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There are three bridges at Glaisdale, all a short walk down the hill from the station. The most notable is Beggar’s Bridge, which crosses the River Esk. It was built in 1619 by Thomas Ferris, who kept his promise to reclaim his sweetheart after floods kept them apart as he was leaving to make his fortune. He is reputed to have sailed from Whitby to fight the Armada, and to have been a buccaneer.
Glaisdale was once a centre of the iron industry with three blast
furnaces - but the work was transferred to Middlesbrough by the
turn of the century and no trace now remains.
On the downhill approach to the bridges, the remains of the coal cells
can be seen on the left. These were built to provide an
outlet for coal to local farmers, residents and other businesses.
Station masters operated these concessions to supplement their
income. The coal cells were divided into separate units to store
various grades of coal, the railway wagon discharging the coal
through a bottom door, into the cell.
At the foot of the hill, near the railway bridge, a pleasant walk
takes you through Arncliffe Woods to Egton Bridge, whilst an easy
two mile section of the Esk Valley Walk, commencing at the opposite
end of the village, takes you to
Lealholm, the next station westwards
on the Esk Valley line.
Heading uphill from the station, a walk of just under a mile will
bring you to the centre of the village where you can find a Post
Office, general store, butcher and another pub.