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Well it was commonly known as this when I was young and I am not saying how long ago that was. Yes it’s Dam Street and it was named the Monkey Trot even before my time if you don’t know why then ask the older members of the family.
Complete with the requisite street urchin! More modern times mean that water levels are more ‘manageable’ and less of a traffic hazard, except when!!
A different view of the footbridge over the beck at the junction of Water Lane and Dam Street, with a glimpse of Church Row and St Leonard’s church through the trees. Image courtesy of Beryl Morris.  Very topical this image – can’t think why I didn’t put it on sooner! The urchin has been joined by his two friends and a sledge! Believed to be a T. C. Booth image, from the early 20th century. Image courtesy of Mrs Sakaropoulus.
The sun streams through the trees but we can still see the bridge at the entrance to the woods with the stream running under it. Haugh means ’low lying land’ and this was the last of the water splash in Loftus, the road was made of slag bricks and at a much lower level than the roadway of today.
Haugh bridge I have been told is the name of this bridge but I am sure many of you like me will know it as Dam End and the entrance to Espiner’s woods, now named Hancock’s woods. The men on the bridge seem to be deep in conversation probably putting the world to rights. Image courtesy of John G. Hannah.
A peaceful photograph showing the entrance to what used to be Espiner’s wood and the road leading up to South Loftus. The ford has now been piped under the road. As Mike Hopper tells us: “I always knew it as ‘Espiners’ wood but now for some reason it’s called ‘Hancocks’?” The new name appears to have come about in recent times following the activities of Loftus Civic Trust, etc! Many thanks to Mike Hopper for that comment.
These were the scenes after a cloudburst on 7th August 1939. Rails and sleepers at cemetery corner Loftus were undermined by the floods; the image on left shows a section of the road leading to South Loftus. The images are taken from a collection of Northern Echo newspaper cuttings.
The Archive has now had access to two copies of this lovely tinted card from the ”Phoenix” Series produced by Brittain & Wright of Stockton. The first was posted in Loftus on October 31, 1904, with a half penny stamp; the second posted in Darlington August 10, 1907. The signboard on the left is that of ’J. Wrightson, General Smith, Horse Shoes’ whose business was at the Forge, set back to the left behind the High Street. The Town Hall built by Lord Zetland in 1879, replacing the Parish Church School built by Zachary Moore (formerly Lord of the Manor before Lord Zetland) in 1746. Images courtesy of Kim Whaley and Jean Hall.
Loftus Arts Club performing ”Ladies in Retirement” in Loftus Town Hall 1951. Back Row: Ann Norminton, Olga McClaren, Nick Marshall, Margaret Harmer, ??. Front row: Jean Peel, Margaret Duffy, Myra Dowson. Ann Norminton advised: “Margaret Harmer played the part of tha maid.” Can anybody help with the missing name? Image courtesy of Peggy Allan and thanks to Ann Norminton for the update. |
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