Tees for two

People used to joke that when the huge Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge swung its gondola of cars and passengers across the River Tees from the County Durham side at Port Clarence to the then-Yorkshire town of Middlesbrough, people would have to go through passport control.

That was the tongue-in-cheek attitude of some Tyke patriots then. We're more than just a county, we are. We're a nation. But then in 1974 came a paper revolution, one that saw the spilling of ink rather than blood.

And it left not just Middlesbrough but a vast swathe of its rural hinterland belonging to Yorkshire no more. Since then the Middlesbrough area has undergone one or two name changes, with Cleveland and Teesside mostly consigned to history books to the relief of many, and these day you'll find brochures in Tourist Information Centres with pictures of gleaming white sands or flowerbed-wreathed stately homes behind the words "Visit Tees Valley." The word "Valley" may be pushing it a bit but the North York Moors do slide gently down to the Tees, and much of the river's course is leafy and picturesque even if it isn't contained between hills. Going there now, it's easy to see how miffed a lot of Yorkshire folk must have once felt at its theft, although few tears may have been shed over the loss of Middlesbrough.

A few decades ago the names of the town and the Tees would not have been on the lips of overseas visitors, but in common with other ports like Hull and Liverpool there's been an explosion of art and cappuccino culture. And in common with many industrial rivers the Tees has been cleaned up to the extent that some people are brave enough to drink the water for a bet. Okay, it may not be ready to be mentioned in the same breath as the Seine, the Arno or the Danube, but there's still a lot going on there.

One of the star attractions is that Transporter Bridge across the old Yorkshire border. It's as iconic to Middlesbrough as the Eiffel Tower is to Paris, but its purpose was never supposed to be ornamental. When opened in 1911, after 27 months of construction, according to its list of charges it carried "horse, mule, ass, ox, cow, calf or swine" as well as humans for one penny a time.

The gondola which swings from the 225ft-high structure was designed to carry 860 passengers of whatever species and allow the masts of large ships to pass underneath.

In the Seventies, it made headlines when the late comic actor, Terry Scott, accidentally drove his Jag off the Port Clarence side in the dark. Fortunately, for those fans of Terry and June, Scott landed in the safety netting. More recently, the bridge has featured in Billy Elliot and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.

There's a small visitor centre, and you can still take the gondola over to the north bank. From there, it's a fairly easy walk to the area's newest attraction, the RSPB Saltholme Bird Reserve, one of the most visitor-friendly reserves on a 1,000-acre site, with architect-designed observation hides and year-round bird spectaculars, not least the huge flocks of lapwing and golden plover in winter.

Across wetlands and fields Middlesbrough itself is spread out along the south bank of the river, and for anyone spending a day here there are two places that fall into the must-visit category. One is the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum

in the suburb of Marton, where the life

and travels of one of Yorkshire's most famous sons has been imaginatively recreated.

The other is Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art – known locally as Mima – which is a kind of mini Tate Modern full of thought-provoking and boundary-pushing takes on visual and aural art (there's an outdoor "sounds exhibition") plus touring collections by internationally acclaimed artists.

For another extraordinary feast of art it's necessary to head east to the little resort of Saltburn. This one is not in a gallery but an old bank building, and comprises floor upon floor of shop space called ArtsBank. The paintings and sculptures of landscapes, wildlife and people offer a fascinating perspective on the area and it's a hard place to leave.

With no offence to places like Filey and Hornsea, Saltburn-by-the-Sea – to use its Sunday name – would probably be considered the nicest resort on Yorkshire's coast if it hadn't been stolen in 1974.

There is little of the tat and whizz-bang arcades that spoil much of the English seaside, and the centrepiece is its magnificent Victorian pier and cable-driven cliff lift.

The bay is popular with surfers, and at its south end stands the Ship Inn, once a meeting place for smugglers. Back in the town, there has been one notable change since it was built in the 1860s. The Quakers who founded Saltburn didn't allow alcohol to be sold. Now there are public houses.

Another sadly de-Yorshired town is Yarm, which stands comparisons with Ilkley. Yarm stands on one of the prettiest stretches of the Tees, and could well be on a different planet to the chimneyed skyline you see downstream. It has a lovely old market place with lots of narrow passages leading off it.

GETTING THERE...

Roger Ratcliffe stayed at the Gisborough Hall Hotel, Whitby Lane, Guisborough, TS14 6PT. 0844 879 9149. www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/gisborough

Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge and Visitor Centre, Ferry Road, TS2 1PL. 01642 728162.

Capt Cook Birthplace Museum is in Stewart Park, Marton, TS7 8AT. 01642 311211.

Mima (Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art) is in Centre Square, Middlesbrough, TS1 2AZ. 01642 726720. www.visitmima.com

Further information: www.visitteesvalley.co.uk

YP MAG 27/11/10