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 Looking towards the Kilton viaduct, from Mill Bank side. Interestingly in the middle of the image can be seen the ‘weir’ or ‘dam’ for the head race of Kilton Mill which is still situated on the other side of the road embankment further down stream from this point. The head race tunnel under the road was retained when the road was realigned in 1958; ensuring a supply of water to turn the mill wheel at Kilton Mill.  An excerpt from a local paper describing the construction in 1913 of the culvert over Kilton beck prior to the conversion of Kilton Viaduct (also called Loftus Viaduct or Carlin How Viaduct – it depended where you lived!) to the embankment due to undermining of the central support structure by Loftus mine.  Around about 1911, part of Kilton Viaduct began to suffer from subsidence due to it being undermined by ironstone mining. It was decided to bury the viaduct in shale from the shale tips of the local ironstone mines. Creating an embankment and ensure future stability. Before they could do this it was necessary to culvert Kilton Beck. This image, taken from a postcard shows part of the culverting process; with wooden shuttering in place to make the culvert. Also visible is an aerial rope-way for carrying raw materials to the site. Image courtesy of The Pem Holliday Collection, John G. Hannah (also on cd produced by Derick Pearson).  That is what the caption on the photograph says. The Archive asked: “What is happening there? David Richardson suggested: “I’d say this photo shows the works associated with the construction of the Kilton Beck Culvert before the Viaduct was filled in during 1913.” Eric Johnson assists with: “I believe this is the raw materials site; for constructing the culvert under Kilton Viaduct, prior to filling in with shale. The wide chute on the photograph has a large pile of material at the base, the top of the chute is widened to facilitate tipping of wagons, possibly from the zig zag line to Skinningrove. The smaller chute maybe for sending down wooden battens, to the work area; where there is a vertical steam boiler. Possibly to supply steam to a hauler engine for the narrow gauge railway running from the material pile on the left of the photograph. This is on a hopper wagon, some hoppers are alongside the rails, upside down. Stacks of wooden planks can be seen on the hillside near the cabins, with several saw benches for making the shuttering for the culvert arch.” Derick Pearson also offered: “The narrow chute reminds me of the type used to walk down to a work site when on a batter side, there is a man stood in it at the bottom. It could also have been a water chute to feed the boiler and of course be used for the concrete mixes.” This sums up the image satisfactorily. Image courtesy of the Pem Holliday Collection, also thanks to David Richardson, Eric Johnson and Derick Pearson for resolving query as to when and why.  This fairly complex piece of shuttering was part of the construction of the culvert under the Kilton viaduct. We’ve had quite a few images of the construction of the culvert, but none showing it at such an advanced stage! The whole project obviously attracted considerable interest as this image (taken from a postcard and possibly by T. C. Booth) is only one of several produced during this major construction. Image courtesy of Eileen Hicks.  A photograph I have never seen before; visible are the arch legs of the Loftus to Carlin How viaduct in the background; and the culvert looks finished. This all prior to the infilling which took place 1907 to 1914. Image courtesy of The Pem Holliday Collection.  But not by this train – a local commuter makes its way across the skyline towards Loftus as the biggest shale heap in the area takes shape! This image provoked several comments: Graham Suggett asked: “Is the Kilton Viaduct the same as the Carlin How to Loftus Viaduct? Did the infilling start because of a cracked pier in 1911 to 1914; due to the mining of ironstone from underneath? My memories go back to the 1930′s. I was born in Carlin How and my grandparents lived at Liverton Mines. We moved to Darlington at the outbreak of WWII to escape the expected raids by the Bosch on the steelworks and Skinningrove Harbour. However, I was a regular visitor to Liverton Mines both during and after the War (I was there and saw the Lockheed Lightning crash). I knew the viaduct and Kilton Woods well, but never ventured beyond the railway station on the hill between Liverton Mines and Loftus.” Andrew Pryce commented: “As far as I know the Kilton Viaduct is indeed the Carlin How to Loftus viaduct, I used to cycle from Carlin How to Loftus along the railway track (before they were re-laid) it was a lot easier than going along the road used to get onto the old trackway from Kilton Lane by the footbridge, then it was an easy cycle to Loftus and my mate (Dave Bullock) lived in the old station house, that would have been about 1966.” Derick Pearson supplied the following: “ The reason for the burying of Kilton Viaduct was the subsidence that resulted from Ironstone mining underneath the pillars. This became so bad that the line was closed in January 1911 and rail passengers carried between Loftus and Skinningrove in Motor char-a bancs. Approximately three-quarters of a million tons of spoil from the nearby mines were used to earth up the viaduct. Another railway bridge in the neighbourhood had also suffered considerably from the effects of subsidence. The railway line between Boosbeck and Brotton crosses the road from Lingdale to New Skelton by a single arch bridge. When this subsided a second bridge was built on top of it in order to maintain the railway at its correct level. The lower of the two brick arches has also had to be heavily reinforced with old rails. Simon Chapman tells us: ”Messrs Bell Brothers wanted to mine ironstone from beneath the viaduct from their Carlin How Mine so arrangements were made to fill in the viaduct to support it from 1907. In January 1911 it was found that one of the piers had begun to crack because of unequal infilling so rail services were suspended for a fortnight to enable extra tipping to take place. Shale was tipped from Liverton and Loftus Mines and was completed by 1914.” Image courtesy of the Pem Holliday Collection, thanks to Graham Suggett, Andrew Pryce and Derick Pearson for their updates. Many thanks to Simon for that definitive comment.
This is an image I haven’t seen before; Kilton Viaduct in its ”embanked” state. It completely alters the aspect of the valley – not for the better either unfortunately.
A peaceful image of the water as it flows under the viaduct and on to the sea at Skinningrove.Norman Patton commented: “In my lifetime, I cannot remember floods at Skinningrove in the days when the beck had this much water flowing. ie. prior to the construction of Scaling dam. Have I got this wrong?” Derick Pearson advised: “This photograph here however has the same three persons on it as another photograph (next image on the Archive), which was taken the same day about an hour later”. Despite the comments to the image, the Archive is aware that the beck at Skinningrove is not affected by any possible outflow from Scaling Dam, as this emerges at Staithes; the overflow from Lockwood Beck flows via Kilton Beck. The image is taken from a George Skilbeck postcard and dates from the 1940’s. Many thanks to Kathleen Hicks for the Lockwood Beck information, also thanks to Derick Pearson and Norman Patton for their memories of the beck flooding.
Another view (but facing the opposite way!) of the same flood conditions, dating from the 1940’s; from a postcard by George Skilbeck. Image courtesy of Derick Pearson and information regarding figures in the image. |
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