Here are some photos of Witham Hall, Eaglescliffe, from the years 1968 – 73 when the property was under our care. The hall itself had three floors with a main staircase and a second for servants. During those years, I was told that Henry VIII slept there on his hunting trips to the north and monks resided there for many years.
In the mid-sixties, Witham Hall and its farm land became part of the new Eaglescliffe industrial estate owned and developed by builders, The Tennet Group (which was owned by my uncle, Mr Charles Tennet). The first construction was for the Tetley Tea factory, then other businesses followed.
Today I live in Canada but Witham Hall still remains in my thoughts with good and bad memories.
From my young age at Witham Hall, my pigs loved the open range inside its orchard and garden, along with their new pigsties housed in the original farm buildings within its enclosed courtyard.
It was believed that hidden treasure was contained on Witham Hall grounds. We searched relentlessly but found nothing!
Today I live in Canada but Witham Hall still remains in my thoughts with good and bad memories.
Photographs and details courtesy of Jeffrey Smith.
Hi Jeff,
Thank you for sharing these fascinating details about Witham Hall. I’m very interested in its history, having posted the only other picture on Picture Stockton and written about my visit to its location around a year ago. I’d love to hear your insights on a few questions:
Approximately how old was the farm before it was demolished?
Was there a tennis court on the grounds during your time there? (It appears on Ordnance Survey maps from the turn of the century.)
Do you know why it was knocked down?
Additionally, any other interesting trivia would be great to hear (certainly could imagine it been a creepy building at night!). When I visited the site last year, the off-ramp from the now-demolished bridge was still visible, and there was a large, fenced-off hole in the ground exactly where Witham Hall once stood. I assume the quarry was expanded after the house was demolished.
Looking forward to your response, and thanks again for sharing!
Best regards,
James
Hi James, thank you for your reply and interest in yesterday’s ‘Witham Hall’. In answer to your questions, at the time, if ‘one’ was crossing Witham Road bridge above the rail tracks. Once on the bridge embankment (west) the Farmhouse and it’s enclosed courtyard of buildings did reside right in front of the embankment road. However, at the time on the ‘Southside’ of the embankment was a pond/swamp full of fallen/rotten trees and bushes, may still be there? The age of Witham hall, is I believe at least 500yrs, note, the farm buildings were constructed many hundreds of years later! Check my photos and look at the bricks? The farm house was built with irregular ‘stone’ and held together with like a lime mud cement? At some point in time, the outside stone was plastered over? Now, in reference, to a pit/quarry being active on the now ‘demolished’ and cleaned up Witham Hall. This is where ‘confusion’ may occur? To the Northside at the rear of the enclosed farm outbuildings was the outer gravel road serving access to North/West side of Witham Hall/farm courtyard. On this Northern side was a barbed wire fence, which lay a partly worked quarry at a depth of 4-5ft. This quarry’s width was from the mentioned fence right across to the brick yard and the local coal merchant ‘Peter Chandler’, note, this guy kept beautiful ‘red’ commercial trucks. The length went all the way back to ‘Bunker hill’ as I named it, due to WW2 military constructed bunkers being built on this small hill? I believe this hill was the result of the soil etc. being cut out from the quarries in the nearby surroundings? well before 1939. Note, after 1945, surplus military hardware including aviation and vehicles etc was dumped into theses open pits!!! and in the 60s/70s backfilled with domestic/household rubbish, as myself/friends explored these areas. Lastly, I have no knowledge/evidence of a tennis court on the grounds of Witham Hall. Note, to the Southside some 2 fields away, nearly opposite Eaglescliffe rail station was the cricket ground/building? May have disappeared today? So sorry my words/memory are a epic! …but it’s history! Please should anymore info be sort on Witham Hall etc. Ask and I am willing to assist if I can. Best regards Jeff Smith. (Canada). P.S. Thank you James for asking.
Hi James again! Forget to answer one of your questions. Why ‘Witham Hall’ was demolished! At the time around 1968 as I wrote previously, my uncle Mr. Charles Tennet, brought and created Eaglescliffe industry estate. The main and only access then was from Durham Road (West). On this land in the North East corner was ‘Witham Hall’ which had remained empty and neglected for many years? The plan at the time was as the industry estate expanded towards ‘Witham Hall’ it would be demolished in due course! Please note, there was no access to the developing estate from Witham Ave, bridge or hall…but it did allow access to the brickworks etc. Best regards Jeff Smith (Canada).
Hi Jeff – sorry for the delay but wanted to express great thanks for all this information! I might have a wander over to the site again soon. The offramp of the bridge is still there (without the bit in the middle) and lots of horse flys (not good). They are building a bridge at Eaglescliffe station to the opposite site (Witham Hall side.
