Vulcan Street

Image: © Mick Garratt Taken: 5 Dec 2005

Standing at the corner of Vulcan Street and Dock Street these buildings in the mid 19c directly faced onto the river bank which is now perhaps 100m away across land reclaimed from waste slag created by Bolchow and Vaughan Ironworks, the first on Middlesbrough. The first building (up to the double gates) was originally a sail loft for servicing the sailing vessels coming into the docks. Afterwards it became a coffee tavern. This building has now been demolished to make way for the proposed development of the area (http://www.teesvalleyregeneration.co.uk/pages/project/project=Middlehaven ). Prior to demolition a hoist was discovered in the roof space which would have been used to lift the sails from ground to first floor level where large windows provided plenty of natural light. The hoist has now been removed to the Dorman Museum in Middlesbrough. Info. from Brian Dutton: "I am sure this picture was a property owned by a company called Charles Horne Electrical and bought out by Dowding & Mills Electrical in 1974. The picture shows the old contracting department and the upstairs part was the small windings department. The contracting department was run by a guy called Jackie Brownless, it also ran through onto Dock Street which had a heavy ac motor shop. Charles Horne Ltd also had a panel wiring shop around the corner on Commercial Street, opposite Barton abrasives."

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