furnace.

Thanks to Callum Duff for the update.

A lovely sepia photo of Huntcliff, now known to be from ”Skelton in Cleveland Website” produced by Bill Danby.

The scene is an exploratory dig at the Roman look out station on Huntcliff [the site has now disappeared by erosion]. From Bill’s website we are informed that at the excavation ”25 coins were found there, the earliest showing Constantius 337 – 361 and the latest dated to 395 – 408.
The fort-like station was square with thick stone walls and a 20ft ditch.
Excavations revealed a well, 14 feet deep and 6 feet wide, in which were 14 skeletons, leading to suppositions of a successful attack by the Anglo-Saxons.Roman pottery, an iron axe, a bronze vessel and a jet finger ring were also found.” 

Thanks to Bill for updating us on this aspect of our local history.