Redcar
Encyclopedia
Redcar is a seaside resort
in the north east of England
, and a major town in the unitary authority
of Redcar and Cleveland
in the ceremonial county
of North Yorkshire
. It lies 7.5 miles (12.1 km) east-northeast of Middlesbrough
by the North Sea
coast. The combined population of the wards of Coatham, Dormanstown, Kirkleatham, Newcomen, West Dyke and Zetland was 36,610 in the 2001 census
.
Redcar originated as a fishing town in the early 14th century, trading with the larger adjacent market town
of Coatham
. Until the mid 19th century it was a sub-parish of the village of Marske-by-the-Sea
, when Redcar emerged as a seaside tourist destination. With the opening of the Middlesbrough to Redcar Railway in 1846, Redcar became a resort for Victorian
tourists.
. Until the mid 19th century it was a sub-parish of the local village of Marske-by-the-Sea
(mentioned in the Domesday book
).
In 1846 work was complete on the Middlesbrough and Redcar Railway, created to attract local tourism and trade, but like much of the Middlesbrough
region, Redcar's real population expansion began with the discovery in 1850 of iron ore in the Eston
area of the Cleveland Hills
. With the construction of Redcar Racecourse
in 1875, Redcar prospered as a seaside town drawing tourists to its eight miles of sands that lead on to Saltburn-by-the-Sea
.
were drawn up in 1866, but work was not started until 1871 by which time building a pier at Coatham
had been suggested. Misfortune struck both piers very early in their lives. Coatham Pier was wrecked before it could be completed when two sailing ships were driven through it in a storm. It had to be shortened because of the cost of repairs and was re-opened with an entrance with two kiosk
s and a roller-skating
rink on the Redcar side, and a bandstand
halfway down the pier. In October 1898 the barque
Birger almost completely wrecked the pier and the pier was allowed to disintegrate. A glass house for concerts was added to the remains of the pier. In 1928 this was replaced by the New Pavilion theatre which became the Regent cinema in the early 1960s. An anchor
from the Birger can be seen on the sea front pavement opposite the Zetland lifeboat museum.
Disaster struck Redcar Pier in the 1880s and 1890s when a series of ships broke through it. In October 1880 the brig
Luna did £1,000 worth of damage and on New Year's Eve in 1885, SS Cochrane demolished the landing stage. In 1897 the schooner
Amarant went through the pier and in the following year the pier head burnt down. In 1907 a pavilion
ballroom
was built on the pier behind the entrance kiosks and in 1928 the pavilion was extended. The pavilion continued in use after the Second World War despite the deliberate breaching (sectioning) of the pier (to prevent it being used by enemy invasion forces) and structural weakening caused by a nearby mine explosion. Damage to the pier by subsequent storms finally led to its demolition in 1981.
In 2010, plans for a new vertical pier, along with plans to fully redesign the sea front, were put forward to the people of Redcar & Cleveland Borough. The plans were accepted and construction started in 2011. However, objectors put forward alternative suggestions for a vertical pier.
, the world's oldest surviving lifeboat
which was built by Henry Greathead of South Shields, is housed in a sea front museum at Redcar operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution
(RNLI). The lifeboat was first stationed at Redcar in 1802.
a part of the North Riding of Yorkshire
, in 1968 the town became part of the County Borough of Teesside
, which was absorbed by the non-metropolitan County of Cleveland
in 1974.
Redcar is now situated in the unitary authority
of Redcar & Cleveland. It is ceremonially
in North Yorkshire
, but is within the region of North East England
.
Politically, Redcar has leant towards the Labour Party
in parliamentary elections, allowing the town to fall under the category of a safe seat
. From 1987 to 2001, the local MP was the late Mo Mowlam
, from 2001 to 2010 the MP was Vera Baird
.
In the 2010 General Election there was a large swing to the Liberal Democrats with Ian Swales
being elected. This was probably partly due to local anger at seeming government inaction over the moth-balling of the Corus Steelworks in Redcar.
The town comprises 4 wards
: Coatham, Newcomen, West Dyke and Zetland. In addition, the suburbs of Dormanstown and Kirkleatham
are two wards.
, Warrenby
, Dormanstown
, Lakes Estate, Redcar East, The Ings, Ings Farm, Mickledales and Westfield.
The town's main employers in the post-war era were the nearby Teesside Steelworks
at Warrenby
, founded by Dorman Long
in 1917, and the ICI
Wilton
chemical works. The steel produced at Dorman Long
was used to build the Sydney Harbour Bridge
, Tyne Bridge
, Auckland Harbour Bridge
and many others. Today no steel is made at Redcar, following the plant's closure in February 2010, though the Thai owners of the former Corus Plant at Lackenby
, Sahaviriya Steel Industries (SSI), plan to re-ignite the blast furnace
which is the largest in Europe, on December 8 2011. Both the Warrenby and Lackenby sites became part of Tata Steel
when Corus was taken over in 2007, but continued to trade under the Corus name until at least February 2008. SSI bought the plant from Tata Steel
in February 2011, for £320 million.
There is a small inshore fishing fleet in Redcar catching lobster, crab and fish, and offering fishing trips to tourists. As high tide at Redcar now comes up to the sea wall, fishing coble
s are permitted to park up with their trailers on a broad section of sea front pavement.
to Redcar Railway in 1846 Redcar became a regular destination for Victorian tourists. Each year people from North Yorkshire, Leeds and Scotland visited Redcar for their holidays.
From the 19th century to the present day Redcar has featured donkey rides - owned by the Burnistons established locally in antiques and jewellery, scrap metal, mechanics and wool - run today by the sixth generation Ronnie Burniston. In the 1970s there was also trampolining on the beach; the roundabouts and swings were run by showman Victor Vernon and his family who still have rides on the prom. Ice cream was sold on the promenade and a candy floss stall on the beach was also owned by the Burnistons. Pacitto's are still in Redcar on the sea front selling ice cream with red sauce and their signature cone, the lemon top (dairy ice cream in a cone, with a blob of lemon sorbet on top of it). The name "Pacittos" was derived from the name of an Italian family, who owned the shop in Redcar, and another member of the family owned the shop in Scarborough. There was another ice cream company with the family name "Todisco" that sold ice cream in the area that was also very popular.
