Cleveland Coast – Rail, Micropubs & Breweries
I set off from Northallerton for a full day of trains, buses and pubs along the Cleveland Coast, beginning with a short look around Redcar before heading to Marske-by-the-Sea and Saltburn. Later on, I travelled back to Middlesbrough for a brewery tap and a few more town-centre stops. There was plenty of variety, from traditional pubs and little micropubs to craft beer bars and a brewery in an industrial unit.
There is plenty of history along this stretch of coast. Redcar grew from a fishing village into a seaside destination after the railway arrived in 1846. Marske has much older roots, with a church recorded in the 11th century and Marske Hall built in 1625. Saltburn developed into a planned Victorian resort under Henry Pease in the 1860s, with its famous pier opening in 1869. Middlesbrough grew rapidly after a new port and railway link arrived in 1830, followed by iron and steel industries that transformed the area.
Who I Met
One of the nicest parts of the day was chatting with the friendly owner at The Wynd in Marske, along with a few customers, including two who were visiting from Halifax. It’s always good when a visit to somewhere new turns into a proper conversation.
Pubs on this trip
Jump straight to any of the twelve stops, grouped by town:
Marske-by-the-Sea
Clarendon
Lockdown Micro Bar
The Smugglers Den
The Wynd – Craft Beers
Saltburn
The Guns Bar
The Marine
The Pillar Box
Signals
Middlesbrough
Redcar
After breakfast, I caught a TransPennine Express train from Northallerton to Redcar Central. It was too early to call into the two micropubs near the station, The Gypsy Rover and Rita’s Pantry, both of which I’d visited before. Instead, I took a look around the seafront and went up The Beacon for views across Redcar before continuing the journey.
Marske-by-the-Sea
My next train took me along to Marske, somewhere I’d not visited before. The centre is only a short walk from the station, and I had four very different places to explore.
Clarendon
I started on Marske High Street at the Clarendon, also known locally as the Middle House. It’s a traditional, family-run pub with a long-established reputation for real ale. The main room has a particularly interesting island bar, with wooden fittings and old photographs of Marske on the walls. It’s a lovely example of an older-style local pub, and I enjoyed having a proper look around.
On my visit there were three cask ales to choose from: Theakston Old Peculier, Black Sheep Best Bitter and Camerons Strongarm. I went for the Strongarm, which was really well kept. The Clarendon was a great start to my first visit to Marske, with a warm, traditional setting and a pint worth stopping for.
Lockdown Micro Bar
Right next door was Lockdown Micro Bar, a complete change from the Clarendon. This was a more modern-looking small bar, with a tidy, contemporary interior and a selection of different drinks. It made an interesting contrast to the traditional pub next door, and it was handy having the two so close together.
There was one cask ale available when I called in, from Ferry Ales Brewery in Lincolnshire, alongside other draught drinks and cocktails. It’s always nice finding a couple of very different places side by side, particularly when exploring a town for the first time.
The Wynd – Craft Beers
The Wynd was another enjoyable find among the shops in Marske. Part bottle shop and part craft beer bar, it had ten keg lines when I visited, along with a wide range of cans and bottles from local breweries and further afield. It was a comfortable place to settle in, with relaxed seating and plenty of beers to look through.
The owner gave me a really friendly welcome and I ended up chatting with a few customers, including two who were also from Halifax. For my drink I chose Vault City’s Cloudy Lemonade, a beer I’d been looking forward to trying that year. It certainly didn’t disappoint, and The Wynd turned out to be one of those friendly little places where the conversation is as enjoyable as the beer.
The Smugglers Den
A short walk around the corner brought me to The Smugglers Den. Nautical decoration runs through the bar, giving it a strong seaside character and plenty to look at. I settled down in the back room beside a lovely roaring fire, which made it a particularly cosy stop during a February trip along the coast.
The cask choice included two beers from Three Brothers Brewing and another from Camerons. I went for Thaipa from Three Brothers, another enjoyable local beer on the day. After the more modern surroundings at The Wynd, it was good to find somewhere with such a different look and feel.
Saltburn
From Marske, I caught the Arriva X3 bus over to Saltburn, arriving near Station Square. The next four stops were spread around the town centre and towards the seafront, with a good mix of micropubs and larger places.
The Pillar Box
The Pillar Box was just a few minutes from Saltburn railway station, and its Royal Mail theme made it stand out straight away. Old postal items and postbox designs appeared around the room, including on the cushions, while there was a working Victorian postbox outside. It’s the sort of detail that makes a small micropub memorable, and I enjoyed looking around.
