A lovely Skilbeck postcard of Skinningrove loaned to us by Mrs Waton. Looking closely, what are the buildings on the left hand side going up the cliff road. Come on you Grovers tell me what they were.

Harold Richards tells us: ”I have many happy memories of Skinningrove, I was born there in 1944, and lived with my Gran and Grandad in Chapel Street. As a kid of 12 or 14 years I used to knock around with Arthur Breckon, also of Chapel Street; his dad Teddy Breckon was in the Coastguards in the mid 1950’s. I was told more than once by Teddy Breckon, the large brick building on the right of the photograph beside the road going up to Dickie Bothroyd’s farm, was a mortuary. This was used if anyone had been washed up on the sands who had drowned. I remember this building well made of old red bricks and a large wooden door. My Grandad was Jack Richards (an image of him is on  the Website – in the pit with a rat on his knee). My Gran, Amy Richards was a member of the Skinningrove Women’s Institute for many years. I left Skinningrove in 1980, when the heart was ripped out of the village as the houses in Chapel Street and the High Street were demolished; as well as Cliff Street, etc. To me this was very sad, as the houses would still have been stood now.”

Thanks to Harold Richards for that reminder about the mortuary, there was also believed to be a  ”Fisherman’s Association?” building at the foot of the hillside road. Can anybody confirm this fact.

A lovely shot of Cattersty sands and the cliffs, taken by C.O. Smelt who I think used to have Skinningrove post office. The postcard is believed to date form 1931?

(Postcard courtesy of Mrs Waton)

Once again we see Primrose Hill starting to be demolished, with the works towering in the background.

Skinningrove before it was re-built, looks like a good dry for the washing. Thanks go to Eric Johnson for the photo.

It is rather a cloudy dark  moody photo loaned to us by Eric Johnson but a lovely photo never the less. Taken from an unusual position shows the works off very well.

Taken from Carlin How this shows the valley off nicely, but sadly Primrose Hill is starting to be demolished. Again thanks go to Eric Johnson for the photo.

Well not really as someone else must have been there to take this wonderful photo loaned to us by Eric Johnson. It looks so calm and peaceful away from the noise and the dirt of the steel wotks on the cliff top. 

Colin Hart tells us: ”the picture is Dereck(Midge)Purver on his boat Lynn. I spent many hours along with his son Brian fishing and potting on the same boat.”

Thanks to Colin for the update.

Not in very good shape by the look of it the mines certainly did some damage to property in 1938.

As Raymond says:
”This one is of Skinningrove Valley circa 1963. The old track bed of the line to Loftus/Whitby can be clearly seen with the track lifted from the BR closure (well before it was re-laid for CPL) and in the distance the pair of old Gas holders at Skinningrove. Note the lack of trees that now obscure this view.”

The concensus of opinion is that this is the first junction of the zig-zag, with the ’tail’ of the first section coming off the photo at the bottom (originally to run under the viaduct, but after the viaduct was in-filled, stopping short just before) – thanks Colin and Russ – rodders
(image courtesy of Raymond Brown)

This photo shows how Skinningrove was built in the valley with the gas works, gasometers and the mine buildings showing on the right hand side.

Skinningrove Station – ironically at Carlin How!

Who were the two people in the photograph?

What more can I say about this photo? Once again thanks to Pem Holliday

This is Kilton Mill, before the ”new” Mill Bank was created.  Kilton Mill at the bottom of Mill Bank, called such because it used Kilton Beck water, which was diverted from Kilton Beck at the Long Dump, just downstream from the Culvert. (thanks Tony and Norman - rodders)

Torrential rain fell in the area on the morning of the 2nd July, 2000, half the month’s usual rain in just six hours. The cloudburst caused flash floods and the water swept down the valleys into Kilton Beck, carrying fallen trees and branches along with it.

The photo shows the old bridge, between the trees, just below Kilton Mill. The logs and debris jammed against the bridge and blocked the beck.

(Thanks to Kathleen Hicks for the set of images and information).

