Captain Cook's Museum

               All Saint's

        All Saint's

         Gisborough hall

                  Whitby

                Whitby

            Whitby Abbey

               Whitby Abbey

Saltburn-by-the-Sea.

                  Cliff Lift

                 Locomotion

          Trincomalee

If thought of a visit to Tees Valley doesn’t initially fill you with inspiration - think again! This serene corner of Britain, tucked away just to the east of the A1M between York and Middlesbrough, is a revelation! To be honest, I thought this north east corner would be as fascinating as a black hole! Sometimes it is actually satisfying to be proved utterly wrong. Long gone is the industrial legacy and millions of pounds has been spent in regeneration and revitalisation. What also surprised was how much smaller the towns actually are than envisaged. Come with us on a whistle stop tour to discover Captain Cook country, the site of the first railway, and a close encounter with the areas seafaring heritage. For map follow Captain Cook country link.

Start the trail at Marton, a leafy suburb of Middlesbrough, where Cook was born in 1728. His birthplace in the, now demolished, village of East Marton in Stewart Park lies close to the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum. A monument marks the spot but nothing visible remains of the cottage or the village. This is the place to learn about Captain Cook’s early life and his later voyages around the world.

Great Ayton.

Allow plenty of time for a visit to the delightful village of Great Ayton. The Cook family moved here from East Marton soon after Captain Cook was born. In 1934, the cottage where the family first lived in Great Ayton was dismantled and transported to Australia and is a popular visitor attraction in Fitzroy Gardens, Melbourne. All Saints Church is a little gem and where some of Cook’s remains are buried. (Only parts of Cook’s body made it back to England.) There are two sides to the gravestone, the old inscription on the reverse side and the later engraving on the other. The month of the year in which Cook died is incorrect on the newer side. It should read February not December 1779 but has never been altered. The huge cuts in the stonework inside the church porch were made by locals sharpening their knives. This was done in the days when houses were built of wood so the church walls were convenient to use as a sharpening stone.

Cook aside, visitors can’t leave the village without exposing their taste buds to Suggit’s famed ice cream. An experience definitely not to be missed.

Smugglers Den's

Whitby.

On to the coast at Whitby, a small and charming traditional fishing port nestling into the cliffsides of the river estuary. The best part of a day can be spent here starting in the old town. Ruined Whitby Abbey surveys all next to which sits the 900 years old St. Mary’s church. Descend the famed 199 church steps into the narrow streets of the old town and across the river into its later extension. Many famous names have had association with Whitby from Caedman, the first English poet, to many authors who were and are inspired by the town. Whitby was even woven into Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula! More modern attractions include an Art Gallery and Museum and a Leisure Centre. The real heart of Whitby is its maritime history and its days as a whaling port not forgetting the romantic image of smugglers. The harbour is still busy with local fishermen landing their catches. Fossil hunting is high on some agendas along the coastline here and a great favourite during Victorian times, jet jewellery, is still being fashioned into items of adornment. No visit is complete without sampling fish and chips from Trencher’s.

Lying only six miles to the south of Whitby is the old fishing village of Robin Hood’s Bay. Another picturesque and historical village, sited in the huge sweep of the bay, above which sits the later Victorian section.

Sandsend, Runswick Bay and Staithes.

The convolutions along the coast north of Whitby harbour more picturesque villages with colourful histories. When the tide is right, Sandsend is a pleasant destination for a walk along the sands from Whitby whilst a photogenic thatched cottage draws visitors further up the coast to Runswick Bay. A real gem is the unspoilt fishing village of Staithes on the site of a former Viking settlement. The Vikings have long since gone but its dramatic cliffs are a magnet for fossil hunters and the village for artists. This was the home of Captain Cook for three years when he worked as a grocer’s boy. The Heritage Centre has a replica of the shop where he worked.