Hi James, thank you for your reply. Over half a century + has gone by since my time at Witham Hall. Today, at my mature age like a fine wine! It sometimes takes myself awhile to reflect on the past! In front of Witham front garden (south) should be a 10 acre field at the time in our care, possibly still remains? If so in the N-W corner was a big man made square water reserve? Built before the farmland became part of the industrial package. A interesting land mark! Jeff Smith.(Canada)
Hi Jeff,
Hope you’re keeping well. I’ve been diving deep into local history this summer, hours exploring and researching the former MOD site at Allens West—particularly the RAF WW2 dumping zones. The Merlin engine folklore is still alive and well, but I’ve been working to trace what really happened, separating fact through fieldwork and archival digging + wonderful conversations with people like yourself (thank you!).
Today, I turned my attention to the site of Witham Hall. Btw, just a few minutes’ walk theres a new bridge being built at Eaglescliffe Station (which looks around 80% complete).
Jeff, heres what I what to chat to you about. Im confused and interested. The large fenced-off pit directly on the site or just in front of the site of Witham Hall and still visible today—is clearly an old quarry- and to my knowledge has a deeper story. The spot, once a 220 feet deep quarry pit, was later commissioned by the MOD as a dumping ground for RAF aircraft after WWII.
The evidence is photographic. I have ground level shots, showing what appears to be the mass disposal of aircraft frames, landing gear, and components—likely late 1940s or early 1950s. These scenes align closely with what I’ve found at Allens West and point to this quarry being a key site in Britain’s postwar clean-up of surplus war materiel – Happy to share these wonderful 4 photos – its the site of your house (Witham Hall) looking towards the brickworks, with a giant deep hole in between with a huge selection of plane parts been dumped from the right to the left down deep).
Given your connection to Witham Hall, I wanted to ask: does this line up with your memory? Was this vast pit known to staff or locals back then? Did anyone mention its role in the RAF disposal effort, or was it already fading into obscurity by your time? And … did you find any parts?
Here’s an article that supports the broader backdrop of my findings:
https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/history/10189914.digging-past/
I’d love to hear any recollections or insights you might have—especially to validate or challenge the picture I’m piecing together. Sometimes memory fills in what history books miss.
Looking forward to your thoughts,
James
You mentioned your uncle Charlie Tennet. He was an old Bailey Street schoolboy. He did very well in the building industry. As a 6/7 yr old boy I remember us kids from Bailey Street having a day party at Charlie Tennet’s house. We went for a swim in his swimming pool. For us gas house kids it was another world. Charlie Tennet never forgot his roots… It was such a great thing he did opening up his home for his old school. I’m not sure but I think the home was in or around Osmotherly, I may be wrong, so maybe someone is able to put me right in that fact.
Charlie Tennet put a proper party on for his old school and gave a speech. I remember him saying, I went to Bailey Street and worked hard, I come from the same background as you.. He said if you too work hard and start a business then you all can do better than me… A true gentleman…
Hi from Canada, BIG thank you for your kind words and memories of my late uncle Mr. Charles Tennet. Those past events are true! His home complete with swimming pool + tennis court was ‘Osmotherley’ and called ‘The hideaway’ and this title says it all. The Tennet group office was on Church Rd, Stockton. Also of note, every Christmas (50s-60s) Charlie would rent a hall behind the high st. for the children including myself, to which he would become ‘Santa Claus’ with many presents for us little ‘ones’ whatever our background be rich or poor! Best regards, Jeff Smith.
Hi Jeffery, Thanks for taking the time to get these photo’s added to PS. It’s great to see the hall and read your personal memories of it.
Hi from Canada, thank you for your kind words on Witham Hall. “Time” 50+ years later! ‘Yesterday, a boy of 12+ . Today, (not an old man) but a “mature gent” of 68! I also lived in Pinewood Ave, Eaglescliffe. When Witham Hall was in our care, we only had running water great for my pigs etc. (no electricity) Heat and light was provided by bottle propane gas. Note, when darkness fell it was a very very scary place! All round, including in daytime! I spent many a sleepless night there assisting mother pigs giving birth to their new born litters…then going to school….many times I failed to attend! Now, just fading memories of “once upon a time”. Keep smiling its ‘still’ a wonderful world! Best regards Jeff Smith. (Canada)
I remember a Mr Tennet who lived in Eaglescliffe on the opposite side of the road to Preston Park and, if I recall, a little beyond it. I don’t know what his first name was so he may not be your uncle though doubtless was at least a relative. He had a big car (Jaguar?) and took some of my family to Crakehall in it for my gran’s funeral in January 1962.
Thank you for your reply, but your Mr. Tennet is not known to my family. However, my uncle was raised in Portrack, Stockton, served in WW2 returned and built a large building company “Tennet’ and also ventured into the swinging sixties with Nightclubs, another story! Through this time lived in a beautiful place set on a hill side in North Yorks called ‘Osmotherley’, best regards Jeff Smith (Canada).