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Traveling to England?Take a look at Hartlepool . . . its history may surprise youBy Marilyn LoeserWhenever an English waitress, hotel clerk or taxi driver politely asked about my vacation itinerary and I mentioned Hartlepool, the response was either, “Have you heard the monkey legend?” or simply “Why?” Yes, I’d heard about the monkey legend. It stems from a folk song telling the tale of a monkey washed ashore after a French warship went down and hung because townsfolk thought the monkey was a Frenchman.
Had I known then what I know now, my answer to the second inquiry would have been “Why not?” What I found in Hartlepool during my visit was a richly historic and beautiful city perched on the edge of the North Sea.
The HeadlandLooking out over the North Sea, great ships skirting the horizon, its easy to imagine the centuries of strong souls standing in this very place making a living from the sea, raising their families and living their lives the best the times would allow. Nearby is St. Hilda Abbey. Dating from 1185, it stands on the site of an earlier abbey which flourished as early as 658 AD. St. Hilda still welcomes religious worshipers and stands as a physical reminder of headland history.
West HartlepoolThe town of West Hartlepool was founded in the mid 19th century by a group of entrepreneurs, growing as the result of a battle between rival railway companies and development of a new harbor in competition to the old Hartlepool harbor. Strategically placed with good access for coal and iron ore mines, and the sea, West Hartlepool grew rapidly and grew rich. By the beginning of WWI there were 42 shipping companies operating 235 ships in West Hartlepool. The area was so important to shipping it was here the first hostile action by Germany against Britain in WWI took place. The seaport was bombarded on Dec 16, 1914 for 35-minutes resulting in 119 deaths. As we walked along the North Sea, my friend Bryan pointed out a plaque commemorating this attack and other monuments honoring those who gave there lives during the First World War including two of Michelle’s ancestors. Finding Hartlepool’s historyNot every visitor will have the advantage I had of lifelong residents acting as tour guides, but a visit to the Hartlepool Historic Quay, HMS Trincomalee and Museum of Hartlepool will certainly offer an excellent visual to what was in this historically rich area.
Another attraction at the Quay is Fighting Ships. It’s a truthful portrait of what life aboard ship 200 years ago was like; told visually with mannequins, sound affects and special lighting. Much too factual for me, I wouldn’t recommend taking children into the attraction. Better for the youngsters is the Children's Maritime Adventure Centre filled with games, hands-on exhibits and educational displays. Other family-friendly attractions here include the many harbor-side merchants such as the gunsmith, tailor, architect, printer and the instrument maker, each seemingly frozen in time. The city museum here is also a must-see for visitors. Chronicling a thousand years on the North Sea, even the "the hanging of the monkey" legend is worthy of an exhibit. If you go: To find out more or to plan a visit, check the website at destinationhartlepool.com. All photos by Marilyn Loeser |
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The
“why” was easy too — my friends Michelle and Bryan O’Donoghue and their children
Lydia and Bradley live in this northern city near Scotland.
Hartlepool,
and its 90,000 residents, is actually two communities in one, created in 1967 by
the incorporation of two neighboring towns — the ancient headland town of
Hartlepool that can be traced back to 647 AD and the much newer Victorian town
of West Hartlepool.
Nearby
also stands the ancient town walls completed in the early 12th century as a
defense against twin enemies: the Scots and the sea.
The
Quay depicts an 18th century seaport. Its centerpiece is HMS Trincomalee, the
second oldest British warship afloat. Guests are invited onboard to better
understand life two centuries ago aboard the frigate.