Rather strange to see a lonely car in the High Street at Redcar.
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Coatham Pier and south Gare both on this postcard which is quite unusual.
Another lovely pier long gone, now I do have some information on this pier from ‘Yorkshire Piers’ by Martin Easdown. He tells us ”Coatham Pier had actually opened to the public in 1872 and was fully completed in 1874 to a length of 2,250ft before it was hit by the ‘Griffin’ and ‘Corrymbus’ in December 1874. The pier was repaired but was wrecked by storms in December 1876 and was shortened to 1,770ft. The pier was demolished in 1899 after being cut in two by the ‘Birger’ in October 1898. Thanks to Martin for that update.
Now the way I look at this it is Coatham pier cut in two, do you agree? How great Redcar would have looked today with two magnificent piers. Fred Brunskill advises us: ”Originally Coatham Pier was to be much longer than Redcar pier with a glazed ballroom pavilion in the centre.Unfortunately before the seaward side of the pavilion could be completed it was breached in 1874 by the brig ‘Griffin’ and had to be abandoned. During the same storm the ‘Corrymbus also breached the pier causing much more damage…The final straw was in 1898 when the Finnish barque ‘Birger’ tore out a hundred yard section leaving the pavilion isolated. Repairs were too costly and the the pier was partly dismantled and left for many years.Not being able to meet their debts the Pier company ceased trading the following year.” Thanks to Fred Brunskill for the update.
Now I don’t remember putting on the stray at Redcar, but there obviously was as this picture proves, when was it do you know?
Opened in 1888 the Gare is two and a half miles long and cost £219,300 to construct of slag provided by the local ironworks who also contributed to the transport costs. The Stockton & Darlington Railway Company constructed a line from the blast furnaces at Cargo Fleet to the Tees Conservancy Commissioners’ Railway at Tod Point to transport the slag. During the opening ceremony of the South Gare the line was put ot an unusual use as trains from Middlesbrough took special guests to the base of the lighthouse. Later, as there were no trains running on the track, workmen boarded a flat bogey propelled by a sail. Of that more later. Information courtesy of ”South Gare” a Cleveland Urban Fringe Scheme publication.
I remember this too and many happy hours here dancing. The beautiful pier has gone and all that remains is this building. The image taken it is believed from a postcard is possibly from the late 1940s or 1950s.
T. Wakefield is the name on the sign and by what is written on there he was watchmaker, jeweller and optician. Next to him ”The Noted Cheap Shop – articles suitable for presents”, wonder if that was the £ shop of yesteryear?
Four different shots of Redcar, don’t think the diver will make the olympics.
We knew it was Redcar, with Granville Terrace in the background, but asked: ”What kind of a whale was it and when was it?” Carmen Davies has advised us: ”It looks very much like a Minke whale, judging from the shape of the head and the throat grooves. They can still be seen travelling through these waters in the summer.” It is possibly dating from 12th September 1912, but are now researching to confirm this belief. Image courtesy of the Archive and many thanks to Dave Woods and Carmen Davis for the updates. |
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