Swinsty Cross

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This remote cross is a memorial to Probationary Flight Officer Francis Holt Yates Titcomb of the Royal Naval Air Service.

Memorial cross for Probationary Flight Officer Francis Titcomb

Flying a Maurice Farman Longhorn, he took off from the RNAS training airfield at Redcar on his first solo flight on 15 April 1917. He crashed after encountered snow clouds over the moors and died aged 19.

He is buried in Brompton Cemetery in London

Memorial cross for Probationary Flight Officer Francis Titcomb

The cross was erected by Mr J K Foster JP of Egton Manor in 1929 and sculpted by Mr J.W. Hill of Whitby.

Memorial cross for Probationary Flight Officer Francis Titcomb

Based on the design of a wayside cross near Vittel in the Vosges designed by Sir E L Lutyens

Egton Cross

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The cross in Egton was erected in 1912 in memory of John Foster.

Egton Cross

The Foster family were owners of Black Dyke Mills in Queensbury, Bradford, West Yorkshire which manufactured worsted and mohair fabric. They purchased the Egton Estate in 1869 as a sporting estate.

Egton Cross

Mr. John Foster died on Feb. 8th 1910 aged 78, his funeral took place at Egton on February 12th 1910.

Greatham Railway Station

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I’ve been taking a short break from Hidden Teesside, but I return with a kind contribution from Michael Thompson.

Greatham Railway Station was opened on 10 February 1841 as a branch of the Clarence Railway, from Billingham to Hartlepool. The station finally closed on 24 November 1991. Apart from serving the residents of Greatham the station also served as a freight station for the nearby salt works.

(Info – Wikipedia: Greatham Railway Station)

Greatham Station looking east towards Hartlepool (Michael Thompson)

Although the station has now been deleted from the Ordnance Survey maps the road from Greatham to the station is still called Station Road.

Brusselton Incline

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The Brusselton Incline opened in 1825 and consisted of a stationary engine to haul coal wagons 1.5 miles over a hill which was too steep for the early steam engines of the day.

Brusselton Incline
Stone sleepers on the incline

By 1842 the Shildon Tunnel went under the hill making the incline obsolete, it ceased operation in the 1880s.

Brusselton Incline Engine House
Engine House

The Enginemans House carries a “H1” Stockton and Darlington Railway ownership plaque

Brusselton Incline Enginemans House
Enginemans House

The Brusselton Incline Group was formed in 2014 to carry our restoration and maintenance of the site.

 Flax Beating Stone – Hartburn Village

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Flax was used in the manufacture of ships sails which would have then been used in the shipyards of Stockton, in 1827 Stockton had four flax merchants and three linen factories.

photo by Connor Stokes

The plaque read :-

June 1897
This stone was erected to commemorate the completion of the 60th year of the reign of Queen Victoria. It was found near the village of Hartburn and used to beat flax on in former days.

photo by Connor Stokes

A smaller much later plaque dates from 2nd April 1983, it shows the link between William of Hertburne, who became William of Wessyngton in 1183.

His descendant George Washington became the first president of the USA.

photo by Connor Stokes