The ice cream was sold by Pacitto's, Rea's and Kings, from 1946, who also made and sold Redcar Rock
. Unfortunately, Mr. Todisco was one of the numerous Italians in the area sent to Canada
during the war. His ship was hit by a German torpedo, and Mr. Todisco consequently drowned. This was a great shock to the locals of Redcar, as even though he was from a country at war with the British, he was well-liked.
The sand beach at Redcar stretches approximately eight miles from south east to north west. In the north west the beach runs past Coatham
to South Gare
breakwater
at the mouth of the river Tees
. To the south east the sand beach is bordered by the Stray
from Redcar's Zetland Park to Marske-by-the-Sea
and then continues on to Saltburn
. The Stray is a 2 miles (3 km) long public open strip of coastal grassland situated between the beach and the A1085 road
characterized by a series of howles (small chine
s) leading from the grassland to the beach. The Redcar coastline is a prime location for finding fossils of Gryphaea
, also known as devil's toenails.
The main pedestrianised shopping
area is based on and around High Street and runs parallel to the sea front Esplanade
. The town has had several parks built for tourism. They are Coatham Enclosure, Locke Park, Zetland Park, Lily Park, and Amusement Park with its roller coaster. These parks are now operated by Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council. A further park, Titty-Bottle Park no longer exists as such and in its place on the triangular plot of land which it occupied is a red and blue, brick built toilet
block and tourist information centre, (see right of 'Redcar sea front' photograph). Amusement arcades have existed at Redcar since the building of the Redcar Pier in 1873, and today the arcades are still very much part of Redcar sea front life. The town is only about 5.5 miles (9 km) away from the North York Moors
National Park at its closest point, near Guisborough
, and offers fine views of The Monument at Eston Nab in the distance.
During filming of the adaptation
of the Ian McEwan
novel Atonement
, Redcar experienced a sharp (approximate) 70% increase in the number of tourists who visited the town's promenade to see the film being shot. Redcar is also tipped to experience additional tourist numbers, thanks to Atonement's release into the cinemas and the film's expected popularity. This story has been highlighted in national and regional news.
and nightclub
s. On High Street is Aspire (formerly the Blue Lounge), Martha's Vineyard, The Livery (formerly The Barracuda Bar), and Elgins, (now closed), which offered Cheesy Chart music on Friday nights and House on a Saturday with DJ Sparky, resident for nine years, Thursdays and Sundays offering karaoke, with a live band night every Tuesday. The Plimsoll Line is notably the busiest and most popular bar amongst locals mainly due to its cheap price policy. On Milbank Terrace there is Harry's offering live music on Fridays and Saturdays.
The seafront and Esplanade is home to some of Redcar's more established haunts, including Silks (now closed), Aruba (formerly Kudos/The Piper), The Deck (formerly Top Deck), and Angels, a strip club.
There are some twenty three listed buildings in Redcar.
served by Northern Rail
. From west to east, they are British Steel Redcar
, with a very limited service for British Steel
workers; Redcar Central
, serving the town centre, and Redcar East
about a mile to the south east which serves the residential area (unofficially) named after the station. There has been speculation locally about the development of a new station serving the expanding residential area known as The Ings, which would supposedly be situated between Redcar East railway station
and Longbeck railway station
in Marske-by-the-Sea
, but so far no firm plans have been agreed.
On weekdays, trains run approximately every half hour in each direction, towards Saltburn
eastbound and Middlesbrough
, Darlington
and Bishop Auckland
westbound. There are also two of early morning through trains to Newcastle-upon-Tyne which run via Darlington
and on to the East Coast Main Line
via Durham
and Chester-le-Street
. Trains are less frequent in the evenings and at weekends.
The main roads through the town are the A1085
and the A1042, with the A174
bypassing. Redcar is served primarily by Arriva North East
buses, connecting Redcar with the surrounding towns and villages of Middlesbrough
, Guisborough
, Eston
, Marske-by-the-Sea
, New Marske
and Saltburn
.
The Pangea
North and CANTAT-3
submarine telecommunication cables both come ashore at Redcar.
; the building opposite the college is Redcar Adult Learning Centre. Although most people think it is part of the college it is a separate entity, which also has a couple of rooms at Coatham school. The town's secondary schools are: Redcar Community College
(formerly West Redcar School), Sacred Heart RC Secondary School
and Rye Hills School
. There are eight primary schools in Redcar.
racing team. The Redcar Bears
racing in the Premier League
. Although the track is at the South Tees Motorsport Park in Southbank Street it is unusual in that one bend is highly banked the other has much lower banking. The team is captained by 1992 World Champion
Gary Havelock
and managed by his father Brian
. A junior team known as the Cubs
also race in the Conference League
.
, the well-known American novelist, came to Redcar on 26 July 1859 in search of peace and quiet, while he worked on the manuscript of The Marble Faun
.
Hawthorne's house stands at the junction of High Street and King Street.
This was formerly known as the Hawthorne Cafe.
Alfred Edward Graham (1882–1945), most active of Redcar's photographers, whose surviving negatives were fortunately acquired by Redcar Urban District Council's Library and Museum Committee and are now held by Redcar and Cleveland Museum Service.
Film and television actresses June Laverick
, and Wendy Hall, and actor/director/producer Robert Porter were all born in Redcar.
Gertrude Bell
, colonial administrator and colleague of Lawrence of Arabia spent her youthful years at Red Barns, now the Red Barns hotel in adjoining Coatham
.
Rex Hunt, governor of the Falkland Islands
during the 1982 invasion by Argentina
, attended Coatham School.
The late Minister for Northern Ireland
, Mo Mowlam
, represented Redcar in the House of Commons
.
Singer David Coverdale
, lead singer with Deep Purple
and Whitesnake
lived there as a youth and worked in the Gentry clothes shop on Coatham Road.
Chris Norman
, founder member and former lead singer of Smokie
was born in Redcar.
Pete York
, drummer with the Spencer Davis Group
and session drummer was born in Redcar.
Robbie Stockdale
, ex Middlesbrough and now Grimsby Town
footballer was born in Redcar
David Wheater
, Bolton Wanderers
and England national football team
central defender, grew up and still lives in Redcar.
Paralympian Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson
, originally from Wales, lived in Redcar for a number of years with her husband and daughter.
Also see the category People from Redcar.
In 2006, Redcar was used as a location for the film adaptation
of the Ian McEwan
novel Atonement
. The Coatham Hotel, Regent Cinema, a section of Newcomen Terrace and part of the beach were dressed as 1940s Dunkirk. Filming took place across three days in August 2006, with local men playing the soldiers.