The logs jammed against the old bridge created a dam and the garden of Kilton Mill filled with water.

This photograph was taken less than five minutes after the log jam at the bridge gave way.

The surge of water flooded over the road.  Geof Robinson used his digger to make a barrier to try and prevent the water from flooding Overman’s Cottages.

Then he rescued people in the village from their bedroom windows, in the digger’s bucket.

This is the last photograph taken before the water surged, literally in minutes through Skinningrove, leaving devastation in the wake.

The garden opposite Overman’s Cottages was flooded by the beck water and the shed destroyed.

The roof of the shed from Alan Treloar’s garden was jammed against the old bridge.

The torrent of water swept down into the village.  More tree branches built up against this bridge and the beck  burst over its banks.

The water flooded through The Square and down the High Street.

Back along the road towards the mill, the surge of water has gone through but the beck is still very high and branches are heaped up.

A final thanks to Kathleen Hicks for submitting this sequence of images. If anybody has any more of the same event please contact us.

The water rushed down the beck, and swept straight on at the end of Zetland Row.

The name tells us what they were, the houses where the overmen in the mine, (just behind the row of houses) lived.

An overman was literally a person who was in charge of a group of men (like a foreman)

The local name for these houses was ‘hoss muck terrace’.  This was because all the manure brought out of the mine was piled across the road from these houses, the aroma on a warm summer day drifted for quite a way!

It’s a pretty poor title and time hasn’t been kind to the image either!  Some nice architecture on display here, would that be the gas works in the foreground? (I’m a sucker for leading with my chin!)

As the road leads us into Skinningrove we can see on the right hand side the Station Master’s house, the two rows of houses are Primrose Hill and on the skyline with the works is St. Helen’s Church.

The tall chimney was from the gas works coke house, can you remember the smell?  The hut partially hidden by the bushes was the tally cabin, where the miners would have picked up their lamps and their tallies before crossing the bridge  in the foreground to enter the mine.  I am sure some of you will remember Fiery Jack that worked in the tally cabin.

A view of Skinningrove looking over the gasometers, down the village, towards the sea.  The terraces on Primrose Hill show up clearly.

A view from the fields above Wood Road, looking over the gas works towards the sea.
(Image courtesy of Mrs. Breckon)

A well photographed place Skinningrove, but a nice clear photo, showing the houses and the works.

This photo, once again loaned to us by Geoff Hore, shows the valley off beautifully and the once well tended allotments, I am informed that Skinningrove school had an allotment here, did you ever work on it?

A beautiful pen and ink, or maybe a pencil, drawing showing one of the  bridges at Skinningrove, with the beck running through one part and the footpath going through the other.

A lovely shot of the beck making it’s way to the sea under the bridge which bore the zig zag railway.  The footpath comes down from Loftus .

Lovely clear photo of the ’Grove with Grove Hill clearly shown.  Zetland Row is shown the cross mark on the photo is believed to indicate the Working Men’s Institute building of the time.
As several of our contributors point out, the cross usually was special to whoever originally sent the postcard or photograph. It often indicated home, holiday home or had a special significance.

Thanks to John Kennedy for the update.

Grove Hill is getting a new road about 1982/1983.
(photo courtesy of Pem Holliday)

Oops – this looks like a right purler!  Is the engine the bright shiny one we saw in an earlier post? At a guess the train got away on him and either the guard got his hand-brake on and the loco didn’t, or a wagon skipped the track and this was the result.  It looks like a train of empties, so I’m surprised that the loco couldn’t hold it on the gradient.  Looking at the collateral damage, I bet someone lost his job over this!

How clearly the zig zag railway can be seen in this photo, Grove Hill to the right and Zetland Terrace to the left of it.  In the left hand bottom corner is written Geo. Skilbeck was that the photographer or was it sold by Mr. Skilbeck in his shop in Loftus?  HELP

Known locally as Beck Row, no railings to stop anyone falling into the beck, even though children were there playing.  Railings were erected later but now there is a rather large brick wall there to stop the flooding.  The school stands on the left hand side; once again a large brick wall stops the beck coming into the school yard.

