Loftus, North Yorkshire
Encyclopedia
Loftus is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority
of Redcar and Cleveland
and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire
, England
. It lies in a region between Saltburn-by-the-Sea
and the North York Moors
. It was formerly known as Lofthouse.
as Siward, real evidence has been unearthed in recent times to support the picture of ancient settlement in the area.
The famous Methodist preacher John Wesley
is known to have preached in Loftus. More recent history is dominated by the ironstone
mining industry and many inhabitants that live in Loftus can trace lineage back to ironstone miners.
royal burial site in north-east England is at Loftus. Artefacts were discovered there from excavations which took place between 2005 and 2007. Finds include pieces associated with a rare "bed burial" in which a decorated female body is laid out on a decorated wooden bed accompanied by fine gold jewellery. The finds include a gold pendant, which would have belonged to a princess. as well as glass beads, pottery, iron knives, belt buckles and other objects.
The finds, which date back nearly 1400 years were discovered by members of the Teesside Archeological Society, led by Dr. Steve Sherlock, in a 109-grave site at Street House, Loftus.
They are presently on show at the Kirkleatham Old Hall Museum.
The Town Hall clock has faces North, East and West, but no face to the South as the residents of South Loftus were reluctant to contribute to the cost.
The Town Hall remained in the ownership of the Zetland family until 1948, when it was purchased by the former Loftus Urban District Council for £2000. In 1974 the ownership of the Town Hall transferred to the newly created Langbaurgh Borough Council
, and eventually to Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council. In 1992 budget cuts threatened closure of the Town Hall, and Loftus Town Council moved into the building and took over responsibility for maintenance. Although the Town Council moved in 1996, it still organises functions in the Town Hall.
Loftus Town Council area covers more than just Loftus itself; it includes the settlements of Boulby, Carlin How
, Cowbar, Easington
, East Loftus, Liverton Mines
, Liverton
, Loftus, Scaling
, Skinningrove
and South Loftus.
, provides a variety of leisure services on behalf of Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council operating for the benefit of the community as a non-profit distributing organisation. They took over the running of Loftus Leisure Centre, which had been opened in 1981 to provide the community with swimming facilities. The centre was improved with the addition of a sauna suite in 1985 and a fitness suite in 1998.
society. Oddfellows were friendly or mutual societies
, set up and organised by people from different guilds
representing various trades. Other societies existed for single trades, but when there were not enough people from one trade, especially in smaller towns, societies would be formed from an "odd" mixture of people, so giving the name "Oddfellows". The Loftus Oddfellows would raise money for their members, which was especially important in the days before the welfare state
.
The Oddfellows Hall was unused from the early 1990s. Tees Valley Housing Association have now taken over ownership of the building and converted it from a large meeting hall into eight self-contained flats.
The Loftus and District Flower Club meets every third Monday at the town hall
Loftus has many facilities: Loftus Swimming Baths (where the swimming group, Loftus Dolphins, train), Loftus Youth Club, Loftus Army Cadets, Scouts, Cubs etc. It also has a firestation and part time police station.
Westfield House in Duncan Place is one of the largest private properties in Loftus. It was built by the Pease family (Darlington)Pease family (Darlington)
, ironstone mine owners in the locality, in 1871, for the then mine manager, Thomas Moore. It is currently owned by Jo and Stewart Levy.
To the north of the village there is a disused nuclear bunker. The bunker was opened in 1962 and closed 1968.
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
of Redcar and Cleveland
Redcar and Cleveland
The borough of Redcar & Cleveland is a unitary authority in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England consisting of Redcar, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Guisborough, and small towns such as Brotton, Eston, Skelton and Loftus. It had a resident population of 139,132 in 2001, and is part of the Tees...
and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It lies in a region between Saltburn-by-the-Sea
Saltburn-by-the-Sea
Saltburn-by-the-Sea is a seaside resort in the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. The town is around east of Middlesbrough, and had a population of 5,912 at the 2001 Census.-Old Saltburn:...
and the North York Moors
North York Moors
The North York Moors is a national park in North Yorkshire, England. The moors are one of the largest expanses of heather moorland in the United Kingdom. It covers an area of , and it has a population of about 25,000...
. It was formerly known as Lofthouse.
History
The Loftus area has been inhabited since at least the 7th century, and although folkloric evidence includes a house owned by Sigurd the Dane, who features in MacbethMacbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
as Siward, real evidence has been unearthed in recent times to support the picture of ancient settlement in the area.
The famous Methodist preacher John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
is known to have preached in Loftus. More recent history is dominated by the ironstone
Ironstone
Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical repacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron compound from which iron either can be or once was smelted commercially. This term is customarily restricted to hard coarsely...
mining industry and many inhabitants that live in Loftus can trace lineage back to ironstone miners.
Anglo-Saxon royal burial site
The only known Anglo-SaxonAnglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
royal burial site in north-east England is at Loftus. Artefacts were discovered there from excavations which took place between 2005 and 2007. Finds include pieces associated with a rare "bed burial" in which a decorated female body is laid out on a decorated wooden bed accompanied by fine gold jewellery. The finds include a gold pendant, which would have belonged to a princess. as well as glass beads, pottery, iron knives, belt buckles and other objects.
The finds, which date back nearly 1400 years were discovered by members of the Teesside Archeological Society, led by Dr. Steve Sherlock, in a 109-grave site at Street House, Loftus.
They are presently on show at the Kirkleatham Old Hall Museum.
