Saltburn's
cliff lift started out as a vertical hoist supporting a lift cage, taking
up to twenty people from Marine Parade, at the top of the cliffs, to the
lower promenade, opposite the pier. It was financed by the Saltburn-by-the-Sea
Pier Company and operated on the principle of water displacement from a
large tank. It was designed and engineered by John Anderson, a local entrepreneur.
Money problems meant the Pier Company had to sell out to the Owners of Middlesbrough Estates, and in 1884 the ageing hoist was replaced by a 207 feet inclined tramway. This worked on the same principles as the hoist. The carriages were very elegant, with plush red seats and decorative windows.
The cliff lift still runs today during the summer months, although the original plush seats and windows have gone.
In 1991 new stained glass windows, designed by local stained glass artist Cloe Buck, were fitted, at a cost of £2,930, as part of the restoration of the cliff lift and Victorian Saltburn.