Loftus, North Yorkshire

Loftus is a market town and civil parish in the Redcar and Cleveland borough of North Yorkshire, England. The town is located north of the North York Moors and sits between Whitby and Skelton-in-Cleveland.

Not to be confused with Lofthouse, North Yorkshire.

Loftus
Town
Loftus Town Hall (on the right) and Parish Church (on the left)
Loftus is located in North Yorkshire
Loftus
Loftus
Location within North Yorkshire
Population7,988 (2011 census)[1]
OS grid referenceNZ716185
• London210 mi (340 km) S
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townSALTBURN-BY-THE-SEA
Postcode districtTS13
Dialling code01287
PoliceCleveland
FireCleveland
AmbulanceNorth East
UK Parliament
WebsiteTown council website

At the 2011 census, the town's parish population was 7,988.[1] The parish includes the villages of Carlin How, Easington, Liverton, Liverton Mines and Skinningrove.

The town was formerly known as Lofthouse.[2] The town's built-up area, including Liverton Mines, had a population of 4,824.[3] It is near Brotton, Saltburn and Skelton-in-Cleveland.

History

The Loftus area has been inhabited since at least the 7th century. A manor in the area was owned by Siward, Earl of Northumbria.[4] Loftus is recorded as "Lcotvsv" in the Domesday book, from Laghthus meaning low houses.[5]

Anglo-Saxon royal burial site
Main article: Street House Anglo-Saxon cemetery

The only known Anglo-Saxon royal burial site in north-east England is near Loftus.[6]

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. The finds, which date back nearly 1400 years were discovered by members of the Teesside Archeological Society, led by Dr Steve Sherlock, in a 109-grave site at Street House, Loftus.[7][8] They are presently on show at the Kirkleatham Old Hall Museum.[9][10][11]

Oddfellows Hall

The Oddfellows Hall, in Loftus, was built in 1874 as the offices and meeting place of the local Oddfellows society. Oddfellows were friendly or mutual societies, set up and organised by people from different guilds representing various trades. Other societies existed for single trades, but when there were not enough people from one trade, especially in smaller towns, societies would be formed from an "odd" mixture of people, so giving the name "Oddfellows". The Loftus Oddfellows would raise money for their members. 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.[12]

Climate

Loftus has an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb).

Climate data for Loftus (158 m or 518 ft asl, averages 1991–2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 6.2
(43.2)		 6.8
(44.2)		 8.8
(47.8)		 11.2
(52.2)		 13.7
(56.7)		 16.7
(62.1)		 19.3
(66.7)		 19.4
(66.9)		 16.6
(61.9)		 12.8
(55.0)		 9.1
(48.4)		 6.7
(44.1)		 12.3
(54.1)
Average low °C (°F) 1.7
(35.1)		 1.7
(35.1)		 2.6
(36.7)		 4.3
(39.7)		 6.7
(44.1)		 9.3
(48.7)		 11.4
(52.5)		 11.6
(52.9)		 9.9
(49.8)		 7.4
(45.3)		 4.2
(39.6)		 2.0
(35.6)		 6.1
(42.9)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 48.9
(1.93)		 38.7
(1.52)		 37.3
(1.47)		 43.7
(1.72)		 40.2
(1.58)		 65.1
(2.56)		 61.8
(2.43)		 59.9
(2.36)		 55.0
(2.17)		 53.7
(2.11)		 73.7
(2.90)		 54.9
(2.16)		 632.9
(24.91)
Average rainy days (≥ 1 mm) 11.3 10.1 9.0 8.9 8.7 10.5 10.3 10.1 9.5 11.5 12.3 11.6 123.8
Source: Met Office[13]

Religion and education
St Joseph and St Cuthbert

The two main churches in the town are St Leonard's (Church of England), and St Joseph and St Cuthbert (Roman Catholic). There are three primary schools: St.Joseph's RCVA Primary School,[14] Handale Primary School,[15] and Hummersea).

