Over the years, the North Sea has sadly seen a number of people lose their lives at sea – usually caused by the rough winds and sea.
It was quite regular in the late 1800’s for bodies to be found on Saltburn Beach and they would be placed in the Ship Inn – until they could be examined.
From the number of occurrences of people washed up at sea, it was decided that a mortuary would be in Saltburn. It was decided that it would be located next to the Ship Inn.
The Old Mortuary was used until the 1960’s and it stands today as a grade II listed building.
Since the 1960’s it has been used for a number of things, such as a wood store, a photography studio, and also used by Tees Valley Wildlife Trust.
Whilst in 2007, Tees Valley Wildlife Trust opened The Old Mortuary 4 days a week, which saw thousands of visitors each week.
Today, however it stands alone and unused – as can be seen from the photograph above.
Where to find The Old Mortuary