Show on map The viaduct over Skelton Beck was originally part of the Whitby, Redcar and Middlesbrough Union Railway which opened in 1872. Its designer is thought to be Thomas Elliot Harrison.
The passenger line closed in 1958 and now carries goods trains to the Boulby Potash mine.
Show on map The village of Hinderwell derives its names from this well in the church yard.
St Hilda was the early Christian abbess in Whitby in the 7th century, and the water is still flowing today.
Restored in 1912 by another Hilda, Hilda Palmer of Grinkle, who I believe is the daughter of Sir Charles Palmer
Mines were originally ventilated by having a furnace at the bottom of the shaft to draw air through the mine, with the associated fire risk.
Two types of fanhouses seem to be used across most of Cleveland (they often seem to be the only remaining buildings)
The Guibal is earlier and uses a lower speed, large diameter fan to pull the air from the mine up through the chimney as seen as Huntcliffe and Skelton Shaft
The Sirocco is a later centrifugal fan, invented by Samuel Davidson , with narrow
blades curved forward, mounted at the periphery of a braced, open drum. It
is a high-speed, small-diameter fan. One of these exists at Grinkle.
Show on map Skelton mine was located above what is now Waterfall Farm near Guisborough, a very busy area for mines being only a short distance from Skelton Park, Spa Wood, Tocketts, South Skelton and Aysdalegate.
The void where the fan stood is accessible through a very tight squeeze on the eastern wall, or by scaling the western wall.
The top of the filled shaft is visible as a ring of bricks just to the south of the fan house.
Show on map 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.
Show on map The huge deserted site of Steetleys Magnesite works in Hartlepool, partly demolished and partly a huge adventure playground for the local kids. Hardly a fence to be found and definitely no security in sight.
Vast tanks, uneartly blue lagoons, a 200ft chimney, a pier.
View this on the map to see the vast scale of the place. Catch it before its demolished and probably turned into “luxury flats”
UPDATE :
The chimney was demolished on 29th July 2012, the pier has already been cut to stop access and I believe many of the pools have now been demolished too. So i’m moving this into the ‘Too Late’ category
Show on map Its difficult to imagine such a picturesque place once being an area of heavy industry. The pit closed in 1911 but the shaft is open and only surrounded by a fence, a constant rush of water being heard from inside.
The corner of the mine managers house remains standing (although I don’t know for how much longer)
Show on map Originally built in the 12th century, in use until 1848 when it was abandoned due to the opening of a new church in Thorpe Thewles (which was itself replaced in 1885 with the current church)
Show on map Overlooked the junction and previously mentioned milestone, before the road was slight re-alligned to the current roundabout.
Show on map Situated on cemetery corner at the junction with the Redcar road. Currently I have no idea of its age or origins, although the fact it points to Kirkleatham rather than Redcar is perhaps a clue.
