Loftus

Loftus
Yorkshire North Riding
West Road, Loftus
Location
Grid reference:	NZ716185
Location:	54°33’25"N, 0°53’31"W
Data
Population:	7,050
Post town:	Saltburn-by-the-Sea
Postcode:	TS13
Dialling code:	01287
Local Government
Council:	Redcar and Cleveland
Parliamentary constituency:	Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland

Loftus is a town in the North Riding of Yorkshire, in the very north of Yorkshire close to the North Sea coast. It lies in the narrow coastal farmland between the soaring bulk of the Cleveland Hills and the coast, just west of where the hills first reach the sea at Staithes. Saltburn-by-the-Sea is to the west.

Loftus was formerly known as Lofthouse. It is recorded as Locthusun, Lotes and Lothuse in the Domesday Book, from Laghthus meaning low houses.

History

The Loftus area has been inhabited since at least the 7th century, and although folkloric evidence includes a house owned by Sigurd the Dane, or Macbeth's Siward, real evidence has been unearthed in recent times to support the picture of ancient settlement in the area.

The founder of Methodism, John Wesley, is known to have preached in Loftus. More recent history is dominated by the ironstone mining industry and many inhabitants that live in Loftus can trace lineage back to ironstone miners.

Anglo-Saxon royal burial site

The only known Anglo-Saxon royal burial site north of York is near Loftus. Artefacts were discovered there from excavations which took place between 2005 and 2007. Finds include pieces associated with a rare bed burial in which a decorated female body is laid out on a decorated wooden bed accompanied by fine gold jewellery. The finds include a gold pendant, which would have belonged to a princess. as well as glass beads, pottery, iron knives, belt buckles and other objects.

Loftus Town Hall

Loftus Town Hall was built by the Earl of Zetland, erected by Mr Thomas Dickenson of Saltburn, and was first opened in 1879. During the World Wars of 1914-1918 and 1939-1945 some of the rooms were commandeered for the war effort.

The Town Hall clock has faces north, east and west, but no face to the south as the residents of South Loftus were reluctant to contribute to the cost.

The Town Hall remained in the ownership of the Zetland family until 1948, when it was purchased by the former Loftus Urban District Council for £2000, though that council was abolished in 1974. In 1992 budget cuts threatened closure of the Town Hall, and Loftus Town Council moved into the building and took over responsibility for maintenance. A Town Council moved in 1996, and it still organises functions in the Town Hall.

Loftus Leisure Centre

Tees Valley Leisure Limited, which was established in 1999 as an Industrial and Provident Society, provides a variety of leisure services on behalf of the council operating for the benefit of the community as a non-profit distributing organisation. They took over the running of Loftus Leisure Centre, which had been opened in 1981 to provide the community with swimming facilities. The centre was improved with the addition of a sauna suite in 1985 and a fitness suite in 1998.

Oddfellows Hall

The Oddfellows Hall, in Loftus, was built in 1874 as the offices and meeting place of the local Oddfellows society; a mutual society organised locally which raised money for their members, which was especially important in the days before the welfare state.

The Oddfellows Hall was unused from the early 1990s. Tees Valley Housing Association have now taken over ownership of the building and converted it from a large meeting hall into eight self-contained flats.

Big Society

The Loftus and District Flower Club meets every third Monday at the town hall Loftus has many facilities: Loftus Swimming Baths (where the swimming group, Loftus Dolphins, train), Loftus Youth Club, Loftus Army Cadets, Scouts, Cubs etc. It also has a firestation and part-time police station.

About the town

Westfield House in Duncan Place is one of the largest private properties in Loftus. It was built in 1871 by the Pease family, who owned ironstone mines in the locality, for the then mine manager, Thomas Moore. It is currently owned by Jo and Stewart Levy.

To the north of the village there is a disused nuclear bunker. The bunker was opened in 1962 and closed 1968.

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Loftus)

• Information on Loftus  from GENUKI
• Historical Photo Archive of Loftus from Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council
• Loftus Town Council
• History of Loftus