Transport
The High Street (A174)

The A174 is the town’s main road. Loftus railway station opened in 1875, and closed to passengers in 1960. The line still operates through the station site, with freight services for Boulby Mine, and occasional passenger 'specials' for rail enthusiasts. The nearest open station is at Saltburn.

Community and culture

Loftus parish includes the settlements of Boulby, Carlin How, Cowbar (in Staithes), Easington, Handale, Liverton Mines, Liverton, Loftus, Scaling and Skinningrove.[16]

Loftus’s facilities include: Loftus Swimming Baths (where the swimming group, Loftus Dolphins, train), Loftus Youth Club, Loftus Army Cadets,[17] Scouts, Cubs etc. The town also has its own dance studio - Triple Dee Dance Studio - which offers dance classes for children age two upwards. The studio started inside the town hall and later the company moved into their own studio on Zetland Road. It also has a fire station and part-time police station.

Loftus Town Hall was commissioned by Lawrence Dundas, 3rd Earl of Zetland, erected by a Thomas Dickinson of Saltburn, and was first opened in 1879.[18]

Tees Valley Leisure Limited, which was established in 1999 as an Industrial and provident society, provides a variety of leisure services on behalf of Redcar & Cleveland Borough 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.[19]

Sport

Loftus Cricket & Athletic Club is situated at the eastern end of Loftus on Whitby Road.[20] The club have two senior teams: a Saturday 1st XI that compete in the Langbaurgh Cricket League[21] and a Midweek Senior XI in the Esk Valley Evening League.[22]

Notable people
Row of houses in Loftus

Among notable people who were born in or lived in Loftus were geologist Lewis Hunton (1814–1838), actress Faye Marsay born in 1986, and table tennis player Paul Drinkhall born in 1990.

See also

References
  1. UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Loftus Parish (E04000265)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  2. "Loftus". Genuki. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  3. UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Loftus Built-up area (E34004330)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  4. Page, William (1923). "'Parishes: Loftus', in A History of the County of York North Riding:". London: British History Online. pp. 385–388. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  5. "Loftus History". Communigate. 17 October 2012. Archived from the original on 17 October 2012.
  6. "Dramatic ancient cemetery found". BBC News. 20 November 2007.
  7. This is Redcar and Cleveland. July 2011. pp. 18, 19.
  8. "Kirkleatham Anglo Saxon Princess Treasure (Interview with Dr. Steve Sherlock)". YouTube: NorthNewsTV. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021.
  9. "International demand for glimpse of Saxon princess treasure". Redcar and Cleveland News.
  10. "Saxon Princess Exhibition". Kirkleatham Museum. 5 November 2010. Archived from the original on 5 November 2011.
  11. "Kirkleatham Museum – Royal Anglo Saxon finds". YouTube. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021.
  12. "The Oddfellows Hall, Loftus". Redcar and Cleveland website. Archived from the original on 30 September 2011. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  13. "Loftus (SAMOS) (Redcar and Cleveland) UK climate averages". Met Office. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  14. "Redcar and Cleveland Families Guide: St Joseph's Primary School". Archived from the original on 30 September 2011. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  15. "Redcar and Cleveland Families Guide: Handale Primary School". Archived from the original on 17 October 2011. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  16. "Loftus Town Council". Redcar and Cleveland website. 26 September 2006. Archived from the original on 26 September 2006.
  17. "Cleveland Army Cadets]". 4 July 2008. Archived from the original on 4 July 2008.
  18. Historic England. "Town Hall (1136562)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  19. Tees Valley Leisure: Loftus
  20. "Loftus CC website". loftus.play-cricket.com. Loftus Cricket Club. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  21. "Langbaurgh Cricket League". langbaurgh.play-cricket.com. LCL. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  22. "Esk Valley Evening League". eskvalleyeveninglge.play-cricket.com. EVEL. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
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