The Secret Millionaire (TV programme)
In 2010, Redcar was featured on the Channel 4 programme, The Secret Millionaire. David Jamilly
a humanist and philanthropist, self made millionaire, visited the Redcar community and gave £25,000 to Zoë's Place for a sensory room, £25,000 to Redcar Amateur Boxing club to start an Olympic fund and 25k to Sid's place for special counselling. There was a subsequent visit on 14th May to a screening at Redcar's cinema, which was attended by the mayor and mayoress, along with all the charities and people involved. The feature of the documentary involved the closure of the nearby Corus steelworks as well as the charities.
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
in the north east of 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...
, and a major town in the unitary authority
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...
in the ceremonial county
Ceremonial counties of England
The ceremonial counties are areas of England to which are appointed a Lord Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as counties and areas for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Act 1997 with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England and Lieutenancies Act 1997...
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...
. It lies 7.5 miles (12.1 km) east-northeast of Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
by the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
coast. The combined population of the wards of Coatham, Dormanstown, Kirkleatham, Newcomen, West Dyke and Zetland was 36,610 in the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
.
Redcar originated as a fishing town in the early 14th century, trading with the larger adjacent market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
of Coatham
Coatham
Coatham is a place in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England.- History :Coatham began as a market village in the 14th century to the smaller adjacent fishing port of Redcar but as their populations grew from the 1850s, the dividing space narrowed...
. Until the mid 19th century it was a sub-parish of the village of Marske-by-the-Sea
Marske-by-the-Sea
Marske-by-the-Sea is a village in the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England.It is located on the coast, in an area sometimes referred to as East Cleveland, between the seaside resorts of Redcar and Saltburn-by-the-Sea although it is not...
, when Redcar emerged as a seaside tourist destination. With the opening of the Middlesbrough to Redcar Railway in 1846, Redcar became a resort for Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
tourists.
History
Redcar means "(place by the) red marsh" from the Old English rēad "red" and Old Scandinavian kjarr. However the first part of the name could also represent OE hrēod, (reed), giving a sense "reedy marshland", referring to the low lying land by the sea on which Redcar lies. Redcar originated as a fishing town in the 14th century, trading with the larger adjacent market town of CoathamCoatham
Coatham is a place in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England.- History :Coatham began as a market village in the 14th century to the smaller adjacent fishing port of Redcar but as their populations grew from the 1850s, the dividing space narrowed...
. Until the mid 19th century it was a sub-parish of the local village of Marske-by-the-Sea
Marske-by-the-Sea
Marske-by-the-Sea is a village in the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England.It is located on the coast, in an area sometimes referred to as East Cleveland, between the seaside resorts of Redcar and Saltburn-by-the-Sea although it is not...
(mentioned in the Domesday book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
).
In 1846 work was complete on the Middlesbrough and Redcar Railway, created to attract local tourism and trade, but like much of the Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
region, Redcar's real population expansion began with the discovery in 1850 of iron ore in the Eston
Eston
Eston is a town within the Unitary Authority of Redcar and Cleveland, England. Within the Middlesbrough agglomeration it falls inside the Greater Eston initiative...
area of the Cleveland Hills
Cleveland Hills
The Cleveland Hills are a range of hills on the north-west edge of the North York Moors in North Yorkshire, England, overlooking Cleveland and Teesside. They lie entirely within the boundaries of the North York Moors National Park. Part of the long Cleveland Way National Trail runs along the...
. With the construction of Redcar Racecourse
Redcar Racecourse
Redcar Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Redcar, North Yorkshire, England.Its address is Redcar Racecourse Ltd, Thrush Road, Redcar TS10 2BYRedcar is Yorkshire's seaside track, oval-shaped and perfectly flat...
in 1875, Redcar prospered as a seaside town drawing tourists to its eight miles of sands that lead on to 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:...
.
Redcar and Coatham piers
Plans for Redcar PierPier
A pier is a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, over water, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars...
were drawn up in 1866, but work was not started until 1871 by which time building a pier at Coatham
Coatham
Coatham is a place in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England.- History :Coatham began as a market village in the 14th century to the smaller adjacent fishing port of Redcar but as their populations grew from the 1850s, the dividing space narrowed...
had been suggested. Misfortune struck both piers very early in their lives. Coatham Pier was wrecked before it could be completed when two sailing ships were driven through it in a storm. It had to be shortened because of the cost of repairs and was re-opened with an entrance with two kiosk
Kiosk
Kiosk is a small, separated garden pavilion open on some or all sides. Kiosks were common in Persia, India, Pakistan, and in the Ottoman Empire from the 13th century onward...
s and a roller-skating
Roller skating
Roller skating is the traveling on smooth surfaces with roller skates. It is a form of recreation as well as a sport, and can also be a form of transportation. Skates generally come in two basic varieties: quad roller skates and inline skates or blades, though some have experimented with a...
rink on the Redcar side, and a bandstand
Bandstand
A bandstand is a circular or semicircular structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts...
halfway down the pier. In October 1898 the barque
Barque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
Birger almost completely wrecked the pier and the pier was allowed to disintegrate. A glass house for concerts was added to the remains of the pier. In 1928 this was replaced by the New Pavilion theatre which became the Regent cinema in the early 1960s. An anchor
Anchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα .Anchors can either be temporary or permanent...
from the Birger can be seen on the sea front pavement opposite the Zetland lifeboat museum.
Disaster struck Redcar Pier in the 1880s and 1890s when a series of ships broke through it. In October 1880 the brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
Luna did £1,000 worth of damage and on New Year's Eve in 1885, SS Cochrane demolished the landing stage. In 1897 the schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
Amarant went through the pier and in the following year the pier head burnt down. In 1907 a pavilion
Pavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
ballroom
Ballroom
A ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding formal dances called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms...
was built on the pier behind the entrance kiosks and in 1928 the pavilion was extended. The pavilion continued in use after the Second World War despite the deliberate breaching (sectioning) of the pier (to prevent it being used by enemy invasion forces) and structural weakening caused by a nearby mine explosion. Damage to the pier by subsequent storms finally led to its demolition in 1981.
In 2010, plans for a new vertical pier, along with plans to fully redesign the sea front, were put forward to the people of Redcar & Cleveland Borough. The plans were accepted and construction started in 2011. However, objectors put forward alternative suggestions for a vertical pier.
