The Saltburn Mortuary A hidden piece of Teesside history

The History of Saltburn’s Mortuary: A Fascinating Past

Until 1881, the Ship Inn in Saltburn held the sombre distinction of doubling as the local mortuary for victims of drowning. The frequent occurrence of bodies being washed up on the beach necessitated their temporary accommodation at the Ship Inn while awaiting post-mortem examination. These tragic events eventually prompted the construction of a dedicated mortuary for Brotton Local Board. Interestingly, the key to the mortuary was kept at Mr Temple’s house!

The Saltburn Local Board, however, declined to contribute to the cost of building the mortuary.

The Mortuary was one of three buildings on the site. Closest to the Ship Inn was the Lifeboat House, and between that and the Mortuary stood the Rocket Brigade building. Today, only the Mortuary remains. The Lifeboat House and the Rocket Brigade building were demolished during a road-widening scheme.

This Mortuary, now a Grade II listed building, retains many of its original features. Over the years, it has seen varied uses, serving as a wood store, a photographer’s studio, and more recently, a base for the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust from the mid-1980s. In September 2007, the Mortuary was opened to the public for four days, thanks to a collaboration between Tees Valley Wildlife Trust and English Heritage.

During this time, the tiny room—measuring just 12ft by 18ft—was transformed into a mini museum. It attracted over 1,000 visitors, eager to step inside and learn more about the building’s poignant history as the final resting place for dozens of individuals.

The Mortuary has since been suggested as a potential heritage site, with proposals to install a glass door and interior lighting to showcase its history, alongside appropriate signage. Until a more comprehensive scheme for the area is agreed upon, this historic structure stands as a sentinel to its past.

A Broader Role Than Many Realise

Many assume the Mortuary was used solely for bodies recovered from the beach and nearby rocks. However, this was not the case. Until the early 1970s, when Cleveland County was formed, the Mortuary served as a facility for all cases of “sudden death.”

Sudden death included instances where a doctor could not determine the cause of death, or where the deceased had not been seen by a doctor in the preceding fourteen days. In such cases, the Cleveland Coroner based in Guisborough would authorise the use of the Mortuary.

The process involved the local policeman on duty and an undertaker, who would transfer the body to the Mortuary. The Coroner would then decide whether a post-mortem was necessary or if the body could be released to relatives for burial or cremation.

This practice continued until the formation of Cleveland County, when full-time coroners’ officers were appointed, and bodies were taken directly to the pathology department at Middlesbrough General Hospital.

Exploring the Mortuary’s History

At Project Middlesbrough, we’re keen to organise a tour of the Mortuary to delve deeper into its fascinating history. However, we’re currently working to identify the building’s owner to make this possible. If this is something you’d be interested in or if you have any information that could help, please don’t hesitate to email us at projectmiddlesbrough@gmail.com