Author Archives: chris.twigg

Underground Exploration in the Esk Valley – 12th March 2018

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CLEVELAND INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY LECTURE
Underground Exploration of some of the Mines in the Esk Valley

By Simon Chapman author of Grosmont and its mines
Monday 12th March at 7:30 pm
Saltburn Community Centre Hall

In recent years members of the Cleveland Mining Heritage Society have been clearing, identifying and exploring some of the mines along the Esk Valley. This is a rare chance to see some images and hear about the work undertaken by the group in association with the landowners. Simon Chapman, author of Grosmont and its Mines, Commondale Mine etc. will tell the story of some of these mines and give a glimpse of a moment in time long since hidden.

Letter from the Front – Friday 23rd March – Loftus Town Hall

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Explore Our Heritage In Loftus Town Hall
Letters from the Front
An Illustrated talk by Mr Peter Appleton from Skelton History Group
Friday 23 March 2018 ​
7 for 7.30pm
Loftus Town Hall
TS13 4HG

Everyone welcome – free entry – Tea and Coffee (but donations towards costs welcomed!)

This is the first in a short series of local interest talks for 2018 organised by Loftus Town Council with the active support of local experts, mostly held on the 4th Friday in the month

RAF Croft Memorial

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This sculpture of an airman stands by the side of the Northallerton Road at Dalton-on-Tees.
Croft Airman Memorial, Dalton-on-Tees
Per Ardua Ad Astra
In memory of and to honour those who served at Croft during World War II.
Dedicated by the members of 431 Iroquois and 434 Bluenose R.C.A.F Squadrons. 6 Group Bomber Command. 26 September 1987.Croft Airman Memorial, Dalton-on-Tees The sculptor was Helen Granger Young
Croft Airman Memorial, Dalton-on-Tees

King George V Fountain and Trough, Hurworth-on-Tees

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Hurworth-on-Tees Pillar
This Public drinking fountain and horse trough was erected in 1911 for Alice and Maude Scurfield to commemorate the accession to the throne of King George V
Hurworth-on-Tees Pillar
The fountain head is badly damaged, with just the pipe remaining
Hurworth-on-Tees Pillar
The fountain no longer run and has been used as a flower bed.
Hurworth-on-Tees Pillar
Alice Scurfield died just a couple of years in 1913 and (Rose) Maude in 1936

Neasham Pump House

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This small building dating from 1879 once housed a water pump for the village. The pump was shaped like the Sockburn Worm with its tail forming the pump handle.
Neasham Shelter
After the pump was removed in 1911 the structure remained as a shelter, which is now a Grade II listed building. It caries a plaque with the 1879 construction date and the initials “SRW” for Samuel Rowland Chapman-Ward of Neasham (who committed suicide at Penrith Railway Station just a few years later in 1883)
Neasham Shelter

Croft Road Pillbox, Blackwell, Darlington

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This roadside pillbox on the outskirts of Darlington is in remarkably good condition, with little in the way of damage or vandalism. It is a Lozenge style pillbox that are generally only found in the North-East.
Blackwell Pillbox
Blackwell Pillbox
Blackwell Pillbox
Blackwell Pillbox
Blackwell Pillbox
Internally many of the concrete shelves are still in place
Blackwell Pillbox
Blackwell Pillbox

Childhood Memory Walks

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Delve into the past childhoods of free roaming children and listen to colourful stories of local characters. Based on recordings from our Heritage Lottery Funded, Where the Wild Things Were project, we will take you off the beaten track and out into your local area to discover how childhoods, wildlife and the local landscape have changed from recordings, maps and archival photos.
These fun and friendly walks begin promptly at 10.00am and finish by 1.00pm or earlier. Dress for the weather and wear suitable footwear for walking along muddy footpaths and tracks. There may be steep sections on some of the walks. Bring a hot drink, a snack and your camera. The schedule of walks is:

Places on each walk will be limited. You are required to book by calling 01287 636382 or email info@teeswildlife.org For more details visit the Tees Valley Trust’s website events page http://www.teeswildlife.org/events/

Hell Kettles, Croft-on-Tees

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At first glance these ponds appear unremarkable, but the name and the aerial images hint at something much more interesting. They are actually sinkholes in the Magnesian Limestone

Hells Kettles, Croft-on-Tees

The holes are believed to have formed in an earthquake in 1179 and a huge amount of local folklore and legends have built up about site, which you can read on the ‘Old Corpse Road’ website. Links to Lewis Carols Alice in Wonderland have also been claimed as Charles Dodgson lived nearby as a child

The northern ‘Double Kettle’ is filled with water from surface run-off, however the water in the southern ‘Croft Kettle’ comes from subterranean springs, which is very noticeable on Google Earth imagery. The site is a SSSI as its the only place in Country Durham where this occurs.

Cleveland Railway Bridge, Flatts Lane

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The Cleveland Railway opened in 1861 as a freight line for the local ironstone mines, but the route quickly became duplicated and redundant and closed in 1873, after only 12 years of use.

Capture

This sandstone wall marks where the line crossed over Flatts Lane as it turned North towards Middlesbrough.

Cleveland Railway

An excellent account of the Cleveland Railway can be found in Andrew Pearson’s comment on this previous post

Ugthorpe Pinfold

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Ugthorpe Pinfold is thought to date from about 1700, it was used to hold livestock that had strayed from the common pasture and moorland, onto fields or roads. A fine or ‘poundage’ would need to be paid to recover them.

Ugthorpe Pinfold

The pinfold was restored as a seating area in 2007 by the Parish Council