Zetland lifeboat
The ZetlandZetland Lifeboat
The Zetland is the oldest surviving lifeboat in the world. It is currently in a free museum in Redcar. The name Zetland comes from the local Lord of Manor, the Marquess of Zetland. The Zetland is on the National Register of Historic Ships....
, the world's oldest surviving lifeboat
Lifeboat (rescue)
A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crewmen and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine...
which was built by Henry Greathead of South Shields, is housed in a sea front museum at Redcar operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Royal National Lifeboat Institution
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
(RNLI). The lifeboat was first stationed at Redcar in 1802.
Governance
HistoricallyHistoric counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
a part of the North Riding of Yorkshire
North Riding of Yorkshire
The North Riding of Yorkshire was one of the three historic subdivisions of the English county of Yorkshire, alongside the East and West Ridings. From the Restoration it was used as a Lieutenancy area. The three ridings were treated as three counties for many purposes, such as having separate...
, in 1968 the town became part of the County Borough of Teesside
Teesside
Teesside is the name given to the conurbation in the north east of England made up of the towns of Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Redcar, Billingham and surrounding settlements near the River Tees. It was also the name of a local government district between 1968 and 1974—the County Borough of...
, which was absorbed by the non-metropolitan County of Cleveland
Cleveland, England
Cleveland is an area in the north east of England. Its name means literally "cliff-land", referring to its hilly southern areas, which rise to nearly...
in 1974.
Redcar is now situated in the unitary authority
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 & Cleveland. It is ceremonially
Ceremonial counties of England
The ceremonial counties are areas of England to which are appointed a Lord Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as counties and areas for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Act 1997 with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England and Lieutenancies Act 1997...
in 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...
, but is within the region of North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
.
Politically, Redcar has leant towards the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
in parliamentary elections, allowing the town to fall under the category of a safe seat
Safe seat
A safe seat is a seat in a legislative body which is regarded as fully secured, either by a certain political party, the incumbent representative personally or a combination of both...
. From 1987 to 2001, the local MP was the late Mo Mowlam
Mo Mowlam
Marjorie "Mo" Mowlam was a British Labour Party politician. She was the Member of Parliament for Redcar from 1987 to 2001 and served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.Mowlam's time as Northern...
, from 2001 to 2010 the MP was Vera Baird
Vera Baird
Vera Baird is a British Labour Party activist, barrister, author and lecturer. She serves as visiting lecturer at London Southbank University and is co-director of Astraea: Gender Justice...
.
In the 2010 General Election there was a large swing to the Liberal Democrats with Ian Swales
Ian Swales
Ian Cameron Swales is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He is the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Redcar in England from May 2010. Swales took Redcar from Labour incumbent Vera Baird for the Liberal Democrats in the 2010 general election, with a 21.8% swing. Swales added over...
being elected. This was probably partly due to local anger at seeming government inaction over the moth-balling of the Corus Steelworks in Redcar.
The town comprises 4 wards
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
: Coatham, Newcomen, West Dyke and Zetland. In addition, the suburbs of Dormanstown and Kirkleatham
Kirkleatham
Kirkleatham is a village in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It is located approximately north/northwest of Guisborough, and south of Redcar. It is near the mouth of the River Tees...
are two wards.
2011 Council results
On 5 May 2011, Redcar elected its councillors to Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council.| Ward | Councillor | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coatham | Josie Crawford | Lib Dem Liberal Democrats The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the... |
|
| Irene Curr | Lib Dem Liberal Democrats The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the... |
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| Dormanstown | John Earl | Lib Dem Liberal Democrats The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the... |
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| Ray Goddard | Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
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| Eric Howden | Lib Dem Liberal Democrats The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the... |
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| Kirkleatham | Brenda Forster | Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
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| Mark Hannon | Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
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| Dale Quigley | Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
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| Newcomen | Christopher Abbott | Lib Dem Liberal Democrats The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the... |
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| Glynis Abbott | Lib Dem Liberal Democrats The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the... |
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| West Dyke | Michael Carling | Lib Dem Liberal Democrats The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the... |
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| Kay Helm | Lib Dem Liberal Democrats The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the... |
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| Mary Ovens | Lib Dem Liberal Democrats The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the... |
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| Zetland | Ron Harrison | Lib Dem Liberal Democrats The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the... |
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| Jim Rogers | Lib Dem Liberal Democrats The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the... |
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Geography
Today Redcar is made up of numerous areas, including CoathamCoatham
Coatham is a place in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England.- History :Coatham began as a market village in the 14th century to the smaller adjacent fishing port of Redcar but as their populations grew from the 1850s, the dividing space narrowed...
, Warrenby
Warrenby
Warrenby is a place in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England.Situated on the edge of Coatham Marsh, Warrenby was originally called Warrenstown when it was founded in 1873 to provide housing for workers at the nearby ironworks of Downey & Co and...
, Dormanstown
Dormanstown
Dormanstown is a place in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England.Named after and built by the Dorman Long iron and steelworks in the 20th century, the area was originally built on the doorstep of the popular seaside town Redcar, for Dorman's...
, Lakes Estate, Redcar East, The Ings, Ings Farm, Mickledales and Westfield.
Economy
Teesside Steelworks
Teesside Steelworks is a large steelworks located on the south Tees, Teesside, England. It stretches from Redcar, where the largest blast furnace in Europe is located, to east Middlesbrough area....
at Warrenby
Warrenby
Warrenby is a place in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England.Situated on the edge of Coatham Marsh, Warrenby was originally called Warrenstown when it was founded in 1873 to provide housing for workers at the nearby ironworks of Downey & Co and...
, founded by Dorman Long
Dorman Long
Dorman Long, based in Middlesbrough, North East England, was a major steel producer, which diversified into bridge building, and is now a manufacturer of steel components and construction equipment for bridges and other structures...
in 1917, and the ICI
Imperial Chemical Industries
Imperial Chemical Industries was a British chemical company, taken over by AkzoNobel, a Dutch conglomerate, one of the largest chemical producers in the world. In its heyday, ICI was the largest manufacturing company in the British Empire, and commonly regarded as a "bellwether of the British...
