Marske-by-the-Sea is a village in the
unitary authority
A unitary authority is a local authority responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are usually performed by a higher level of sub-national government or the national governme ...
of
Redcar and Cleveland
Redcar and Cleveland is a borough with unitary authority status in North Yorkshire, England. Its main settlements are Redcar, South Bank, Eston, Brotton, Guisborough, the Greater Eston part of Middlesbrough, Loftus, Saltburn and Skelton. T ...
and the
ceremonial county
The counties and areas for the purposes of the lieutenancies, also referred to as the lieutenancy areas of England and informally known as ceremonial counties, are areas of England to which lords-lieutenant are appointed. Legally, the areas i ...
of
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by national parks, including most of the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. It is one of four cou ...
, England.
It is located on the coast, between the seaside resorts of
Redcar
Redcar is a seaside town on the Yorkshire Coast in the Redcar and Cleveland unitary authority in the county of North Yorkshire, England. It is located east of Middlesbrough.
The Teesside built-up area's Redcar subdivision had a population of ...
and
Saltburn-by-the-Sea
Saltburn-by-the-Sea, commonly referred to as Saltburn, is a seaside town in Redcar and Cleveland, North Yorkshire, England, around south-east of Hartlepool and southeast of Redcar.
It lies within the Historic counties of England, historic bo ...
, although it is not itself a seaside resort.
Marske is in the
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of Parish (administrative division), administrative parish used for Local government in England, local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below district ...
of
Saltburn, Marske and New Marske and comprises the
wards of Longbeck (shared with
New Marske
New Marske is a village in the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England, in the region of North East England. Roughly a mile south-west of Marske-by-the-Sea and set on a hillside, it wa ...
) and St Germains.
History
Marske is mentioned in the
Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
.
St Germain's Church was consecrated by bishop Ægelric between 1042 and 1056.
Marske was
amerced 20
marks
Marks may refer to:
Business
* Mark's, a Canadian retail chain
* Marks & Spencer, a British retail chain
* Collective trade marks, trademarks owned by an organisation for the benefit of its members
* Marks & Co, the inspiration for the nove ...
for its part in the pillaging of a
Norwegian vessel in 1180.
RFC Marske

The
Royal Flying Corps
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colors =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries =
, decorations ...
had a
landing strip and schools in Marske, based at
Marske Aerodrome
Marske Aerodrome was a First World War-era airfield used by the Royal Flying Corps, and later by the Royal Air Force, between 1917 and 1920. The aerodrome was just to the west of the village of Marske-by-the-Sea in Yorkshire ( North Yorkshire), ...
. 'Captain'
W. E. Johns, the author of the
Biggles
James Bigglesworth, nicknamed "Biggles", is a fictional pilot and adventurer, the title character and hero of the ''Biggles'' series of adventure books, written for young readers by W. E. Johns (1893–1968). Biggles made his first appearanc ...
books, was posted to RFC Marske during part of the First World War, from April until August 1918.
The
Bristol M1C Monoplane, ''The Red Devil'', was first flown from this RFC aerodrome.
The
RAF later administered an airfield here.
After the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
the site of the aerodrome became an
ICI depot and later a housing estate, The Landings, with roads named on an aeronautical theme: Avro Close, Blackburn Grove, De Havilland Drive – leading onto Vickers Lane–, Beardmore Avenue, Folland Drive, Wellington Close, Brabazon Drive, Halifax Close and Lysander Court.
Politics
Parish and district
Marske is part of the
Saltburn, Marske and New Marske parish. The
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of Parish (administrative division), administrative parish used for Local government in England, local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below district ...
area was formerly Saltburn and Marske-by-the-Sea Urban District from 1932–1974. It was formed by the Marske part of
Guisborough Rural District and Saltburn-by-the-Sea Urban District.
Wapentake and borough
The area was historically in the
Langbaurgh Wapentake, also known as
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U ...
. The village was part of a
Cleveland namesake county under
1974 reforms until
1996 reforms. The 1974 reforms also placed the village under Langbaurgh borough, it was renamed Langbaurgh-on-Tees in 1988 and (since 1996) is named
Redcar and Cleveland
Redcar and Cleveland is a borough with unitary authority status in North Yorkshire, England. Its main settlements are Redcar, South Bank, Eston, Brotton, Guisborough, the Greater Eston part of Middlesbrough, Loftus, Saltburn and Skelton. T ...
.
County and riding
The village's historic county is
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...
, in its
North Riding. The
North Riding County Council was established in 1889, the council was abolished in 1974.
Constituency
Marske is part of
Redcar
Redcar is a seaside town on the Yorkshire Coast in the Redcar and Cleveland unitary authority in the county of North Yorkshire, England. It is located east of Middlesbrough.
