Scarborough Road connects the towns of Malton and Norton to the coast. Howard Campion, a trustee at the Malton and Norton Heritage Centre, looks back at the road’s history.

GOING out from Norton and heading towards Scarborough, there is a slight rise in the road’s gradient which soon falls back down to its original level next to a timber framed building on the left hand side.

This was ‘The Balaclava’ (AKA ‘The Bala’), a Russell’s pub which closed over 60 years ago).

Following the line of the buildings in that area it is apparent that the original Scarborough Road had been quite flat around here, but the building of a bridge altered its profile.

The old railway bridge (Thirsk Bridge as it was once known) took road traffic over the railway which was once a long-distance line stretching from Driffield to Thirsk.

However, when the line was first laid, rail and road traffic shared the same space.

It crossed over Scarborough Road on the level and was controlled by crossing gates and a small signal box.

Gazette & Herald: The small signal box for the original level crossing The small signal box for the original level crossing (Image: Malton and Norton Heritage Centre)

At this point, though, there was thought to have once been a serious railway accident.

Consequently, a bridge was built over the railway line to replace the level crossing but it had to be accompanied by a taller signal box to guarantee vision in both directions along the line.

Read more from Howard Campion:

The accident must have occurred sometime before 1853 because a contemporary account from the time tells of the line ‘passing under Scarborough Road’.

Details of the incident itself are sketchy and there does not seem to be much documentary evidence regarding what happened.

Gazette & Herald: The taller signal box that was later installed The taller signal box that was later installed (Image: Malton and Norton Heritage Centre)

The railway services included local trains to Driffield and Gilling (for Ampleforth College) as well as summer expresses from Scarborough to Scotland.

The Bacon factory was served by a siding which also housed the trains that took home the guests from the reception at Hovingham Hall after the Royal wedding of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Katherine Worsley at York Minster in 1961.