Saltburn Cliff Tramway: The iconic piece of Victorian engineering which sits on the Yorkshire coast
The popular resort of Saltburn-by-the-Sea 20 miles north of Whitby is part of the ceremonial County of North Yorkshire although for administrative purposes is governed by Redcar and Cleveland.
It has two special features: the only surviving pleasure pier on the Yorkshire coast, and Britain’s oldest water-balance funicular tram.
This iconic piece of Victorian engineering replaced a vertical 120ft high lift, or hoist, which conveyed passengers up and down the steep cliff which separates Saltburn town from the beach.
This operated from 1870 until 1883 when the structure was condemned by inspectors because of rotten timbers.
Today’s funicular, known as the Saltburn Cliff Tramway, was designed to ascend and descend the cliff at a 71 per cent incline and carry 12 passengers in each of two cars running on parallel tracks.
The cars had 240-gallon water tanks which were filled and emptied in rotation in order to provide counterbalance and enable them to move up and down double steel wires.
Their movement was controlled by a brakeman at the clifftop station.
The tramway opened on Saturday 28th June 1884, but to begin with its operation was unreliable.
The windows were partially decorated with stained glass until the cars were replaced in the 1950s when plain glass was installed.
Another set of cars was introduced in 1979 and the stained-glass windows were reinstated in 1991, provided by local artist Chloe Buck. In 2011 the bodies of the cars were refurbished and “Victorianised”.
The tram closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and again in early 2024 when a fire in the plant room caused extensive damage, but after repairs it reopened the following September.
In early 2026 the cars were again being replaced while a new braking and buffering system was installed.
The tramway’s ornate upper and lower stations are Grade II listed structures.