Brook House, Skinningrove to give its’ correct postal and census address or as it was known The Gas House.It was the personal accommodation for the Manager of the Gas Works, shown in this image after the closure of the site. Purpose built in the 1870’s the house stood beside the Showroom and close to the footbridge which crossed Skinningrove Beck beside Angling Green. This is the first of a series of photographs of the Gas Works after closure and before final demolition, hence the buildings are all boarded up! Do you remember the gas holders behind the wall?
Image courtesy of a supporter of the Archive.
Brook House latterly belonged Northern Gas. The last resident was John Elliot who was the yard watchman. Before him Bill Hewison lived there with his family, he was distribution mains manager for East Cleveland. Before Bill a man called Jessup, who was the last gasworks manager lived there. The house had three floors. There was a large cellar below the main road level, but this had been known to flood as the floor was not very much higher than the beck water level. The gasholder behind was No3, the newest, and a two stage water telescopic design. Originally there were three gasholders, the older two being single stage water seal types.
I am the eldest daughter of bill hewison and the house had 2 floors as we lived there for quite a while and to my knowledge I don’t recall you ever being in that house Baggy