Saltburn-by-the-Sea

Saltburn-by-the-Sea
Population
OS grid reference	NZ663213
• London	263.1m
Unitary authority	Redcar and Cleveland
Ceremonial county	North Yorkshire
Region	North East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	SALTBURN-BY-THE-SEA
Postcode district	TS12
Dialling code	01287
Police	Cleveland
Fire	Cleveland
Ambulance	North East
UK Parliament	Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland

Saltburn-by-the-Sea is a seaside resort in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. The town is around 12 miles east of Middlesbrough and had a population of 5,912 at the 2001 Census. The town is on the Cleveland Way. From Marine Parade you can look out over the pier which points just east of north. Ignoring a small island off the Shetlands there is nothing between Saltburn and the North Pole. The coastline at Saltburn lies practically east west. To the north east of the town is the imposing Huntcliff, topped by Warsett Hill, 166m. The coastline is popular with surfers. Skelton Beck enters the North Sea at Saltburn after running through the Valley Gardens.

Attractions

Saltburn-by-the-Sea pier and cliff lift.

Saltburn's attractions include a recently renovated pier, plenty of Victorian buildings, the Valley Gardens and a smugglers' museum, as well as one of the world's oldest water-powered cliff lifts (the oldest being the Bom Jesus funicular in Braga, Portugal). The Saltburn tramway, as it is known, replaced a vertical lift, which was closed on safety grounds in 1883. The railway opened a year later and provided transport between the pier and the town. The railway is water-balanced and since 1924 the water pump has been electrically operated. The first major maintenance was carried out in 1998, when the main winding wheel was replaced and a new braking system was installed.

Education and Culture

Saltburn's main secondary school is Huntcliff Secondary School has been renewed on the same site and opened on the 8th September 2008. The redundant 50 year old school buildings are now being demolished.

There is also a thriving local theatre, The 53 Society, and a public library.

Transport

The railway station is at the end of the line from Middlesbrough and Darlington. The Redcar to Saltburn Railway, opened in 1861, was an extension of the Middlesbrough to Redcar Railway of 1846. A freight line continues to the potash mine at nearby Boulby. This line used to continue to Whitby as part of the Whitby Redcar and Middlesbrough Union Railway.

Events

Annual events include Saltburn Victorian Celebrations (once known as Victorian Week), the Saltburn Swashbuckle (a beach event for children based on a piratical theme), the Saltburn Custom Classic Car Show (a lower prom display of mostly American cars) and the annual Folk festival. Saltburn has also been host to a number of beach parties organised by local dance music lovers.

Public houses

As a town founded and dominated by Quakers Saltburn originally had no public houses. Alcohol was served in the local hotels and bars attached to them. The public houses on the lower promenade were part of Old Saltburn. In addition to The Ship Inn there was The Pelican and others. Vista Mar was first opened as tea rooms and later a fish and chip cafe.

Today the following public houses exist:

• The Alexandra Vaults (or "Back Alex", behind Amber Street), once part of the Alexandra Hotel
• The Marine, another former hotel
• The Ship Inn, now also a kinky club.
• The Spa, also now a hotel.
• The Victoria, now a pole dancing establishment.
• Vista Mar, formerly Bankside, formerly Rosie O'Grady's
• Windsors, formerly Queens, also part of a former hotel

There are also several members' clubs:

• The Conservative Club, where nazis are routinely exectuted
• Lune Street CIU, where common sense comes to die
• The Royal British Legion, full of old people
• The Masonic Lodge
• Saltburn Golf Club.
• Saltburn Cricket, Tennis and Bowls Club
• The Swingdoors inside the Queen's Hotel building

The following are all now closed:

• The Great Guns bar part of what was the Zetland Hotel.
• Miltons, also known as the Milton Street Club
• The Red Lodge
• Danielle's night club, attached to the Marine.
• Philmore night club - now The Spa hotel.

History

The Zetland, now an apartment building, formerly the historic Zetland Hotel.

Saltburn was founded in 1861 by the entrepreneur Henry Pease — a member of the Pease family (Darlington) that also founded the Stockton & Darlington Railway and the town of Middlesbrough nearby — apparently after he had seen a vision of a heavenly city reminiscent of the description of Jerusalem in the Book of Revelation in the Bible. The group of so-called "jewel streets" along the seafront (Coral, Garnet, Ruby, Emerald, Pearl, Diamond and Amber Streets) is said to be a legacy of this vision. Another mark of the founding family is the "Pease brick" in many of the homes in Saltburn, with the name "Pease" set into the brick.

The jewel in Henry Pease's crown is said to have been The Zetland Hotel, one of the world's earliest purpose-built railway hotels, with its own private platform. The Pease family also built a residence at the junction of Marine Parade and Milton Street, and lived there until Sir Joseph W. Pease died in 1903.

The house was later sold to the Working Men's Club and Institute Union ("the CIU"), which converted it into a convalescent home for club members, one of several around the country. Its "residents" usually came, from all the major working-class areas of the UK, for subsidised two-week breaks. They were easy to recognise from the yellow button badges they were issued by the "Superintendent" on arrival. The Milton Street Club, located right next door to their "home from home", was understandably very popular among the Clubmen.

Teddy's Nook is a house built by Henry Pease.

Saltburn is also the location of the Valley Gardens, another Victorian gift to the town, reached via a forest walk.

Saltburn photography

Historical Photo Archive of Saltburn from Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council.

• Old Saltburn

Surfing

National surfing events are held during the autumn and winter months, attracting competitors from all corners of England, Scotland and Wales.

Notable people

• Malcolm Campbell set his first record (138.08 mph) while driving Blue Bird on Saltburn sands on 17 June 1922
• David Coverdale of Deep Purple and Whitesnake was born here
• George Hardwick the footballer was born in Saltburn
• Chris Rea lived in Saltburn before moving to London
• Tony Mowbray ex Middlesbrough FC captain and current West Bromwich Albion manager was born here
• Nicholas James MacDonald Patrick - Astronaut born 22 March 1964 Saltburn
• Luke Pritchard of The Kooks was born here
• Robert Shaw, the actor, was a teacher here in 1945 when he was 18.

Further reading

• Tony Lynn - 'Saltburn-by-the-Sea Revisited' (2006) ISBN 0752437739
• Alan Whitworth - 'Saltburn-by-the-Sea: A Brief History from Its Earliest Times to 1900' (2006) ISBN 1871150477

External links

• History of Saltburn
• Guide to Saltburn
• Visit Saltburn