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Archives

Beggar’s Bridge

I think we all know the story of Beggar’s bridge, when a poor man loved a rich girl and went away to make his fortune to build the bridge. Well here it is in winter with the river so frozen that they could skate on it, image dates from c.1900. Was it frozen in the cold of last winter?
Image courtesy of Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum.

Grosmont From The Hill

That is what the caption on this image says; I don’t think it looks much like this today. Russell Pigott tells us: ”I would say about the turn of the 20th century,there is fresh ballast on a siding which looks like it went into the ironworks that seem to be demolished and also the style of railway wagons in the picture.” Richard Coates comments: “I’m sure that I know the place the picture was taken. The rail lines that pass the chimney run to Whitby, if you look through the gap between the second and third bush you can just make out the line that runs to Pickering now owned by the NYMR. The view has changed slightly but not much.”

Image courtesy of Cleveland ironstone mining museum, thanks to Russell Pigott and Richard Coates for the updates.

Ruswarp Mill

A lovely photograph of Ruswarp Mill on the River Esk; built in 1752 as a corn mill and rebuilt after the fire in 1911.  It is no longer a working mill; having then been converted into apartments.  The road and railway cross the river over the two bridges below the weir. This image is part of a series taken by Mrs Unthank as part of geography projects for Loftus County Modern School (later Rosecroft School) in the 1960s.

Image courtesy of Mrs. R. Unthank.

Thomassin Foss, Goathland (c.1900)

A hand-tinted picture postcard of Thomassin Foss at Goathland, extremely well-executed; the style is that of Frank Meadow Sutcliffe, but the photographer is uncredited. The printer is H. Graham Glen, Wortley, Leeds. William Glen tells us: ”The photograph would have been taken by either Henry Graham Glen or less likely one of his sons. The business H. Graham Glen, Wortley, Leeds was both photography and printing. The tinting would have been done probably by Henry.”

Image courtesy of Jean Dean, many thanks to William Glen for that update.

Golf Balls

Yes that was the popular name for the early warning station at Fylingdales, our area gets ever wider but there are those younger ones amongst us who will not remember these. The controversy when they were erected and the same again when they were to be knocked down. Did someone in your family help build, demolish or protest against these structures?
Image courtesy of Geoffrey Powell.

Fylingdales “Golf Balls”

A good photograph of the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System at Fylingdales, known locally as the Golf Balls.  Demonstrations when they were erected in 1960 and demonstrations when they were removed in 1989 and a pyramid built to replace them. Geoffrey Powell advises: “Great to see the old Golf Balls, I remember these being built. I was in 5131 Bomb Disposal Squadron in the RAF during 1961 – 1963. We were based at Goldsborough and travelled over daily with various vehicles and an ambulance; with mine detectors working from 8 am until 4 pm daily, clearing munitions and making it a phase by phase for safety reasons.” Mandy Chew can recall: “I remember going past the Golf Balls on my way to Whitby from Bradford (holidays with parents and sister) when I was a child in the 1970’s.” Trevor Bell adds: “My father worked at the base in the mid-sixties. He apparently worked within the middle Golf Ball complex. It was a shame they removed them and replaced with the present pyramid. Progress maybe, but nowhere near as exciting to see as a kid!” Julian Atkinson can recall: ” I worked at RAF Fylingdales ,from age 19 to 26..we were base Security. Many of my colleagues have now passed away ,when I was poorly I had a vivid dream – had walked up to the main gate as it was in the 1970’s, Old Bobby on the Gate ‘Bill Smith’, Looked up and said: ”Are YOU here, an’all..”?..(Scary)..is That my Purgatory..!!!?”.

Image courtesy of Geoffrey Powell, thanks to Geoffrey Powell, Mandy Chew, Trevor Ball and Julian Atkinson for the updates.