This shop was at 25 New Company Row, Skinningrove. The photo was taken in 1969, two years before decimalisation of our currency. If you enlarge the photo you may spot some prices.
J W (Jack)(Roberts bought the shop in the early 1960s and sold it in 1995. It has since reverted to being a private residence.

Barbara McBurney tells us: “The shop Jack Roberts owned at 25 New Company Row in Skinningrove, was where I lived when I was born, it was called ”Jeffersons”, we moved to Loftus when my brother was born as there were only two bedrooms in the shop, keeping the shop for a number years, my mother and father, John and Alwynne Jefferson (nee Smith) commuting to Skinningrove each day to work in the Shop. Malcolm and Sheila Hart from Skinningrove moved in when we sold the shop and I believe Jack Roberts took over after the Hart’s left.”

A much used building years ago, it was built in 1875 by Pease & Co. sadly it fell into decline and had to be demolished.  When was that do you know?  Please tell

This is almost certainly the war memorial at Skinningrove and the building behind would be the Miners’ Institute (now replaced by the old folk’s bungalows – rodders) or whatever the building was called. When I was a kid, the big annual event in Skinningrove was the Christmas pantomime in this grand old building. Now the big event, thanks to Tina Dowey and many others, is the nationally acclaimed Skinningrove bonfire!

This information from Norman Patton, thanks Norman.

(I’m going to hazard a guess that this was the Service of Dedication for this War Memorial – rodders)

A fine image of an old tradition, from the late 1950’s/early 1960’s, this lasted until the late 1970’s, being taken over by the Skinningrove Gala Association. It lasted until the late 1980’s. 

The photgraph includes several members of Colin Hart’s family. The boat featured belonged to his grandfather and was used each year to transport the Gala Queen through the village to the Boatman’s Hut which is situated just before the bridge leading to the beach. In later years the boat was replaced by a flatbed lorry. The Gala Queen featured is Joan England.

(image and information courtesy of Colin Hart and Pat Sparkes, with update on Gala Queen from John Kennedy)

From the days when assistants (almost always men!) wore long white aprons. Early 1900s possibly. The building now lies derelict and awaiting demolition.

Carolyn Richard’s grandfather, William Grange, was manager of Skinningrove Co-op after Hinderwell, and lived in High Row, Loftus.  We don’t know when this photo was taken.  The windows look as though they have been dressed for a special occasion.  Can anyone help us?

The motorbike belonged to Carolyn’s father, Harry Grange, and she believes this was taken in the mid thirties.He traded the bike in for an Austin car just before the war.

We just get a glimpse of Hutton Street and the steel works behind the Co-op.

(Image courtesy of Carolyn Richards)

Hutton Street near the bottom of Nixon’s bank and the shops that used to serve the people of Skinningrove.  The lady seated is Mrs Ivy Garbutt.  The street and shops now sadly demolished.

Not as many of us will have seen it today as it is no longer there, after the shops closed the street was demolished.(another one of Eric Johnson’s  photo’s thank you Eric.)

Two gaffers enjoying a smoke and a yarn outside Timm’s Coffee House in Skinningrove after coming off shift.  Now known to be Bill (Drummer) Wilson on left and ? Roe. A rather grand name for a working class pub, but one that has stuck – it is the only pub in the village, the Working Men’s Club and Institute having ”gone to the wall” some years ago.

Notice the low-level hatch for beer deliveries and the ornate gate posts – Timms Coffee House was used as a coffee house. in the 18th century it was a luxury item and quite expensive.It was where the gentry of the time would meet. The building was built by Tim Maynard’s father in law John Easterby M.P. to replace the Old Hall, the present day Post office. 

Thanks to Kim, Colin Hart and John Kennedy for updates and names.

A lovely photo of Skinningrove, not a lot has changed, the hospital has gone, as has Albion Terrace,  but can someone please help  me, was Albion Terrace  once known as Long Row?

