daZedandconFUSED 02-11
The Motorhead Run - Iron Fist
After weeks of sunshine the day dawned with an overcast sky and a light breeze. On arrival at the rendezvous, the Dog Walkers car park near Strensall, I was first there, most unusual. I had my mate John with me to look after the map reading. Next to arrive was Dave of Dunnington in his BGT closely followed by Dave York in his RV8. Then came Mike and Jim in the MX5 and finally (eventually) Derek and May in their roadster. In the meantime we watched the shepherd and his dog round up the sheep in the next field.
So off we went to Saltburn with the hope that this time the cliff lift or funicular would be working. Going via Sheriff Hutton, Amotherby and Marton we were soon through a very quiet Hutton le Hole and on to Blakey Ridge and once we got past the Lion Inn we pulled over for a brief halt for coffee, call of nature etc. We continued on through Castleton and before long we were attacking the three hairpin bends on the A174 into Saltburn.
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After parking on the Marine Drive we went for a ride on the cliff lift, the oldest surviving water balanced cliff lift still in operation in the country it was opened in 1884. Water is pumped between tanks mounted under the passenger cabins and the weight of the water in the tank of the upper car allows it to glide on rails down to the bottom of the cliff whilst a wire rope pulls the lower car up to the top. The water from the tank in the car at the bottom is then pumped up to the top and it all starts over again. Not only that but one of the men working the lift was an ex MGB owner.
Well after so much excitement it was time for lunch so off we went to the Ship Inn parts of which date back to the 1400s. It was also used by smugglers in the 18th and 19th centuries and was reputed to be haunted. None of this affected the quality of the food as between us we had fish and chips, potato skins with dips, cajun chicken and ham sandwich. Where that came from I don't know as there were no sandwiches on the menu.
After lunch the two Daves, Mike and Jim headed for home and Derek and May went fossil hunting so that left John and me to go to the mining museum. The Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum is run by volunteers and is the only ironstone mining museum in the country and is on the site of the old Loftus mine. The mine closed in 1958, after being open for over 100years, due to imported ironstone containing a higher percentage of iron. We were the first and only visitors that day and so got almost one to one treatment on the tour which included a walk down the drift to the point where it is sealed off and a demonstration off firing a charge after drilling a hole to put it in. It is a very interesting and part of our industrial heritage.
After our tour we emerged into the late afternoon sunshine. A quick cup of coffee and we headed for home. The drive home was uneventful apart from being baulked a little on Saltersgate bank and the A64 at a crawl from just after the Flaxton turn. Still the rest of the day made up for it. Next month we will find somewhere else to invade.