There was just one cask beer on when I visited, Marmalade Bitter from Settle Brewery. It was a lovely pint and a nice stop near the station. The mix of postal memorabilia and a comfortable little drinking area made this one feel quite different from the places I’d visited earlier in Marske.
The Guns Bar
A short walk up the road took me to The Guns Bar. This was another quite different stop, with a more modern bar layout and plenty of room to sit and enjoy a drink. It was a useful place to call in before continuing towards the seafront.
There were four cask beer fittings, although none had beer available on my visit. Instead, I went for Spokane from Kirkstall Brewery on keg. It was good to find something different to try, even though the cask choice wasn’t available that afternoon.
The Marine
From The Guns Bar, I made my way down towards the seafront and stopped at The Marine. This is a larger, traditional-style pub close to the sea, with a different feel from Saltburn’s smaller bars. It was a good place to take a little time and enjoy another pint before heading back towards the station.
The cask selection included beers from Three Brothers and Camerons when I called in. I chose Northern IPA from Three Brothers, continuing the run of beers from breweries based in the wider area. The Marine made a nice contrast to the earlier stops, particularly with its setting near the front.
Signals
Signals was another stop with a railway connection, sitting within Saltburn’s redeveloped station buildings. It operates as a café by day, with an upstairs bar on certain evenings. The station surroundings made it a fitting place to visit on a rail-based day out, and the upstairs area gave me another different setting to enjoy.
The upstairs bar wasn’t open for its usual evening session when I visited, but I was still able to order a drink and sit upstairs. Their own Station IPA was available on keg, so that was my choice before I returned to the railway for the next part of the trip.
Middlesbrough
I took the train back from Saltburn to Middlesbrough for the last part of the day, starting with a walk to Play Brew Co before visiting three more bars closer to the centre.
Play Brew Co
Play Brew Co was around a fifteen-minute walk from the station, tucked away in an industrial estate. The brewery and taproom shared a large converted unit, giving the place plenty of space for both beer making and customers. It was a very different setting from the traditional pubs earlier in the day, and an interesting one to visit.
There were twelve taps when I visited, along with a sizeable range of cans available to take away. The combination of brewery equipment and a large taproom made it a good stop for anyone interested in seeing where some of their beers are made and then having a drink on site.
The Bottled Note
Back nearer the town centre, I stopped at The Bottled Note on Borough Road. The bar occupies part of a Victorian terrace, with a micropub-style drinking area and further space alongside. It’s an interesting use of an older commercial building, and a good example of the varied independent beer places around Middlesbrough.
On my visit there were three cask ales, together with a good range of keg beers and other drinks. I chose Finisher from Black Sheep Brewery. After the larger brewery tap at Play Brew Co, this felt more like a traditional town-centre beer stop, with cask beer at the heart of the visit.
Devils Advocate
Devils Advocate was just a short walk away and particularly busy when I arrived, with plenty of people out for the Middlesbrough football match. The place was lively, so this turned into a shorter stop than some of the earlier pubs.
There was one cask ale available when I visited, Shindigger from Durham Brewery. I had a drink before carrying on to my final pub of the day, The Twisted Lip.
The Twisted Lip
The Twisted Lip was my final Middlesbrough stop before heading back for the train. It’s a characterful bar with an interesting mix of decorations and plenty of little details around the rooms. I enjoyed having a look around, and it felt a good place to round off a busy day of exploring.
Three cask beers were available when I called in, from Yorkshire Heart, Rooster’s and Daleside. I went for Rooster’s YPA, a fitting last pint before making my way back to Middlesbrough railway station and the journey home.
A Day Along the Cleveland Coast
This was a really enjoyable mix of places, starting with the views around Redcar and working through Marske and Saltburn before finishing in Middlesbrough. The traditional Clarendon, the postal-themed Pillar Box, the friendly welcome at The Wynd and the very different surroundings at Play Brew Co all stood out in their own ways. It was a full day of rail and bus travel, but well worth it for the variety of pubs and beers.
Useful Links
Marske – Cleveland & Teesside Local History Society
All the beer selections and visit descriptions are from my February 2022 trip, rather than the venues’ current offerings.
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Hello son. Another great post again. Both interesting and informative, grandad had a read and enjoyed reading them all. Keep it up. Dad. xx👌
TOP WORK CONCISE AND PHOTO RICH… IDEAL FOR SPOTTING THE COMFY CHAIRS TOO THANKS