A different view of the square, front left what is now the post office and shop with Nixon’s Bank leading up to Carlin how, as we start up the bank Hutton Street stands on the right handside, sadly another piece of Skinningrove no longer standing.

In front of Timm’s Coffee house can be seen the quoits pitch, a popular pastime, after the pigeons, of course.

Some of the oldest houses in Skinningrove can be seen here on the right of the photo, the works are on the hillside and I wonder what mischief the young boys were plotting.

A lot to see in this photo although the view hasn’t much over the years, notice there are no railings to stop anyone falling into the beck, looking closely it seems the man with the horse is selling something I wonder what and why the big queue outside the shop?  We see the men standing by the bridge putting the world right as usual.

At last a photo that I know what’s going on, that’s just because it tells us on the photo. The laying of the pipe organ at the Weslyan Chapel late 1880’s
(photo courtesy of Pem Holliday)

Another lovely old photo of Skinningrove, does anyone know the date?  Far right is the miner’s hospital – is that a clue to the date?

St. Helen’s church stands high on the hill, with the two rows of Furnace Cottages clearly seen. There was a date stamped on the photo which said Dec 12th. 1904, maybe this is the date of the photograph.

Looking from the east over Skinningrove valley, the hospital is prominent we can see the road leading to Carlin How with the well tended allotments on the hillside and the works standing guard over all.

(Image courtesy of Bery Morris).

A view over the village to the ironworks, taken from the allotments on the east side of the valley. 

This card was produced at the same time as the one of Skinningrove from the cliffs, by Wm. Richardson & Sons, Loftus, and was one of the Penny Real Photo Series. 

Image courtesy of Beryl Morris.

A hand-tinted photo of the hospital and the second bridge as the caption says, the works can be clearly seen on the hill in the background.

 

A poor image but you can see the nurses  standing by the beds of  the patients.

A good picture of the hosputal built by the mine owners, the jetty in the background and the new bridge on the right.

A lovely clear shot of the hospital, the jetty in the background and  all the allotments on the hillside.

Yes I know we have photo’s on site of the hospital, but Eric Johnson has just passed these photo’s.
Thank you Eric

This Photograph was loaned to us by Geoff Hore and the title was written on the back has anyone any information on why it was called, or who were, the Hospital Fathers? But as Tony Nicholson has pointed out to us:”Two of the men seem to be patients (the man on the front right with crutches, and the man on the back left with an injured arm). It’s possible that the three individuals sat on the bench were patients too? The lad looks young, but could easily have been working in the mine.”  As Tony says the young man is not old enough to be a ”father”. The mystery deepens. Tony also tells us: ”I think the nurse on the left is the Matron of the Hospital, Emily Elgey. She came to the hospital in 1902 and died in 1924. The nurse on the right looks like her probationer nurse, Liebe Mary Bowen, who was there around 1910/11. I have photos of Liebe from much later in life (c. 1930s and 1940s) which seem to show a similar face, although all of us change as we age.”

Image courtesy of Geoff Hore and thanks to Tony Nicholson for the advice.

1903 and the bridge is washed away in the flood.

The old bridge  in the foreground, no longer safe, so a new bridge was built.  This photo shows the opening of the new bridge.  The inset shows the cutting of the ribbon by Lord Zetland.

(Thanks Eric for confirmation of my thoughts)

The beck in the foreground with Marine Terrace behind it, the pigeon cotes stand out rather well, Skinningrove always was a place noted for it’s pigeon racing.  Once more the works stand guard over the village.

No smoke control at the time this picture was taken the houses seem to be making more pollution than the works.  The coal in use was probably ”won” from the works/mine, as it was traditional for the workmen to take coal as part of their wages.  This coal would be very sulphur-rich!

The chimneys of the iron and steel works stand like sentries overlooking the village, the lights glow in the houses and the hospital stands in the foreground.

A view of the steel works from High Street, Skinningrove.

