Category: Saltburn
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Lieutenant Wilfred Littleboy: Remembered on the Day he Fell, 9 October 1917
No one can say for certain whether young Wilfred Littleboy ever scrambled down the steep bank to cross the new bridge over Skelton Beck and wander into Old Saltburn, with its whitewashed cottages huddled beneath Cat Nab and the gaiety of its fairground by the sea. It is difficult to picture a spirited boy resisting…
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Upleatham’s Old Church
This tiny church at Upleatham is believed to be the second on this site and is often claimed to be the smallest in England—just 18 feet long and 15 feet wide. Though “smallest” is a loose term, depending on what one measures—floor space, pews, or whether it still hosts services—this particular church no longer does.…
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Hunt Cliff — Victorian Engineering Meets Geological Indifference
It is endlessly surprising—though it really should not be—how absurdly fragile this stretch of the old Cleveland Railway remains, teetering along the edge of Hunt Cliff as though daring gravity to intervene. Originally built between 1865 and 1867, its grand purpose was to move ironstone from Loftus to the blast furnaces east of Middlesbrough. Rather…
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Saltburn Bank and the Uphill Struggle of Women’s Cycling
To Saltburn, of all places, to witness the East Cleveland Classic cycle race. It has indeed become a “classic,” though one suspects the term was originally used here with the same generosity applied to overcooked Sunday roasts and tribute bands. The photo shows the Women’s race, which, in a rare nod to dignity, begins at…
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Saltburn Pier: A Stubborn Relic of Victorian Opportunism
With the weather forecast putting an end to our morning plans and since we did not particularly want to be battered about on the high moors, we decided instead to be battered about on the beach. Hence, our impromptu visit to Saltburn-by-the-Sea. Despite the slight breeze, nature insists that spring is on its way. Frogs…
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Teddy’s Nook: Where Facts are Optional
Working with the National Trust at Old Saltburn, tucked away in Littledale—a predictably small valley with a narrow view across to the new town. The place has some flora worth noting, though you will be mostly clawing your way through Blackthorn, Gorse, and Brambles. Today’s thrilling task was hacking back this jungle. Perched smugly on…
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The Battle of Brambles: Managing Little Dale’s Wild Side
The gorse, in its garish yellow splendour, provides the only relief to Little Dale’s dreary winter vista—a scene as lively as a crypt. One marvels that the National Trust, using funds from the estimable Enterprise Neptune scheme, thought it prudent to acquire this rather unremarkable hollow near Saltburn-by-the-Sea from Brough House Farm in 1997. The…
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Coastal Reverie: From Saltburn to Cattersty Sands
With the tide in my favour, I set off on an early morning walk from Saltburn along the coast. The conditions were almost too favourable, rendering the barnacle-encrusted scar an easy path. Before long, I found myself nearing Cattersty Sands. After passing Seal Goit, a name hinting at visits from marine mammals, I glanced back…
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Nature Reclaims Industry: Warsett Hill
A fishing smack chugging serenely towards his lobster pots off Huntcliff caught my attention. The morning is still and muggy, with overnight rain fizzling out and the sea as calm as a millpond. I have been working on the National Trust’s property at Warsett Hill, tidying up an old, decrepit post and rail fence. Acquired…
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Huntcliff: A Roman Lookout Lost to the Sea
It’s been a lovely day at the seaside, but I my eyes were drawn to Huntcliff Nab, the huge beetling cliff that towers over Saltburn. It’s made of soft shales and is slowly being worn away by the sea and wind. I imagined what the headland would have looked like almost two millenia ago, when…