The Valley Gardens Victorian Tearooms is our beautiful little tearooms in
which we are so proud of. When we took on the tearooms after it had been
closed by the local Council for 18 months and it was a little building in
the middle of the forest, with plain walls and lino flooring and the building
needed a lot of repair and love. Over the years we have worked hard and
have turned it into the vintage old-fashioned tearooms which we always wanted.
The walls are filled with pictures and pretty plates; we wanted a homely
feel as if you’re visiting your great Grandmothers home, warming and
welcoming.
A beautiful and tranquil place to visit with
all the family it truly is a hidden gem.
Our Victorian themed tearoom is in the heart of the gardens with the beck
running alongside our tearooms we are next to the Italian Gardens. We have
a lawn for children to play whilst you can sit and enjoy a cup of Yorkshire
tea with a slice of homemade cake & cream. Our full menu is available
all day. Vegan is also one of our specialities with tempting salted caramel
vegan ice cream to homemade cakes; we try to cater for everyone including
free doggy treats.
On the walk through the Valley gardens there are two children’s play
areas which are suitable for all ages including a climbing area and playhouse
near the beck.
The wildlife in the gardens is simply wonderful with squirrels, robins,
wrens &
butterflies there is so much to see and teach the children.
With walks all through the woods you can visit Fairy glen, walk part of
the Cleveland way or follow the path to see the amazing viaduct which stands
at 180ft tall which opened in 1872 to help serve the Skinningrove Limestone
mines.
At the beginning of the gardens you will find the Saltburn miniature railway
which was established in 1947. The miniature railway runs through the valley
alongside the beck and stops near the Valley tearooms. It’s a wonderful
ride for all the family and opens weekends from Easter 1-5pm and school
holidays. School trips can book the train and visit the tearooms for an
ice cream treat.
The Valley Gardens form part of the late Victorian seaside resort of Saltburn-by-the-Sea which was developed between 1861 and 1873 by the wealthy industrialist Henry Pease and designed by Joseph Newton. Although there was long fishing and farming hamlet at Saltburn, the Victorian upper town that developed during the 1860s arose from Henry’s dream of tall, splendid buildings rising from the cliff top. A vision he had while walking along the coast. He established the Saltburn Improvement Company, bought the land and advertised for designs for the town. Plots were allocated for villas for wealthy visitors, hotels for the middle classes and areas for cheap boarding houses for the workers. There were reading rooms, a convalescent home, pier, cliff lift, Italianate gardens and woodland walks – but no pubs, because the Pease family were Quakers.
Our
Tea Rooms was built in the 1930’s in the far south corner of the pleasure
grounds surrounded by trees and overlooks the river, with laid croquet lawn
to its front that we still use to this day. It is also situated next to Joseph
Newton’s Italian Garden. This is laid out on a terrace consisting of
an oval-shaped flower parterre with chain borders of box (replanted and restored
1996). The garden is surrounded by a gravel walk, a shrubbery, decorative
cast-iron columns, and seats.
Here are three interesting little facts Just In case you were wondering?
1 The name Saltburn first appears following the Anglo-Saxon invasion and is derived from the Saxon name for the local stream, Sealt-Burna, or salty stream.
2. By 1670 there were two alum mines actually sited at Saltburn. They remained open until 1720 this the reason for the sometimes rusty coloured water that run through the gardens.
3.
The Saltburn Cliff Lift was designed and constructed Marks and opened on Saturday
28 June 1884. A funicular with a height of 120 feet (37 m) and a track length
of 207 feet (63 m), creating a 71% incline. It remains today the world's oldest
water-balanced cliff railway