(Image courtesy of Pat Sparkes).

Skinningrove High Street from the seaward end, looking towards The Square. The end of Stone Row can be seen at the left in the background. Colin Hart tells us: ” The building to the left at the top of the High Street is the end of Stone Row, the chapel sits back and cant be seen.”
(Image courtesy of Pat Sparkes and thanks to Colin for the update).

A view of Skinningrove taken from the old path round the cliff to the jetty.

(Image courtesy of Pat Sparkes).

Mrs. Sparkes kindly sent us this set of images following her comment on ’Rebuilding Skinningrove.’ 

Workmen are busy on the roofs at Marine Terrace in this photo.  The end of High Street has been knocked down.

Can you tell us more about this time of change in Skinningrove?

(Image courtesy of Pat Sparkes)

Part of High Street and Cliff Street have been demolished and a bulldozer is clearing some of the rubble in this image.

The view of the Steelworks on the cliff top has also changed over the years.

(Image courtesy of Pat Sparkes)

The terrace of cottages at Marine Terrace have been reduced to a pile of rubble.

(Image courtesy of Pat Sparkes)

Looking back into the village from the path to the jetty.

(Image courtesy of Pat Sparkes)

I remeber the re-building of Skinningrove but can’t remember when it was I am waiting for someone out there to tell me.
(photo courtesy of Pem Holliday)

A fairly modern view from the front at Skinningrove, over the boat park towards Hummersea.  The man in the wheelchair is Lawrence Beckwith who used to live in Chapel Street (old houses) then lived in High Street (new houses) along with his son Geoff (Buff) to everyone in Skinningrove (thanks to Colin Hart for the info.).

Not the most hygenic place to play, but these children seem to be enjoying themselves.  Am I right in suspecting that this is before the sewage was piped out to sea?

Of all the times I have been to Skinningrove beach I have never seen a sight like this, has anyone else?

Almost looks posed, but a lovely hand-tinted picture of Skinningrove beach with the jetty and ships inthe background.

What a great photo, has the boat just come in from a fishing trip? The cliffs and the bay make a lovely backdrop.

(image courtesy of Eric Johnson)

Two lonely figures on the beach.

A rather rough sea but the jetty is clearly visible with the big crane ’Jumbo’ waiting to brought into action. Taken from Skinningrove village.

A lovely photo of the jetty with the sea splashing over it, I remeber those railway tracks running down from the works and the crane ’Jumbo’ do you?

(image courtesy of Eric Johnson)

SS Cattersty moored at Skinningrove jetty. This boat was one of four owned by Skinningrove Iron Works to take Pig Iron to its various customers around the UK – and eventually to Europe. The other boats were named SS Hummersea, SS Northgate and SS Skinningrove.

A photo that speaks for itself, SS Hummersea berthed at Skinningrove jetty.

However we have an update from Alf Hannaford:I don’t know if this is the original S.S. Hummersea but there was a ship of that name sunk in December 1915. It is still unsure how she sank but could have been by enemy mine or she floundered in bad weather. My great great uncle, Charles F. Hannaford, died from injuries sustained on 30th December 1915 and was listed as a casualty of war.” Thanks to Alf for that update.

A lovely photo of the beaches at Skinningrove and for those who cannot remember it this one shows the jetty arch off very well. How many tims we have stood under there sheltering from a sudden thunder storm when running from the beach.
(photo courtesy of Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum

A solitary figure walking the beach at Skinningrove, once again a lovely photo, thanks to Eric Johnson for letting us scan it.

An interesting view of Cattersty Beach and the Jetty beyond, viewed from the cliffs, west of Skinningrove works.

A lovely picture showing how the jetty separates the beaches at Skinningrove, with Huntcliffe in the background. The road leads to Hummersea, North Terrace and Boulby eventually after many twists and turns. At one time this was the only way into Skinningrove from Loftus

A change to have a coloured view of the works, the sea and the surrounding countryside, taken from the east of Skinningrove.