The Teesside built-up area's Redcar subdivision had a population of ...
constituency and is represented by
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
Jacob Young in the House of Commons.
Economy

The majority of the residents of Marske do not work within the village, but work in nearby industry or in
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area.
Until the early 1800s, the a ...
or
Redcar
Redcar is a seaside town on the Yorkshire Coast in the Redcar and Cleveland unitary authority in the county of North Yorkshire, England. It is located east of Middlesbrough.
The Teesside built-up area's Redcar subdivision had a population of ...
.
Marske has a range of local shops and a mixture of light industries on the Industrial Estate notably label and barcode specialists Weyfringe.
There is also small scale sea fishing using
coble
The coble is a type of open traditional fishing boat which developed on the North East coast of England. The southernmost examples occur around Hull (although Cooke drew examples at Yarmouth, see his ''Shipping and Craft''
series of drawings ...
s and tractors from the beach.
Landmarks
Marske has two imposing mansion houses.
*
Marske Hall* was built around 1625 and was formerly the home of the
Zetland family.
It was gifted to
Leonard Cheshire
Geoffrey Leonard Cheshire, Baron Cheshire, (7 September 1917 – 31 July 1992) was a highly decorated Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot and group captain during the Second World War, and a philanthropist.
Among the honours Cheshire received as ...
to be run as a home for the disabled in 1964 and continued as such for the following 55 years, until it was sold as a going concern to a private company in 2019.
* Cliff House,
* which stands on the cliff tops overlooking the beach, was built in the 19th century as a holiday residence for the
Pease family The Pease family is an English and mostly Quaker family associated with Darlington, County Durham, and North Yorkshire, descended from Edward Pease of Darlington (1711–1785).
They were 'one of the great Quaker industrialist families of the n ...
, who were prominent in the north-east business community, at the time, and principal shareholders in the
Stockton and Darlington Railway
The Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) was a railway company that operated in north-east England from 1825 to 1863. The world's first public railway to use steam locomotives, its first line connected coal mining, collieries near Shildo ...
. The railway was extended to Redcar in the 1840s and to Marske and Saltburn in the 1860s.
Marske has its own post office, medical centre, leisure centre and a library.
The village has
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related Christian denomination, denominations of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John W ...
,
Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christianity, Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe ...
,
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
and
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
churches and five
public house
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and wa ...
s: The Frigate, The Ship Inn,
* The Zetland, The Mermaid and The Clarendon.
The tower of
St Germain's church was allowed to remain close to the cliff edge as a prominent
landmark
A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances.
In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or f ...
for fishermen in the North Sea.
Most of Marske's listed buildings are to be found on High Street,
[High Street: , , , , , , , ,
, , , ]
and Redcar Road,
[Redcar Road: , , , , , , , , , , ]
but there are a few more on Church Street,
[Church Street: ]
Cliff Terrace,
[Cliff Terrace: ]
East Street,
[East Street: ]
and The Garth.
[The Garth: ]
Winkies Castle

The village has a museum named Winkies Castle, dating back to the 17th century, which is run by volunteers and open to visitors from Easter Saturday each year until the end of September. This is not really a castle but an old
half cruck cottage formerly owned by the late
master shoemaker, Jack Anderson.
There is a story that the house's name comes from Jack's cat named Winkie. The museum puts on rotating exhibitions and has over 6,000 items, including a two-headed
lamb
Lamb or The Lamb may refer to:
* A young sheep
* Lamb and mutton, the meat of sheep
Arts and media Film, television, and theatre
* ''The Lamb'' (1915 film), a silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr. in his screen debut
* ''The Lamb'' (1918 ...
called "Bill and Ben".
The building was saved from demolition in 1968 by Jack Anderson when he turned it into a community museum and bequeathed it to the Community of Marske (trustees
Redcar and Cleveland
Redcar and Cleveland is a borough with unitary authority status in North Yorkshire, England. Its main settlements are Redcar, South Bank, Eston, Brotton, Guisborough, the Greater Eston part of Middlesbrough, Loftus, Saltburn and Skelton. T ...
Borough Council).It is now run and managed by volunteers and is open three days a week from Easter Saturday until the end of September each year.
Transport
Marske is served by
Longbeck
Longbeck is a railway station on the Tees Valley Line, which runs between and via . The station, situated east of Middlesbrough, serves the village of Marske-by-the-Sea, Redcar and Cleveland in North Yorkshire, England. It is owned by Network ...
and
Marske railway stations, which connect to
Darlington railway station
Darlington railway station is on the East Coast Main Line in the United Kingdom, serving the town of Darlington, County Durham. It is north of and on the main line it is situated between to the south and to the north. Its three-letter stat ...