Wilton
Wilton, Redcar and Cleveland
Wilton is a small village in the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England.-Geography:It is located between Redcar and Eston at the base of Eston Hills - to the east of Eston Nab. The village is noted for its golf course and castle, Wilton...
chemical works. The steel produced at Dorman Long
Dorman Long
Dorman Long, based in Middlesbrough, North East England, was a major steel producer, which diversified into bridge building, and is now a manufacturer of steel components and construction equipment for bridges and other structures...
was used to build the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
, Tyne Bridge
Tyne Bridge
The Tyne Bridge is a through arch bridge over the River Tyne in North East England, linking Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead. It was designed by the engineering firm Mott, Hay and Anderson, who later designed the Forth Road Bridge, and was built by Dorman Long and Co. of Middlesbrough. At the time...
, Auckland Harbour Bridge
Auckland Harbour Bridge
The Auckland Harbour Bridge is an eight-lane box truss motorway bridge over the Waitemata Harbour, joining St Marys Bay in Auckland with Northcote in North Shore City, New Zealand. The bridge is part of State Highway 1 and the Auckland Northern Motorway...
and many others. Today no steel is made at Redcar, following the plant's closure in February 2010, though the Thai owners of the former Corus Plant at Lackenby
Lackenby
Lackenby is a small village in the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland and ceremonially in the county of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated to the immediate east of Eston and Middlesbrough and immediately to the west of Lazenby.-External links:...
, Sahaviriya Steel Industries (SSI), plan to re-ignite the blast furnace
Blast furnace
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally iron.In a blast furnace, fuel and ore and flux are continuously supplied through the top of the furnace, while air is blown into the bottom of the chamber, so that the chemical reactions...
which is the largest in Europe, on December 8 2011. Both the Warrenby and Lackenby sites became part of Tata Steel
Tata Steel
Tata Steel is a multinational steel company headquartered in Jamshedpur, India and part of Tata Group. It is the world's seventh-largest steel company, with an annual crude steel capacity of 31 million tonnes, and the largest private-sector steel company in India measured by domestic production...
when Corus was taken over in 2007, but continued to trade under the Corus name until at least February 2008. SSI bought the plant from Tata Steel
Tata Steel
Tata Steel is a multinational steel company headquartered in Jamshedpur, India and part of Tata Group. It is the world's seventh-largest steel company, with an annual crude steel capacity of 31 million tonnes, and the largest private-sector steel company in India measured by domestic production...
in February 2011, for £320 million.
There is a small inshore fishing fleet in Redcar catching lobster, crab and fish, and offering fishing trips to tourists. As high tide at Redcar now comes up to the sea wall, fishing coble
Coble
The coble is a type of open traditional fishing boat which developed on the North East coast of England. The southern-most examples occur around Hull The coble is a type of open traditional fishing boat which developed on the North East coast of England. The southern-most examples occur around Hull...
s are permitted to park up with their trailers on a broad section of sea front pavement.
Tourism, leisure and amenities
After the opening of the MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
to Redcar Railway in 1846 Redcar became a regular destination for Victorian tourists. Each year people from North Yorkshire, Leeds and Scotland visited Redcar for their holidays.
From the 19th century to the present day Redcar has featured donkey rides - owned by the Burnistons established locally in antiques and jewellery, scrap metal, mechanics and wool - run today by the sixth generation Ronnie Burniston. In the 1970s there was also trampolining on the beach; the roundabouts and swings were run by showman Victor Vernon and his family who still have rides on the prom. Ice cream was sold on the promenade and a candy floss stall on the beach was also owned by the Burnistons. Pacitto's are still in Redcar on the sea front selling ice cream with red sauce and their signature cone, the lemon top (dairy ice cream in a cone, with a blob of lemon sorbet on top of it). The name "Pacittos" was derived from the name of an Italian family, who owned the shop in Redcar, and another member of the family owned the shop in Scarborough. There was another ice cream company with the family name "Todisco" that sold ice cream in the area that was also very popular.
The ice cream was sold by Pacitto's, Rea's and Kings, from 1946, who also made and sold Redcar Rock
Rock (confectionery)
Rock is a type of hard stick-shaped boiled sugar confectionery most usually flavoured with peppermint or spearmint. It is commonly sold at tourist resorts in the UK ; in Ireland in seaside towns such as Bray and Strandhill; in Gibraltar; in Denmark in towns such as Løkken and Ebeltoft; and in...
. Unfortunately, Mr. Todisco was one of the numerous Italians in the area sent to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
during the war. His ship was hit by a German torpedo, and Mr. Todisco consequently drowned. This was a great shock to the locals of Redcar, as even though he was from a country at war with the British, he was well-liked.
The sand beach at Redcar stretches approximately eight miles from south east to north west. In the north west the beach runs past Coatham
Coatham
Coatham is a place in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England.- History :Coatham began as a market village in the 14th century to the smaller adjacent fishing port of Redcar but as their populations grew from the 1850s, the dividing space narrowed...
to South Gare
South Gare
South Gare is an area of reclaimed land and breakwater on the southern side of the mouth of the river Tees in Redcar and Cleveland. It is accessed by taking the South Gare Road from Fisherman's Crossing at the western end of Tod Point Road in Warrenby.Before the building of South Gare, permanent...
breakwater
Breakwater (structure)
Breakwaters are structures constructed on coasts as part of coastal defence or to protect an anchorage from the effects of weather and longshore drift.-Purposes of breakwaters:...
at the mouth of the river Tees
River Tees
The River Tees is in Northern England. It rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the North Pennines, and flows eastwards for 85 miles to reach the North Sea between Hartlepool and Redcar.-Geography:...
. To the south east the sand beach is bordered by the Stray
Stray
Stray may refer to:* A feral domestic animal; see also estray* Areas of open grassland in Harrogate and Redcar, England* Strays of York; areas of open grassland in York- Music :* Stray , an album by Aztec Camera...
from Redcar's Zetland Park to Marske-by-the-Sea
Marske-by-the-Sea
Marske-by-the-Sea is a village in the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England.It is located on the coast, in an area sometimes referred to as East Cleveland, between the seaside resorts of Redcar and Saltburn-by-the-Sea although it is not...
and then continues on to Saltburn
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:...
