North Yorkshire Coast #2

[ Photo Gallery # 79 ]

Moving further along the North Sea coast of Yorkshire from the scenes of the villages north of Whitby in my previous Photo Gallery ( # 78), I post below just a selection of my photographs of two seaside towns, Saltburn and Redcar.

Both were and still are holiday resorts, once much more popular as such than they are today.   Both still maintain a small, if much diminished, fishing fleet and still do their utmost to attract visitors.  Their great glory is the beautiful 8 mile long beach, one of the longest unbroken stretches in the United Kingdom, running from South Gare, at the mouth of the River Tees, southwards, along the seafront of Redcar, past Marske-by-the-Sea, to Huntcliffe at Saltburn.

01 saltburn

SALTBURN: Huntcliffe,Cat Nab & the Ship Inn.

02 saltburn

SALTBURN: The view south from the entrance to the funicular cliff railway and Huntcliffe,

03 SaltburnSurfers

Saltburn is one of the original centres of the north-east surfing scene

04 saltburn

The funicular railway at Saltburn began operating in 1884 and is the oldest operating water-balance cliff lift in the United Kingdom.

05 saltburn

A misty view upwards showing the balanced ascending and descending carriages

06 saltburn

Saltburn pier, first opened in 1869, is now the last pier remaining in Yorkshire.  It has itself been frequently damaged in the past by North Sea storms, but remains a popular attraction.

06a Saltburn

View from the pier southwards to Huntcliffe

06b Saltburn

Saltburn Pier – looking due East to the North Sea

07 redcar

The view to sea from REDCAR.  Not what I had expected to see, 10 years after my previous visit!

08 redcar

REDCAR: Wind Turbines – now detracting from the view of the North Sea

09 redcar

Even the re-designed and modern seafront promenade now has wind turbines as a backdrop

10 redcar

REDCAR  . . .  and the fishing boats now have these to contend with too!

11 redcar

REDCAR BEACON:  Now sporting  a seafront helter-skelter – Sorry, NO, it is apparently a Vertical Pier, with its own restaurant and giving beautiful views along the Yorkshire coastline. 

12 redcar

REDCAR:  . . . and sand sculptures to enhance the view!?

 

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The PIER

06.Eastbourne (7)

Eastbourne Pier, Sussex, England: Photo – WHB, October, 2017  ©

 

THE PIER

As bravely my finger points to the sea
my peninsular pretences extend
for a while
my efforts at ocean reclamation
enabling land and sea to merge
countryside and shore
to meet and mingle
in mutual admiration

Taking my insatiable
search for pleasure
beyond its brief

Public pleasuring
made manifest
another pleasure garden
to add to nature’s own
another wonderworld
to vie with nature’s gifts

My destiny
Buffeted by wind and wave
invaded by rust and rot
attacked by frost
at risk from fire

I exist
On time borrowed
from the eye of the storm
grateful
whilst it continues
for the ocean’s grace

and so
I continue to proffer my splendours
To the denizens of my retreats
sea anglers and photo booths
Shops and tearooms
wurlitzers and waltzers
penny arcades
mirror halls
ghost trains and dodgems
all beneficiaries
of my daring
my bravery in simply existing

 

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