Celebrating 130 years - Saltburn Cliff Lift

This weekend Saltburn's iconic cliff lift, believed to be the oldest working water-balanced funicular in the UK today, will mark its 130th year in operation.




Saltburn Cliff Lift, which continues to attract tourists from across the region and beyond, first made its 120ft decent from the town to the lower promenade in June 1884.



To mark the anniversary, owners Redcar and Cleveland Council are printing numbered commemorative tickets that will be issued to passengers by authentically dressed operators.

Olwyn Peters, the council’s cabinet member for culture leisure and tourism, described the cliff lift as an “absolute gem” and said the council was proud of its role as custodian.

Councillor Peters said: “The cliff lift is as much a part of Saltburn’s charm as the pier and together they are one of the region’s most recognisable features."

“Everybody seems to love them and thousands of people take the trip down to the lower promenade and back, each year, and we hope they will continue to do so for many years to come.”

In addition to lift operators in Victorian-style dress, other historically attired characters will be in attendance during the anniversary event on Saturday.

It is hoped that the commemorative tickets, issued to paying customers that day, will be the first in a series of collectable tickets that will change in design each year.




The first cliff lift was a rickety vertical hoist that was installed by the Saltburn Pier Company in 1870. It was acquired by the Middlesbrough Estate in August, 1883, but was condemned later that year. George Croydon Marks, of Tangye Ltd, designed and oversaw the installation of the current lift which has been in local authority ownership since the Second World War.





In addition to regular maintenance Redcar and Cleveland Council has undertaken a £30,000 refit, in 2011, the first off site overhaul since 1992.

It carries 12 passengers in its two carriages and 167,781 people took the trip last year, up from 140,742 the previous year and 115,930 in 2011.

Saltburn WW1 Community Day - Sunday 29th June

People who live in, or have a love for, our area are being invited to take part in a WWI Community event this June, to help raise money to renovate and repair Saltburn War Memorial.



Clubs and community groups in Saltburn have been working away for months putting together events and attractions, which will begin with a piper leading a parade through the town and will include stalls, music, period costume, video exhibitions and live theatre.

The parade will begin at 10am at the Emmanuel Church, from where it will proceed to the War Memorial on Glenside, where a short service will be given, before the official opening of Glenside community stalls, and bandstand events. At the Toc H building, the public are invited to sign a record in commemoration of their contribution to the centenary event, (records to be placed in the library archives or a time capsule).

The Community Theatre will be showing films and interviews recording the memories of local people, created by the Pocket Watch Project. Huntcliff students’ films will be shown based on their research into WWI. This will be
followed by two WWI themed matinee performances, from our very own Valley Player and our special guests the Nunthorpe Players.




The Community Centre will host a variety of local groups, displaying the history of the town and examining how it has changed in the last 100 years, through displays of photos, and documents.

The library will be displaying information about the WWI soldiers whose names are recorded on the War Memorial, as well as those who are recorded in the cemetery. A lot of work has been done to find out who these men were, but there are still gaps, so if you are related to someone on the memorial, we would love to talk with you.

There will also be songs, educational entertainment and crafts, for the young, all on the theme of Then and Now. A stroll in the woods will lead you to the Woodland Centre, where there will be activities for all the family. Keep an eye out for other activities around the Valley Café, miniature railway, and donkey field.

The day will end on Glenside, with a bugler playing the last post.

Do you feel you could contribute to any of these events to preserve the War Memorial for at least the next 100 years and raise awareness of our town’s sacrifice? If you know you are related to someone on the War Memorial, we would like to get a photograph of you with the War Memorial on the day. As we find more and more people with connections to those men remembered on the memorial, we are beginning to see a fascinating 'family tree' emerge.

We need more people to get involved, from dressing shop windows to businesses charting their local history. We would also encourage people to help us chart the history of our buildings over the years. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all groups, individuals, and businesses, so far that have made this commemoration day possible.

This event would not be taking place without the support of many groups and people particularly but not exclusively to Cleveland Police Neighbourhood Team, Cleveland Fire Brigade, Saltburn and Marske Parish Council, Friends of
Saltburn, the 500 Club and The British Legion.

We look forward to seeing you on the 29th.

Maria from Building Bridges
Fiona from Pocket Watch Project