. The Stray is a 2 miles (3 km) long public open strip of coastal grassland situated between the beach and the A1085 road
A1085 road
The A1085 is a road that runs from Middlesbrough to Marske-by-the-Sea in the former county of Cleveland. There is a long straight part of the road whilst it passes the former ICI Wilton plant towards Redcar, this part of the road is the main road towards Redcar from the west and towards...
characterized by a series of howles (small chine
Chine
A chine is a steep-sided river valley where the river flows through coastal cliffs to the sea. Typically these are soft eroding cliffs such as sandstone or clays. The word chine originates from the Saxon "Cinan" meaning a gap or yawn....
s) leading from the grassland to the beach. The Redcar coastline is a prime location for finding fossils of Gryphaea
Gryphaea
Gryphaea, common name Devil's toenails, is a genus of extinct oysters, marine bivalve mollusks in the family Gryphaeidae.These fossils range from the Jurassic to the Cretaceous periods. They are particularly common in many parts of Britain....
, also known as devil's toenails.
The main pedestrianised shopping
Shopping
Shopping is the examining of goods or services from retailers with the intent to purchase at that time. Shopping is an activity of selection and/or purchase. In some contexts it is considered a leisure activity as well as an economic one....
area is based on and around High Street and runs parallel to the sea front Esplanade
Esplanade
An esplanade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The original meaning of esplanade was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide clear fields of fire for the fortress' guns...
. The town has had several parks built for tourism. They are Coatham Enclosure, Locke Park, Zetland Park, Lily Park, and Amusement Park with its roller coaster. These parks are now operated by Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council. A further park, Titty-Bottle Park no longer exists as such and in its place on the triangular plot of land which it occupied is a red and blue, brick built toilet
Toilet
A toilet is a sanitation fixture used primarily for the disposal of human excrement, often found in a small room referred to as a toilet/bathroom/lavatory...
block and tourist information centre, (see right of 'Redcar sea front' photograph). Amusement arcades have existed at Redcar since the building of the Redcar Pier in 1873, and today the arcades are still very much part of Redcar sea front life. The town is only about 5.5 miles (9 km) away from 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...
National Park at its closest point, near Guisborough
Guisborough
Guisborough is a market town and civil parish within the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England....
, and offers fine views of The Monument at Eston Nab in the distance.
During filming of the adaptation
Atonement (film)
Atonement is a 2007 British romantic suspense war film directed by Joe Wright. It is a film adaptation of the 2001 novel of the same name by Ian McEwan. The film stars James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, and Saoirse Ronan. It was produced by Working Title Films and filmed throughout the summer of 2006...
of the Ian McEwan
Ian McEwan
Ian Russell McEwan CBE, FRSA, FRSL is a British novelist and screenwriter, and one of Britain's most highly regarded writers. In 2008, The Times named him among their list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945"....
novel Atonement
Atonement (novel)
Atonement is a 2001 novel by British author Ian McEwan.On a fateful day, a young girl makes a terrible mistake that has life-changing effects for many people...
, Redcar experienced a sharp (approximate) 70% increase in the number of tourists who visited the town's promenade to see the film being shot. Redcar is also tipped to experience additional tourist numbers, thanks to Atonement's release into the cinemas and the film's expected popularity. This story has been highlighted in national and regional news.
Nightlife
As a seaside town, Redcar has long had a number of barsBar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
and nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
s. On High Street is Aspire (formerly the Blue Lounge), Martha's Vineyard, The Livery (formerly The Barracuda Bar), and Elgins, (now closed), which offered Cheesy Chart music on Friday nights and House on a Saturday with DJ Sparky, resident for nine years, Thursdays and Sundays offering karaoke, with a live band night every Tuesday. The Plimsoll Line is notably the busiest and most popular bar amongst locals mainly due to its cheap price policy. On Milbank Terrace there is Harry's offering live music on Fridays and Saturdays.
The seafront and Esplanade is home to some of Redcar's more established haunts, including Silks (now closed), Aruba (formerly Kudos/The Piper), The Deck (formerly Top Deck), and Angels, a strip club.
Landmarks
- At the west end of High Street is a Grade II listed clock towerClock towerA clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
, a memorial to King Edward VII who was a regular visitor to Redcar. This tower has now been refurbished. - On the sea front stands the grand Victorian edifice of the former Coatham Hotel. The ballroom of the hotel was the home to the Redcar Jazz ClubRedcar Jazz ClubRedcar Jazz Club was a music venue in the seaside town of Redcar, North Yorkshire, England which was a regular stop for up and coming rock musicians during the 1960s and early 1970s. Almost all the famous, or soon to be famous names, played there for the local audience...
a popular venue for the up-and-coming bands of the late 1960s and early 1970s. - On the sea front is the grade II listed Zetland Lifeboat Museum operated by the Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionThe Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
(RNLI) housing the Zetland LifeboatZetland LifeboatThe Zetland is the oldest surviving lifeboat in the world. It is currently in a free museum in Redcar. The name Zetland comes from the local Lord of Manor, the Marquess of Zetland. The Zetland is on the National Register of Historic Ships....
, the world's oldest surviving lifeboat. - In the east of Redcar is a sound mirrorAcoustic mirrorAn acoustic mirror is a passive device used to reflect and perhaps to focus sound waves.- Overview :Prior to World War II and the invention of radar, acoustic mirrors were built as early warning devices around the coasts of Great Britain, with the aim of detecting airborne invasions...
. This is a grade II listed building built during the First World War as part of a regional defence system to detect approaching aircraft (ZeppelinZeppelinA Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...
s mainly) and give early warning. Built in 1916 the mirror was used up until the invention of radarRadarRadar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
. Although it was originally built on open fields, a modern housing estate now surrounds it.
Transport
Redcar has three railway stations, on the Tees Valley LineTees Valley Line
The Tees Valley Line is a name for the railway route between Bishop Auckland and Saltburn via Darlington and Middlesbrough. Also operated on the line are services from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Middlesbrough and Saltburn via Darlington....
served by Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
. From west to east, they are British Steel Redcar
British Steel Redcar railway station
British Steel Redcar railway station was opened to serve the huge British Steel/Corus Group site. It is located in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It is located on the Tees Valley Line and operated by Northern Rail who provide all passenger...
, with a very limited service for British Steel
British Steel
British Steel was a major British steel producer. It originated as a nationalised industry, the British Steel Corporation , formed in 1967. This was converted to a public limited company, British Steel PLC, and privatised in 1988. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index...
workers; Redcar Central
Redcar Central railway station
Redcar Central railway station serves the town of Redcar in the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire. It is located on the Tees Valley Line and operated by Northern Rail who provide all passenger train services. Redcar Central is a staffed Monday...
