Some photos of Teesside from various random days out (and our garden); 2016-2018.


It's often said that we don't appreciate what we have on our own doorstep. Despite travelling to various destinations we forget about local beauty spots and places of interest because they are too close and "we can always go there another day". So it was, for us. Whilst we had been to some places many times we had hardly (or never) been to others. We decided to rectify that and record some of the sights we saw as a result.


A visit to Redcar, 6th June 2016.


Sunset over Billingham from the A66, 12th August 2016.


Having never been to Teesmouth National Nature Reserve we took a trip up there on 15th August 2016, stopping off at North Gare and the Greatham car park where we were treated to seeing dozens of seals from the Seal Viewpoint. We didn't have time to walk down the area on the other side of the A178 but rectified that 2 days later, with a walk down to Seal Sands. The tide was out so there were only a few seals around but plenty of birds on view. As some of the photos show, Natural England are right about how nature can thrive in the middle of heavy industry.


An appointment in New Marske on 19th August 2016 provided the opportunity, unfortunately curtailed by heavy rain, to take a few shots from and of The Stray at Redcar.


Sunset over Stockton from our drive, 29th August 2016.


Another of the local attractive spots we had never visited was South Gare so we rectified that on 30th August 2016. We then moved on to Saltburn which we had visited a number of times but had never previously walked in the Valley Gardens. On the way home we stopped off at a place we hadn't been to for many years, Teesaurus Park on the banks of the Tees in Middlesbrough's Riverside Park Industrial Estate.


On 1st September 2016 we stopped off at Seaton Carew for a short walk before moving on to Hartlepool Historic Headland, another place we had never visited before.


It was some years since we had been to the Tees Barrage so we had a wander down to look at it and the White Water Centre on 5th September 2016. We also had a walk along the river bank taking in part of the Tees and Portrack Marsh.


A walk along Bluebell Beck Valley on 6th September 2016. I used to cycle there for exercise in the mid-1990s. It's changed a lot in 20 years.


On 8th September 2016 we parked at the Barrage again and walked long to the Infinity Bridge, then back again to look at the Barrage Lock, where we were lucky enough to briefly see a large seal.


The following day we parked on the south bank of the Barrage in order to visit Maze Park, a nature reserve created from industrial waste.


Another visit to Redcar, 10th September 2016.


We had a walk along the Ironmasters District path between Teesaurus Park and Newport Bridge on 12th September 2016. No seals to be seen but we saw several cormorants and other birds.


A walk along Bluebell Beck Valley on 13th September 2016.


Another appointment in New Marske on 17th September 2016 provided the opportunity for a visit to another part of Saltburn, followed by a return visit to The Stray at Redcar on a day with much better weather. One of those days where the sun was right, the breeze was right and the sound and smell of the sea were right.


On 5th October 2016 we drove down the A19 and through Osmotherley to park at Sheepwash, from where we had a walk downstream and along the path beside Cod Beck Reservoir. After retracing our steps we drove to Gribdale Gate car park intending to walk to Roseberry Topping. It was rather cold when we got up high, though, so we decided not to go all the way havjng taken a few photos of the area, including Captain Cook's Monument. Instead we went back to the car and on to the NYMNPA car park at Newton under Roseberry where I took a couple more photos from a different viewpoint.

Rainbow from our drive, 10th October 2016.


Autumn colours at Bluebell Beck Valley on 29th October 2016.


Redcar, 5th November 2016.


Autumn colours in the back garden, 10th November 2016.
and on 16th November 2016.


The Super Moon on 14th and 15th November 2016.


A visit to Preston Hall Museum (my first time there) on 18th November 2016.


The Moon and Jupiter from the back garden, morning of 25th November 2016.


Sunset over Thornaby from our drive, 30th November 2016.


A walk round Yarm on 2nd December 2016.


Seals and birds at Teesmouth Nature Reserve, Greatham on 10th December 2016.


Portrack Nature Reserve on 16th December 2016.


Mars, the Moon and Venus from the drive, evening of 2nd January 2017.


A walk along Bluebell Beck Valley on 4th April 2017.


A walk round Portrack Marsh on 5th April 2017.


A walk along Redcar seafront on 19th August 2017.


The evening sky from our drive, 28th October 2017.


A walk round Portrack Marsh on 26th May 2018.


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Page last updated: 20 March 2019