Show on mapThis signal box has fallen victim to the vandals and arsonists (as has much of Port Clarence). I don’t know its actual construction date, but it appears between the 1915 and 1917Â editions of the OS maps.
I’ve found reports of a fire destroying it in 2006
Sad pictures Chris. Im not sure when the box closed as a signalbox,possibly in the late 60’s or early 70’s but the ground floor which was formaly the locking room was used as a chargemans office/messroom until the mid 90’s
This is Port Clarence Bell Bank Sidings Sgnal Box, Port Clarence box was situated 2 – 300 yards further up the line where the short branch to the Station started, (you can see this branch from the foot tunnel, the station approach bridge is slightly lower than the main line bridge. I believe it closed as a signal box in the late 60,s but the bottom part was used for Yard staff untill recently wheen some Yobs broke in and set the place on fire. Indees the Buildings were so fortified that it took the Fire brigade a long time to gain access to put out the fire, resulting in it being gutted like this.
It was actually called Bell’s Bank Foot. I think the bank climbed up to Bell Brothers Ironworks. The box dated from 1899 and was almost certainly built for construction of the Greatham Creek branch. It closed as a signal box on 2 May 1939 and was burnt down on 18 March 1999.