, serving the town centre, and Redcar East
Redcar East railway station
Redcar East railway station serves the town of Redcar in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England...
about a mile to the south east which serves the residential area (unofficially) named after the station. There has been speculation locally about the development of a new station serving the expanding residential area known as The Ings, which would supposedly be situated between Redcar East railway station
Redcar East railway station
Redcar East railway station serves the town of Redcar in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England...
and Longbeck railway station
Longbeck railway station
Longbeck railway station serves the village of Marske-by-the-Sea and also New Marske in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire. It is located on the Tees Valley Line and operated by Northern Rail who provide all passenger train services. The station is a...
in Marske-by-the-Sea
Marske-by-the-Sea
Marske-by-the-Sea is a village in the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England.It is located on the coast, in an area sometimes referred to as East Cleveland, between the seaside resorts of Redcar and Saltburn-by-the-Sea although it is not...
, but so far no firm plans have been agreed.
On weekdays, trains run approximately every half hour in each direction, towards Saltburn
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:...
eastbound and Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
, Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
and Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland is a market town and civil parish in County Durham in north east England. It is located about northwest of Darlington and southwest of Durham at the confluence of the River Wear with its tributary the River Gaunless...
westbound. There are also two of early morning through trains to Newcastle-upon-Tyne which run via Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
and on to the East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
via Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
and Chester-le-Street
Chester-le-Street
Chester-le-Street is a town in County Durham, England. It has a history going back to Roman times when it was called Concangis. The town is located south of Newcastle upon Tyne and west of Sunderland on the River Wear...
. Trains are less frequent in the evenings and at weekends.
The main roads through the town are the A1085
A1085 road
The A1085 is a road that runs from Middlesbrough to Marske-by-the-Sea in the former county of Cleveland. There is a long straight part of the road whilst it passes the former ICI Wilton plant towards Redcar, this part of the road is the main road towards Redcar from the west and towards...
and the A1042, with the A174
A174 road
The A174 is a major road in North Yorkshire, England. It runs from Thornaby-on-Tees to Whitby....
bypassing. Redcar is served primarily by Arriva North East
Arriva North East
Arriva North East is a division of the transport group Arriva. It is a major provider of bus services around north east England, alongside Stagecoach North East, and Go North East...
buses, connecting Redcar with the surrounding towns and villages of Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
, Guisborough
Guisborough
Guisborough is a market town and civil parish within the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England....
, Eston
Eston
Eston is a town within the Unitary Authority of Redcar and Cleveland, England. Within the Middlesbrough agglomeration it falls inside the Greater Eston initiative...
, Marske-by-the-Sea
Marske-by-the-Sea
Marske-by-the-Sea is a village in the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England.It is located on the coast, in an area sometimes referred to as East Cleveland, between the seaside resorts of Redcar and Saltburn-by-the-Sea although it is not...
, New Marske
New Marske
New Marske is a village in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England, in the region of North East England...
and Saltburn
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:...
.
The Pangea
Pangea (cable system)
Pangea is a submarine telecommunications cable system transiting the North Sea.It consists of two widely separated submarine segments - Pangea North and Pangea SouthPangea North has landing points at:...
North and CANTAT-3
CANTAT-3
CANTAT-3 is the third Canadian transatlantic telecommunications cable, in operation from 1994, initially carrying 3 x 2.5 Gbit/s between Canada and Europe...
submarine telecommunication cables both come ashore at Redcar.
Education
The town's college is Redcar & Cleveland CollegeRedcar & Cleveland College
Redcar & Cleveland College is a further education college, based in Redcar, North Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the A1085 between Westfield and West Dyke, and very near Redcar Central railway station...
; the building opposite the college is Redcar Adult Learning Centre. Although most people think it is part of the college it is a separate entity, which also has a couple of rooms at Coatham school. The town's secondary schools are: Redcar Community College
Redcar Community College
Redcar Community College, formerly West Redcar Community School, is a comprehensive co-educational secondary foundation school located in Redcar, North Yorkshire, England....
(formerly West Redcar School), Sacred Heart RC Secondary School
Sacred Heart RC Secondary School
Sacred Heart School is a Roman Catholic Secondary School that is located in Redcar in England. The LEA that is in charge of the school is Redcar and Cleveland.-The school:...
and Rye Hills School
Rye Hills School
Rye Hills School is a secondary school located in Redcar in North Yorkshire, England.-Admissions:The school holds specialist Sports College status. The Local Education Authority in charge of the school is Redcar & Cleveland...
. There are eight primary schools in Redcar.
Sport
Redcar has a Motorcycle speedwayMotorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...
racing team. The Redcar Bears
Redcar Bears
The Redcar Bears are a British Speedway team. They currently compete in the Premier League. Captain of the team is 1992 World Champion Gary Havelock. In 2007 the Bears won their first major honour, beating the Birmingham Brummies to win the Young Shield...
racing in the Premier League
Speedway Premier League
The Premier League is the second division of Speedway in the United Kingdom and goverened by the Speedway Control Board , in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association . The Premier League was founded in 1995 when it replaced the British League as the first division...
. Although the track is at the South Tees Motorsport Park in Southbank Street it is unusual in that one bend is highly banked the other has much lower banking. The team is captained by 1992 World Champion
Speedway World Championship
The World Championship of Speedway is an international competition between the highest ranked motorcycle speedway riders of the world. Today, it is organised as a series of Speedway Grand Prix events, where points are awarded according to performance in the event and tallied up at the end of each...
Gary Havelock
Gary Havelock
Robert Gary Havelock is a speedway rider who currently captains the Redcar Bears in the British Premier League...
and managed by his father Brian
Brian Havelock
Robert Brian Havelock is a former motorcycle speedway rider is the current team manager of the Redcar Bears who compete in the Premier League. His son Gary Havelock is captain of the Bears and was the 1992 World Champion....
. A junior team known as the Cubs
Redcar Cubs
The Redcar Cubs are a speedway team in the British Conference League. The Cubs are the Conference League side of the Redcar Bears.- External links :*...
also race in the Conference League
Speedway Conference League
The Conference League was the third and lowest division of motorcycle speedway racing in the United Kingdom governed by the Speedway Control Board , in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association . The other leagues being the Elite League and Premier League. The League consisted of...
.
Notable people
Nathaniel HawthorneNathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer.Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in the city of Salem, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Hathorne and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning. His ancestors include John Hathorne, a judge during the Salem Witch Trials...
