Dyke House

The benchmark is cut into a brick gatepost to the property, Redlands, located on Grange Road.

There is a benchmark cut into the left brick gatepost of the property, Redlands, which is located on the south side of Grange Road.

The benchmark is cut into the south facing wall of the property which is on the north side of Clifton Avenue. The mark is cut into the 6th and 7th courses of brick.

There is a benchmark cut into the south facing wall of the property which is on the north side of Clifton Avenue. The mark is cut into the 6th and 7th courses of brick.

The site of the former Steetley Magnesite works is now a housing development, with more still under construction further right than this view. Just before World War II when the works were opened, very few were aware of the impending change in climate that is the result of mankind's emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and no-one had really thought through the implications, so, since sea water was the raw material, the location would have seemed eminently sensible. Now, decades later, no-one can fail to be aware of climate change and the fact that sea levels are rising worldwide and will continue to rise for many years yet no matter how effectively action is taken to limit temperature change. You'd think the fact that Hartlepool has recently had to spend millions on sea defences just a couple of miles away at the Headland to protect older housing would mean that their planning department would have an inkling of the future impact. But here we see houses built on sand just a few metres above present sea level calling into question the whole idea of "safe as houses". These ones are unquestionably temporary and will no doubt succumb to the combined volume of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets being turned into sea water, pushed inland by storm surges as the climate gets wilder. I can imagine that, just like the flammable cladding on tower blocks, developers will not end up paying the costs of their negligence, householders will be bankrupted and the whole lot will end up in the sea. I cannot imagine what would possess anyone to spend real money on such a residence. Even in biblical times it was known to be foolish to build on sand...

Built shortly before World War II, the pier carried large pipes to the Steetley Magnesite works, where Magnesium was extracted from seawater until the works closed in 2005. The whole thing was then abandoned to the elements, with a gap to prevent access to the further reaches (although it would appear that means has been added to climb up, just beyond the gap). The nearer section appears to be in use to provide swings for local entertainment and the remaining parts are not yet in a state of decay, but it seems utterly out of sympathy with the modern world that the owners of the site would not have been required to remove all trace of this structure as part of the decommissioning of the works (which have now been replaced by a housing development).

Built shortly before World War II, the pier carried large pipes to the Steetley Magnesite works, where Magnesium was extracted from seawater until the works closed in 2005. The whole thing was then abandoned to the elements, with a gap to prevent access to the further reaches - a bit of sky visible where the deck should be is the only evidence of this in this particular view. The nearer section appears to be in use to provide swings for local entertainment and the remaining parts are not yet in a state of decay, but it seems utterly out of sympathy with the modern world that the owners of the site would not have been required to remove all trace of this structure as part of the decommissioning of the works (which have now been replaced by a housing development).

Millions have been spent in adding rock armour around Hartlepool's Headland less than a mile to the southeast to defend housing there from North Sea storms and the erosion they cause. The rock used is not entirely in keeping with the local geology (Magnesian Limestone) but at least it looks fairly natural. Here a cheaper and far less aesthetic solution has been adopted with huge amounts of builders' rubble and old reinforcing steel dumped in front of the dune face - no doubt avoiding landfill tax too! Small, and very rounded, pieces of brick litter the beach, suggesting that longevity was not a consideration, and that most of this material will end up adding much to the sand and nothing to the stability of the coast. Meanwhile, it is pretty offensive in its ugliness.

Both the 99p Omega White Cider can, and the old Steetley Magnesite pier have been abandoned. Whilst the can is the result of just careless antisocial behaviour, the pier is a greater magnitude of unacceptable destruction of the environment - and no doubt a lot more expensive to remove. But in this second case, there is no doubt that deliberate decisions were taken to avoid the cost of removal and no legal action has been enforced on the former owners of Steetley Magnesite works (which closed in 2005 rendering the pier derelict) to remove their offensive rubbish.

Although the modern Transport Interchange is on much the same site, the whole area has been developed out of recognition as a result of the construction of the modern A179, and the house in the background no longer exists. Trimdon Motor Services was one of many independent operators serving the Durham coalfields with quite a substantial network of services, and one of the few to survive potential takeover by United Automobile service and the immediate aftermath of deregulation in 1986. The bus is a Leyland Leopard with Plaxton bodywork. This is one of a series of views featuring buses in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Link

Despite major redevelopment of Church Square and Church Street, this particular row of buildings has survived intact. The Devon was a bar, apparently in the basement, which appears to have had a less than salubrious reputation by the 1970s. The bus is Hartlepool Corporation 81, a Daimler CVG6 with Roe bodywork new in 1953, so already long in the tooth for a municipal bus. This is one of a series of views featuring buses in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Link

The buildings visible are little changed, although the scenery has changed dramatically, the road, with Church Square beyond, now being a traffic free open space Link . The bus is Hartlepool Corporation 36, one of a batch of 5 Leyland Leopards with ECW bodywork. They were the first ECW bodies delivered to a non-BTC operator after Leyland had taken a 25% share in ECW in 1965. The front end design was non-standard and as far as I am aware was unique to these 5 buses. This is one of a series of views featuring buses in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Link

The shop proclaims 'Shop at Binns', and perhaps the most unusual feature of the picture is that the bus does not carry the same slogan on the front above the destination. The slogan was almost ubiquitous on double-deck buses throughout the north east. Binns was a chain of large department stores based in Sunderland but which then spread across the north east and later further afield. Following takeover by House of Fraser in 1953, stores from other taken-over companies were often given the Binns name. The name ceased to be used after 2006 when the ownership of House of Fraser changed. In the distance is the tower of the Co-operative department store Link . The bus is Hartlepool Corporation 28, a Leyland PD2 with Roe bodywork new in 1965. It was the last double deck bus to be purchased by the corporation. This is one of a series of views featuring buses in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Link

Short walk around the marina.

Hartlepool.

With the Seaton High Light, viewed from the 'Historic Quay'. The High Light is a re-positioned River Tees navigational light tower

At the 'Historic Quay' museum, a former River Humber ferry

Naval gun exhibit with historic quayside buildings behind and the masts of HMS Trincomalee