This was the popular seaside escape for the people of the Middlesbrough area during the hey-day of the railways. The train from Middlesbrough actually made a stop beneath the main hotel for the covenience of the hotel’s clients. Saltburn still conjures up the atmosphere of a seaide town 50 and more years ago helped by its pier, the only pleasure pier on the north east coast, and the oldest remaining waterbalance cliff lift in Britain. Volunteers run a 15-inch gauge miniature railway, introduced in 1953. An older, and more romantic, claim to fame is as the lair of the notorious ‘King of the Smugglers’ Black John Andrew. Learn more about piracy and this larger than life character in Old Saltburn found tucked beneath the cliffs next to the Ship Inn.

Rivitalised Tees Valley Towns

It’s hard to believe that in 1801 Middlesbrough was a small agricultural hamlet yet by the end of that century had developed into a booming iron and steel town. It supplied the steel for the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia and ‘Made in Middlesbrough’ is stamped on top of the bridge. This explosion of growth came about with the development of the railways. Today, this university town is fast creating a new and cleaner image for itself . A Transporter Bridge, the only one of its kind still operating, stands testament to a skilful engineering era and draws the eye for miles around. Cultural events and art vie with more down to earth pursuits such as shopping. Sports fanatics have a wide range of sporting venues to choose from and the ultimate for football fans could be a visit to Middlesbrough Football Stadium . Tours must be booked in advance and a three-course Sunday lunch can be savoured sat overlooking the pitch. The food’s good as well! Cruise along the river through pleasant countryside between Stockton and Yarm on the Teesside Princess. There is a bar on board and meals can also be served.

Once a major river port shipping lead and farm produce Stockton is now home to a campus of Durham University. Way back in 1310 the town was granted a charter to hold a market every Wednesday forever. Shopping is still a major feature with large markets every Wednesday and Saturday and a smaller market every Friday. Stockton also hosts an International Riverside Festival  and nearby Billingham hosts the Billingham International Folklore Festival  which is the largest arts festival of its kind in the UK. Berthed alongside the river here is a full size replica of Captain Cook’s ship Endeavour, H.M. Bark Endeavour, which is open to the public. The area also witnessed the birth of the railways in 1825 when the first rail was laid of the Stockton & Darlington railway. A railway encouraged the growth of industry but its industrial heritage expanded rapidly with the discovery of ironstone in the Cleveland hills in the mid 19th century

The restored Victorian Station, on the original route of the Stockton and Darlington railway, houses the Darlington Railway Centre and Museum. Exhibits include Stephenson’s ‘Locomotion No 1’, and the Darlington built ‘Derwent’ and ‘Blue Peter’. The Tees Cottage Pumping Station, the original waterworks established in 1849, is now a museum depicting its history from steam through to gas and electric pumping engines. Going even further back in time is the Piercebridge Roman Fort, located in the village of Piercebridge close by. An eye-catching monument is the Train Sculpture, a life size brick built steam train emerging from a tunnel at speed swathed in smoke. See more Darlington

Hard to believe now but, in medieval times, Yarm was the most important town and port on the River Tees. The town was once a major coaching stop on the north-south route and some of the orignal coaching inns still remain. A plaque outside the ‘George and Dragon Hotel’ records the meeting in 1820 when the initial plans for the building of the Stockton and Darlington Railway were discussed. There is ample opportunity for shopping and this historic and traditional town makes an interesting base from which to tour the area.

Shopoholics will find more than enough to keep them occupied from outdoor markets to retail parks but the pièce de résistance must be its Historic Quay. This re-creation of an 18th century seaport is a great place to bring families, and will keep them absorbed for hours. With so much atmosphere and character, the quay has become a popular venue for weddings. Authentic harbour-side shops, interactive Fighting Ships walk-through experience, Children’s Adventure Playship, coffee shop and the opportunity to climb aboard HMS Trincomalee. The ship was built in Bombay, named after a port in Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and was the style of frigate favoured by Nelson although it never saw action. It sailed to Portsmouth on its maiden voyage and served out its working life as a Drill Ship. An interesting book is available at the Quay outlining the background and diary of a young widow returning home on this voyage, which provides an insight into life aboard a Royal Navy Frigate. This makes a fascinating read. Hartlepool is a serious destination

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