Redcar
Redcar is a seaside resort in North East of Britain and the principal town in the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire. It lies 12.1 km east-northeast of Middlesbrough by the North Sea coast. Redcar originated as fishing town in early 14th century, trading with the bigger opposite market town of Coatham. Till the mid 19th century it's a sub-parish of the hamlet of Marske-by-the-Sea, when Redcar appeared as a seaside traveler destination.
With the opening of the Middlesbrough to Redcar Train line in 1846, Redcar turned into a resort for Victorian visitors. In 1846 work was complete on the Middlesbrough and Redcar Train line, made to draw in local tourism and trade, but like a lot of the Middlesbrough area, Redcar's real population growth commenced with the discovery in 1850 of iron ore in the Eston area of the Cleveland Hills.
With the development of Redcar Racecourse in 1875, Redcar prospered as a seaside town drawing tourists to its 8 miles of sands that lead on to Saltburn-by-the-Sea. Plans for Redcar Pier were draw in 1866, but work wasn't started until 1871 by which time building a pier at Coatham had been advised. Bad luck struck both piers extraordinarily early in their lives. Coatham Pier was wrecked before it might be finished when 2 sailing ships were driven through it in a tempest.
It needed to be shortened due to the value of repairs and was re-opened with an entrance with 2 kiosks and a roller-skating rink on the Redcar side, and a bandstand halfway down the pier. In October 1898 the barque Birger just about completely wrecked the pier and the pier was permitted to disintegrate. A glass house for concerts was added to remains of the pier.
In 1928 this got replaced by New Pavilion theatre which became a Regent theatre in the early 1960s. An anchor from Birger can be seen on sea front pavement opposite the Zetland life raft museum.