. The main road through Marske is the
A1085 Coast Road and High Street.
Marske is served by the
Arriva North East
Arriva North East operates both local and regional bus services in County Durham, Cumbria, Northumberland, North Yorkshire and Tyne and Wear, England. It is a subsidiary of Arriva UK Bus, which operates bus and coach services across the United ...
4/4A, 64/64A, 81/81A/781, and X3/X4 bus services.
Education
Marske-by-the-Sea has three primary schools: Errington Primary School, Westgarth Primary School, and St Bede's R.C. Primary School.
Marske is served by the following secondary schools:
Outwood Academy Bydales located within the village and
Rye Hills Academy,
Sacred Heart Catholic Secondary
Sacred Heart Catholic Secondary (formerly Sacred Heart Roman Catholic VA School) is a Roman Catholic secondary school located in Redcar, North Yorkshire, England.
History
The school was first built in the 1960s but moved to new premises in ...
located in
Redcar
Redcar is a seaside town on the Yorkshire Coast in the Redcar and Cleveland unitary authority in the county of North Yorkshire, England. It is located east of Middlesbrough.
The Teesside built-up area's Redcar subdivision had a population of ...
, and
Huntcliff School located in
Saltburn
Saltburn-by-the-Sea, commonly referred to as Saltburn, is a seaside town in Redcar and Cleveland, North Yorkshire, England, around south-east of Hartlepool and southeast of Redcar.
It lies within the historic boundaries of the North Ridin ...
.
Sport
Marske-by-the-Sea has a Martial Art ITF Tae Kwon Do School.
Furthermore, the village has two Football teams; Northern League Division 1 football club Champions,
Marske United F.C.
Marske United Football Club is a football club based in Marske-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire, England. They are currently members of the and play at Mount Pleasant.
History
The club was established in 1956 by members of Marske Cricket Club. and Langbaurgh League Division 2 Champions, Marske F.C.,
as well as a cricket club, and badminton club.
Notable people
* England and Yorkshire cricketer
Paul Jarvis
Paul William Jarvis (born 29 June 1965) is a former English cricketer, who played in nine Tests and sixteen ODIs for England from 1988 to 1993.
Cricket writer, Colin Bateman, remarked, "Jarvis always had much potential as a well-coordinated ...
grew up in Marske. His Yorkshire cc jumper can be found on display in Marske cricket club.
*
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...
visited Marske in around 1844 to see the grave of
Captain Cook
James Cook (7 November 1728Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean an ...
's father. An early 20th century memorial, 20–30 yards west of St Germain's tower, marks the approximate location.
* 'Captain'
W. E. Johns, the author of the
Biggles
James Bigglesworth, nicknamed "Biggles", is a fictional pilot and adventurer, the title character and hero of the ''Biggles'' series of adventure books, written for young readers by W. E. Johns (1893–1968). Biggles made his first appearanc ...
books, was based at RFC Marske towards the end of the First World War.
*
Charlotte Hughes, the longest-lived person ever documented in the United Kingdom, lived in Marske.
* In the 1970s
West Indies
The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Great ...
cricketer
Albert Padmore lived in Marske.
* Artist
Chris Dooks lived in Marske.
* Middlesbrough Football Club players,
Robbie Stockdale
Robert Keith Stockdale (born 30 November 1979) is a football manager and former professional footballer.
As a player, he was a defender from 1997 to 2012. He notably played Premier League football for Middlesbrough having also appeared as a ...
and
Cameron Park both grew up in Marske.
* Singer and songwriter
Georgina Anderson, who died from cancer in 2013 at the age of 15, came from Marske and attended Bydales Secondary School.
* The electronic music group
Radio Massacre International was formed in Marske in the early 1980s.
* Actor-playwright, singer-songwriter
Shaun Lawton
Sydney Shaun Lawton (born 1941 in New Marske, North Riding of Yorkshire) is an English playwright, poet, actor and singer/songwriter. Lawton is probably best known for his '' Desperado Corner'', which has been described as a 'sprawling, four-a ...
, was born in New Marske in 1941.
*
Enid Scudamore-Stanhope, Countess of Chesterfield (10 September 1878 – 30 November 1957), heiress and racehorse breeder, was born at Marske Hall.
References
Further reading
* ''Changing Marske-by-the-Sea'', Winkies Castle Folk Museum.
*
*
External links
* Schools
BydalesErrington PrimaryWestgarth Primary* Local history
* Winkies Castle
Official websiteMuseums in Redcar & Cleveland webpage* Historic photographs
Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marske-By-The-Sea
Villages in North Yorkshire
Places in the Tees Valley
Redcar and Cleveland
Seaside resorts in England
Populated coastal places in Redcar and Cleveland