Hidden Teesside

 I first visited this ROC post about six years ago, at the time it was in good condition, dry with numerous papers still on the wall. Unfortunately I’ve been unable to locate the photos I took that day with my first brick sized digital camera, you can however get an idea of how it used to look here.

Two lonely telegraph poles which once carried the communications point out the site from the road.

The surface features are pretty much unchanged, although the lid has been removed and thrown into the shaft.

Being open to the elements means theres now an inch of water at the bottom of the ladder, all the paper and card items once inside are either gone or soaked, the cupboards have also been smashed up.

The switch mechanism which was on the wall near the door in the older photos seems to have been very carefully removed, hopefully this has been taken to a museum or by someone restoring another ROC post rather than as a personal trophy.

ROC posts are fast disappearing or being vandalised, the fantastic example at Hinderwell was filled with soil in the last couple of years. No idea if any of the fixtures or fittings were saved before this was done.

A pair of pill boxes guard both side of Blacks Bridge between Marske and Redcar.

This level of defense is probably due to it being adjacent to the site of the Marske Aerodrome, now only referenced in road names such as Barnes Wallis Way.

The ROC post is situated at the top of Ruebury Hill

The hatch is not locked and the ladder still in place, i didn’t venture inside today but you can see pictures of that here

There are the remains of an aircraft post right next to the bunker.

Update May 2008 - Interior photos.

Sump pump and switches

Vintage newspaper and targets on bedframe

Original batteries (no mains) and chemical toilet

The Auxiliary Units were to be Britains own resistance should a German invasion have been successful.

Their existance was top secret and only acknowledged by the government in the 1990s.

Little remains of this local “OB” or Operational Base except a few depressions in the ground which become covered in wild garlic most of the year,

There is an excellent diagram here that lets you relate to what’s still visible.

Its most easily located by walking to the end of the promentary above where two stream meet.

The current lighthouse was built in 1926 after the previous lighthouse was removed to give the Heugh Battery and Lighthouse Battery a clearer view of the sea.

The position of the orignal stopped retaliatory fire during the Bombardment of Hartlepool on 16th December 1914

1500 shells were fired at Hartlepool during the bombardment by the German Cruisers Seydlitz, Moltke and Blucher. Leading to the death of the first soldier killed on British soil during the First World War

This cannon was captured from the Russian Army at the battle of Sebastopol, during the Crimean War 1854-1856.

The cannon was transported from London on the steam ship Margaret at a total cost of £2 19s 3d and arrived in Hartlepool in September 1858.

The square section post lies on an elevated platform that was formerly a railway.

Internally its of a similar construction to the smaller section posts close by, although this time the view is of cows rather than a mud bank.

The adjacent pillbox is in remarkably good cood condition, mostly free of rubbish and grafitti and even retaining some metal shutters inside.

A row of three identical World War 2 section posts can be found along the edge of the Seal Sands nature reserve.

The most northerly is open at both ends, although its view has been blocked by a later bank, internally some concrete shelves remain along the walls.

The central post is similarly blocked by a large bank.

The most southerly post retains its outside views although some attempts have been made to block the doorways.

The Eston Royal Observer Corps Post is in poor condition, it looks to have been burnt many times inside, although the surface features are still OK. The open hatch at one end.
 

Ventilation at the other

A diagram of a complete post can be found here and some internal shots of the post here

Presumably part of the defences of Thornaby Aerodrome, there are two pillboxes in the woodland between Ingleby Barwick and Thornaby.

One out in the open still has the metal mounting points for guns.

The second is a short distance to the North-west at the edge of  woodland

Not technically a wartime relic as its a fibre glass replica,  but a great reminder of the fact the whole of Thornaby is built over Thornaby Aerodrome

There are a number of plaques surrounding the roundabout giving more details on 608 Squadron

Much more information is given here 

A row of three pillboxes surround the western edge of Greatham, they defended RAF Greatham / RAF West Hartlepool.

The central one is easily accessible from a public footpath, while the others can be seen north and south.

The Anti Tank Cubes are adjacent to the pillbox, next to the bridge over the stream.

Starfish Decoy Sites were intended to draw the fire of German bombers away from the real industrial targets of Teesside.

Setting fire to the moors would have given an impression of burning towns/factories, although theres some doubt as to whether this site was ever used.

From 1939 to 1954 this piece of moor played a key role in World War 2.

This site detected and led to the shooting down of the first enemy aircraft to fall on England on 3rd February 1940, a Heinkel 111which later crashed at Bannial Flatt Farm near Whitby.

This website covers the layout of the site in a lot more details

Identical in design to the Redcar Sound Mirror built around 1916. Today stands in a private field.

Group of three large pillboxes at Greatham Creek, situated at the end of a disused railway.

One can be accessed via a hole in the bricked up door.

Overlooked the junction and previously mentioned milestone, before the road was slight re-alligned to the current roundabout.

The Zetland Club was hit by a bomb on 21st October 1941. Amongst those killed were the mayor, councillors and a doctor. The garden of remeberance also has plaques for those lost at sea and Dunkirk.

Built around 1916 to detect approaching Zeppelins, now sits surrounded by houses but safe due to being a scheduled ancient monument.

The base of the column where the listening trumpet was mounted is a few feet in front of the mirror.

Information on other Sound Mirrors in the UK can be found here

Photos from 2003 before the guard house building was badly damaged by fire.

The mound behind the house holds a two storey ROTOR R2 bunker built in 1951, and destroyed by fire in 1958. The underground areas reached through the red door in the floor are flooded and contaminated with asbestos.

Further info on ‘RAF Goldsborough’ (’JEX’) R2 CHEL