A lovely view of the cliffs and the sea, there is Hummersea bay, Skinningrove and Cattersty, the jetty can be clearly seen and the smoke tells us where the ironstone works are. Hummersea Farm can also be seen, as can the shine of a pond in the centre of the image. Following a comment from S. Welford; Eric Johnson advised: “‘Snilah’ ponds were originally two ponds, I was told they were the settling ponds for Hummersea Alum Works. I remember them as home to a colony of great crested newts, dragonflies, and other aquatic wildlife; surrounded by purple spotted orchids. The site was used for filling in with industrial waste. Many years later walking past the site I observed a black oily substance oozing from the area. A sad end (and I don’t belong to the green party!). Heather Bann added: “I also have a postcard picture taken approx. same time though the tide is out; position almost exact. My grandmother Annie Hammond (nee Burns) of Fylingdales, had sent it to my grandad just prior to their wedding in 1914. She has marked the house which can just be seen cut off a bit at the left edge as her half sister’s house, Lucy (nee Burns) and George Wren. She has also marked the farm further up and just below the ‘smoke’ from the works as “Where my uncle lives” I do not know is this an uncle on the Burns side or her mother’s side the Wedgwood’s? Would love to know.
Thanks to Eric Johnson, S Welford and Heather Bann for the updates.
I bet this was quite a classy photograph when it was new, before age faded the image somewhat. Hummersea Farm was originally built for the Manager of the Alum quarries and works, the farm house being built to the right in an ’L’ shape layout. Elsie Hart was brought up on this farm. Neil Dunbar advises: “This view was taken from the garden at Hummersea. Anyone walking past the farmhouse would not even be aware this garden was there. I’m presuming the Elsie Hart that is mentioned is the mother of Ada and Tommy Hart who owned the farm when I lived at Seaview in the 1970′s. Seaview was the bottom part of the ‘L’ which looks out over the farmyard and out toward the sea over Hummersea Cliffs. The upright part of the ‘l’ runs back from Seaview into the hillside and as such is very sheltered from the elements – this is the part I knew as Hummersea Farm and where Ada & Tommy lived. The only views from this building were from the upstairs windows you can see in the photographs – these look toward The Warren and the old alum workings which are further on. At the time I lived there Ada & Tommy owned the two cottages known as The Warren. They were ultimately sold to a local doctor (Guy Etches) who has made a fine home from the two cottages. Tommy Hart sold them cheaply to Guy in exchange for Guy arranging for Tommy’s hip replacement operation. At the time I lived at Seaview, Guy rented one of the Warren cottages and relatives of the people I was living with rented the other one. The views north from the Warren north past Skinningrove Pier and on toward Redcar are stunning.” Vince Brown adds: “Re Elsie Hart. Elsie Hart was Tommy Harts sister her mother was Mary Jackson (born 1876 Brotton) her father Thomas Hart (born 1872 Ugthorpe); married (1902). Other children were Mary, Annie and Hilda. My grandmother was a Hart from Ugthorpe.” Whilst Karen Lyons concludes with: “My father and grandparents used to camp on the farm when it was owned by a Mr Tom Hart – must have been in the 1930s. I have a photo of Mr Hart.”
Image courtesy of Jean Dean, thanks to Ray Harrison (son of Elsie Hart), Neil Dunbar, Vince Brown and Karen Lyons for the updates.
This image (from an A. C. Bruce postcard) featured in a Loftus Town Crier calendar with the commentary of: “Farm house and buildings at Hummersea. This farm is situated between North Terrace and the Coast Guard cottages. The farm was a place to rest for a lot of people who had climbed up from the beach.” The Archive asked: “Where were the coast guard’s cottages? Does anybody recognise the two people in the doorway?”
Eric Johnson advised: “Of interest in the photograph, are the upstairs windows, they are of the ’Yorkshire’ sash type; in which as can be seen in three of them, the lower left hand panes open ”sideways” by sliding to the right. unlike normal sash windows with the upper panes sliding up and down. I think the coastguard cottages are now known as Warren Cottages towards the alum quarry.”
Image courtesy of Loftus Town Crier, many thanks to Eric Johnson for the update.
Another idyllic setting; this from a hand tinted postcard view of Hummersea Farm, today much altered and improved from this scene. Although the farm still remains secluded and peaceful.
The postcard caption says ’Farm near Boulby Cliff’, it is confirmed as Hummersea Farm; but is there anything else significant?
Anne Cammidge tells us: ”The photograph shows the old cow byre buildings of Hummersea Farm. The building to the right was where the grain was kept and the flour grinder. The main farmhouse is set in the hill behind the trees. My mother Annie Hart was born and brought up here with sisters, Elsie, Ada, Mary, Hilda and brother Tommy Hart who eventually bought the farm from Lord Zetland. Uncle Tommy retired in the mid 1980’s when he moved to Easington.”
Holly Enticknap has the following memories: ”We converted the cow byre into our home, and called it The Barns. I’ll always remember there was a bottle stuck to the wall in the cow bier, about 20feet up! We never did figure out why it was there as there was no way to reach that height without ladders?”.
Image courtesy of Josie Etches, thanks to Anne Cammidge and Holly Enticknap for the updates.
A different view of Hummersea Farm we see today, now much changed with a larger range of dwelling houses. In the distance beyond Snilah ponds is The Warren.
Holly Enticknap tells us: ”We lived in the barn on the right hand side, we converted it into our house, it took eight years to complete!”
Image courtesy of Louise Withnell and thanks to Holly Enticknap for the update.
This is Kilton Mill, before the ”new” Mill Bank was created. Kilton Mill at the bottom of Mill Bank, used Kilton Beck water, which was diverted from Kilton Beck at the ‘Long Dump’, just downstream from the Culvert. It’s name came from the fact that this was the most accessible point from Kilton (and the castle) for a watermill to be built.
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