Loftus Town Hall
Loftus Town Hall was built by the Earl of Zetland, erected by Mr Thomas Dickenson of Saltburn, and was first opened in 1879. During the World Wars of 1914-1918 and 1939-1945 some of the rooms were commandeered for the war effort.The Town Hall clock has faces North, East and West, but no face to the South as the residents of South Loftus were reluctant to contribute to the cost.
The Town Hall remained in the ownership of the Zetland family until 1948, when it was purchased by the former Loftus Urban District Council for £2000. In 1974 the ownership of the Town Hall transferred to the newly created Langbaurgh Borough Council
Redcar and Cleveland
The borough of Redcar & Cleveland is a unitary authority in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England consisting of Redcar, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Guisborough, and small towns such as Brotton, Eston, Skelton and Loftus. It had a resident population of 139,132 in 2001, and is part of the Tees...
, and eventually to Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council. In 1992 budget cuts threatened closure of the Town Hall, and Loftus Town Council moved into the building and took over responsibility for maintenance. Although the Town Council moved in 1996, it still organises functions in the Town Hall.
Loftus Town Council area covers more than just Loftus itself; it includes the settlements of Boulby, Carlin How
Carlin How
Carlin How is a village in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England ....
, Cowbar, Easington
Easington
Easington may refer to one of several places:in England:*Easington, Lancashire, Forest of Bowland*Easington, County Durham, a town in County Durham**Easington , a local government district in County Durham...
, East Loftus, Liverton Mines
Liverton Mines
Liverton Mines is a village in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It is surrounded by large, local towns Middlesbrough, Redcar, Guisborough and Whitby. It is renowned for its award-winning fish and chip shop, and its overall windy nature...
, Liverton
Liverton
Liverton is a village in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England.-External links:...
, Loftus, Scaling
Scaling
Scaling may refer to:* Scaling , a linear transformation that enlarges or diminishes objects* Reduced scales of semiconductor device fabrication processes...
, Skinningrove
Skinningrove
Skinningrove is a village in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England.This name is Viking influenced and is thought to mean Skinners grove or pit...
and South Loftus.
Loftus Leisure Centre
Tees Valley Leisure Limited, which was established in 1999 as an Industrial and Provident SocietyIndustrial and Provident Society
An industrial and provident society is a legal entity for a trading business or voluntary organisation in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, and New Zealand...
, provides a variety of leisure services on behalf of Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council operating for the benefit of the community as a non-profit distributing organisation. They took over the running of Loftus Leisure Centre, which had been opened in 1981 to provide the community with swimming facilities. The centre was improved with the addition of a sauna suite in 1985 and a fitness suite in 1998.
Oddfellows Hall
The Oddfellows Hall, in Loftus, was built in 1874 as the offices and meeting place of the local OddfellowsOddfellows
The name Oddfellows refers to a number of friendly societies and fraternal organisations operating in the United Kingdom. It also refers to a number of Lodges with histories dating back to the 18th century. These various organisations were set up to protect and care for their members and...
society. Oddfellows were friendly or mutual societies
Friendly society
A friendly society is a mutual association for insurance, pensions or savings and loan-like purposes, or cooperative banking. It is a mutual organization or benefit society composed of a body of people who join together for a common financial or social purpose...
, set up and organised by people from different guilds
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
representing various trades. Other societies existed for single trades, but when there were not enough people from one trade, especially in smaller towns, societies would be formed from an "odd" mixture of people, so giving the name "Oddfellows". The Loftus Oddfellows would raise money for their members, which was especially important in the days before the welfare state
Welfare state
A welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
.
The Oddfellows Hall was unused from the early 1990s. Tees Valley Housing Association have now taken over ownership of the building and converted it from a large meeting hall into eight self-contained flats.
Geography
The two main churches in the town are St Leonard's (Church of England), and St Joseph and St Cuthbert (Roman Catholic). There are three primary schools: St.Joseph's RCVA Primary School, Handale Primary School, and Hummersea).The Loftus and District Flower Club meets every third Monday at the town hall
Loftus has many facilities: Loftus Swimming Baths (where the swimming group, Loftus Dolphins, train), Loftus Youth Club, Loftus Army Cadets, Scouts, Cubs etc. It also has a firestation and part time police station.
Westfield House in Duncan Place is one of the largest private properties in Loftus. It was built by the Pease family (Darlington)Pease family (Darlington)
Pease family (Darlington)
The Pease family was a prominent English and mostly Quaker family associated with Darlington and County Durham and descended from Joseph Pease of Darlington, son of Edward Pease . They were 'one of the great Quaker industrialist families of the nineteenth century, who played a leading role in...
, ironstone mine owners in the locality, in 1871, for the then mine manager, Thomas Moore. It is currently owned by Jo and Stewart Levy.
To the north of the village there is a disused nuclear bunker. The bunker was opened in 1962 and closed 1968.
Notable people
- Simon CliffordSimon CliffordSimon Darcy Clifford is an English football coach, and a businessman known for introducing Brazilian training techniques into the UK with his Brazilian Soccer Schools....
, Owner and Founder at Brazilian Soccer Schools, ICFDS (Futebol de Salao), SOCATOTS and Owner of Garforth Town AFC. - Vin GarbuttVin GarbuttVin Garbutt , though second generation Irish, is an English folk singer and songwriter...
, folk musician
See also
- Boulby MineBoulby MineBoulby Mine is a site run by Cleveland Potash, located just southeast of the village of Boulby, on the northeast coast of the North Yorkshire Moors in Redcar and Cleveland, England. It is Europe's second deepest mine at —Pyhäsalmi Mine in Finland is even deeper, being 1,448 metres deep—producing...
, near Loftus - List of Royal Observer Corps Posts