, the well-known American novelist, came to Redcar on 26 July 1859 in search of peace and quiet, while he worked on the manuscript of The Marble Faun
The Marble Faun
The Marble Faun: Or, The Romance of Monte Beni, also known as Transformation, was the last of the four major romances by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and was published in 1860. The Marble Faun, written on the eve of the American Civil War, is set in a fantastical Italy...
.
Hawthorne's house stands at the junction of High Street and King Street.
This was formerly known as the Hawthorne Cafe.
Alfred Edward Graham (1882–1945), most active of Redcar's photographers, whose surviving negatives were fortunately acquired by Redcar Urban District Council's Library and Museum Committee and are now held by Redcar and Cleveland Museum Service.
Film and television actresses June Laverick
June Laverick
June Laverick was an English film, television and stage actress.She was once described as "a popular lightweight leading actress of the day" and is probably best remembered as the wife of Dickie Henderson in The Dickie Henderson Show.- Personal :Before June was born her parents ran a public house...
, and Wendy Hall, and actor/director/producer Robert Porter were all born in Redcar.
Gertrude Bell
Gertrude Bell
Gertrude Margaret Lowthian Bell, CBE was an English writer, traveller, political officer, administrator, and archaeologist who explored, mapped, and became highly influential to British imperial policy-making due to her extensive travels in Greater Syria, Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, and Arabia. Along...
, colonial administrator and colleague of Lawrence of Arabia spent her youthful years at Red Barns, now the Red Barns hotel in adjoining Coatham
Coatham
Coatham is a place in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England.- History :Coatham began as a market village in the 14th century to the smaller adjacent fishing port of Redcar but as their populations grew from the 1850s, the dividing space narrowed...
.
Rex Hunt, governor of the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
during the 1982 invasion by Argentina
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
, attended Coatham School.
The late Minister for Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, Mo Mowlam
Mo Mowlam
Marjorie "Mo" Mowlam was a British Labour Party politician. She was the Member of Parliament for Redcar from 1987 to 2001 and served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.Mowlam's time as Northern...
, represented Redcar in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
.
Singer David Coverdale
David Coverdale
David 'Jack' Coverdale is an English rock singer, most famous for his work with the his own hard rock band Whitesnake which achieved massive commercial success.-Early life:...
, lead singer with Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
and Whitesnake
Whitesnake
Whitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1978 by David Coverdale after his departure from his previous band, Deep Purple. The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple, but by the mid 1980s they had moved to a more commercial hard rock style...
lived there as a youth and worked in the Gentry clothes shop on Coatham Road.
Chris Norman
Chris Norman
Chris Norman is an English soft rock singer. Norman was the lead singer of Smokie, an English glam rock band from Bradford, which found success in Europe in the 1970s....
, founder member and former lead singer of Smokie
Smokie (band)
Smokie is an English rock band from Bradford, Yorkshire who found success in Europe in the 1970s.-Early years:Originally called The Yen, then The Sphynx and later Essence, the band was formed in 1964 at St. Bede's Grammar School in Heaton, Bradford as The Yen. The Yen's first gig was at Birkenshaw...
was born in Redcar.
Pete York
Pete York
Pete York is a rock drummer who has been performing since the 1960s.-Early life:...
, drummer with the Spencer Davis Group
Spencer Davis Group
The Spencer Davis Group was a mid-1960s British beat group from Birmingham, England, formed by Spencer Davis with Steve Winwood and his brother Muff Winwood...
and session drummer was born in Redcar.
Robbie Stockdale
Robbie Stockdale
Robert Keith "Robbie" Stockdale is an English-born Scottish professional footballer who plays as a defender for Conference National side Grimsby Town where he is also the clubs youth team manager...
, ex Middlesbrough and now Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
footballer was born in Redcar
David Wheater
David Wheater
David James Wheater is an English footballer who plays for Bolton Wanderers. He is a centre back, although he is capable of playing at right back as well.-Middlesbrough:...
, Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
and England national football team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
central defender, grew up and still lives in Redcar.
Paralympian Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson
Tanni Grey-Thompson
Carys Davina "Tanni" Grey-Thompson, Baroness Grey-Thompson, DBE is a Welsh athlete and TV presenter.Grey-Thompson was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair. She is considered to be one of the most successful disabled athletes in the UK...
, originally from Wales, lived in Redcar for a number of years with her husband and daughter.
Also see the category People from Redcar.
Cultural references
Atonement (film)Atonement (film)
Atonement is a 2007 British romantic suspense war film directed by Joe Wright. It is a film adaptation of the 2001 novel of the same name by Ian McEwan. The film stars James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, and Saoirse Ronan. It was produced by Working Title Films and filmed throughout the summer of 2006...
of the Ian McEwan
Ian McEwan
Ian Russell McEwan CBE, FRSA, FRSL is a British novelist and screenwriter, and one of Britain's most highly regarded writers. In 2008, The Times named him among their list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945"....
novel Atonement
Atonement (novel)
Atonement is a 2001 novel by British author Ian McEwan.On a fateful day, a young girl makes a terrible mistake that has life-changing effects for many people...
. The Coatham Hotel, Regent Cinema, a section of Newcomen Terrace and part of the beach were dressed as 1940s Dunkirk. Filming took place across three days in August 2006, with local men playing the soldiers.
The Secret Millionaire (TV programme)
In 2010, Redcar was featured on the Channel 4 programme, The Secret Millionaire. David Jamilly
David Jamilly
David Jamilly is a philanthropist, humanitarian and entrepreneur.-About:David Jamilly is a philanthropist, humanitarian, 'Secret Millionaire' and entrepreneur.-Profession:...
a humanist and philanthropist, self made millionaire, visited the Redcar community and gave £25,000 to Zoë's Place for a sensory room, £25,000 to Redcar Amateur Boxing club to start an Olympic fund and 25k to Sid's place for special counselling. There was a subsequent visit on 14th May to a screening at Redcar's cinema, which was attended by the mayor and mayoress, along with all the charities and people involved. The feature of the documentary involved the closure of the nearby Corus steelworks as well as the charities.
External links
- A Redcar local history site
- Redcar Decline Pictures showing the decay and demise of the town
- Changing Redcar - site of 2001-6
- Atonement images
- Tides at the River Tees entrance on the BBC, Easytide and at Redcar & Cleveland Leisure website.