Mary Scurr with Billy and Olive taking a stroll around the Burn Valley Gardens, in 1928.

This beautiful view taken in the mid 1960s shows the greatly missed Peter Pan pond and statue, the manicured grass ,tended rockeries and neat wooden benches. The rockery in the background to the left of the shelter (which was a sun trap) was also a set of 'fairy steps' much loved by children. There was another set of fairy steps behind the pond and where the photographer would be standing.

Compare this to photo (2) today.

 This image taken in September 2016 is from the same spot as (1) The pond has been filled in, tarmac has replaced the crazy paving and the fairy steps are virtually gone. The more rustic benches have been replaced by low maintenance, vandal proof  metal structures. 

The rocks in the foreground are man made and part of an adventure playground. The fairy steps behind the photographer are no more and are steps to  a tubular slide. The view is a fairly attractive open space and the trees are beautiful, but a very different  view to (1) taken in the 1960's.

Taken in the mid to late 1960s, the image is of the flower beds and shelter. The shelter is no longer there and in place of the flower beds today is a large grassed area which was seeded when the beck was diverted about 2010. To the right of the photo would be the fairy steps described in (1). The tower in the background is Claremont which was at that time either a school still  or the Teachers' Centre. Part of Rosebank is also just visible.

This view taken in the mid 1960s is barely recognisable now. (see 5) Here we see beautifully tended gardens, a rockery with two tiers of seating and attractive crazy paving.

Compare this view today with (4). we are looking in the same direction towards the rockery but one tier has gone and the seats replaced by metal benches.

At some point around 2010, the beck was diverted into a loop to prevent flooding and this loop came across part of what had been the flower bed in image 4. A grass bank now covers the rest of the flower bed area.

This was taken in the mid 1960s looking down into the Burn Valley from the winding path at the top of Elwick Road. Where the flower bed and rustic fencing was, there is now just an expanse of grass although the Council did plant wild flowers there in 2015.

Looking at the scene in picture 6 today is barren compared to the 1960s,70s and 80s. The flower bed, rustic fences and wooden benches are no more.

This spring view taken in the 1960s from the bridge over the burn from near Eldon Grove shows the steps up to the bowling greens and in the background is the Brinkburn Boys' Grammar School, now the 6th form College.

Today the bridge is metal, the school exterior has been remodelled and the bowling greens have a high fence around them.

Many students both then and now have crossed  the Burn Valley on their way to school.

A tree planting in Burn Valley Gardens. The Mayor of Hartlepool present.

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A bit of artistic  licence has possibly been taken with the houses in the background, those on the left being Colwyn Road and on the right Stockton Street. Strathmore House is visible.

In later years, there were tennis courts in this area of the Burn Valley and then a formal rose garden.

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Bandstand Burn Valley Gardens, Hartlepool taken in 1912 Strathmore House (the original private house long before its use as the co-op funeral parlour) can be seen in the background.

Taken at the York Road end of the Burn Valley where the burn disappears undergroud to go under York Road, under Stockton St and Burn Road before coming out at the sea near Newburn bridge which was named because of this.

On the right would be Colwyn Road and to the left of the image were tennis courts at that time.

An image taken in wintertime some years ago. This is the last bridge across the beck at the west end of the Burn Valley and Ambleside Manor can be seen on the photo.

A rustic bridge in the Burn Valley in wintertime . It is many years since the bridges were in this style although the date is unknown.

Bridge over beck in Burn Valley Gardens, Hartlepool. The Victoria Homes are on the left.

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Building the Rockeries Burn Valley Gardens, Hartlepool. c1945

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Taken in the mid 1980s, the view is little changed although the park is now no longer as cultivated as it was. The building in the background is of interest as it is Claremont Flats for the elderly which were built on the site of Claremont, a Victorian villa. Claremont became a school for children with special needs and then Hartlepool Teachers' Centre before being demolished in the mid 1970s. The flats in turn were demolished in the first decade of this century.

The image shows aunt Rachel Willoughby, who emigrated to Australia not long after the photo was taken, and the children are Christianna Wright and Nellie Willoughby. The houses behind them are in Colwyn Road on the corner of Bangor St.

The image is taken from near the beck looking up towards Elwick Road and Belmont Gardens. Elwick Road school, which looks very new having opened in 1906, can clearly be seen.

Members of the Burn Valley Bowls Club in 1941, enjoying a game while still wearing their party hats.

Burn Valley Gardens. A picture showing the beck in the gardens.

Burn Valley Gardens. Two men relaxing on one of the seats in the gardens. The house in the background is Claremont, which in 1933 became a school for children with additional needs and in the early 1970s a Teachers' Centre. It was then demolished and sheltered housing built on the site. This in turn was demolished and retirement bungalows are now on the site.

Burn Valley Gardens Bandstand 1903 with members of the public around.

Images of the Ladies of the Burn Valley Ladies Bowls Club in 1941.

Wonderful image taken by the Hartlepool Mail  in the 1950s when the playground really was as busy as the photo shows and health and safety was years away ! Notice too that there are almost no watching adults as children at the time usually went to the playground unaccompanied.

The slide really was as high as that and had a long flat part, as when it was shiny you could fly down ! On the left were the 'American swings' which needed two people, but often had up to eight, and were moved by pushing the feet on bars which hung below the swing. 

Out of sight on the picture was a 'teapot lid' roundabout, a large rocking horse and a 'witch's hat'.

In the background, the lower Burn Valley Bowls Club can be seen and just visible behind that are the Victoria Homes.

The photo shows Lily Jenkins in the Burn Valley beside the 'Peter Pan pond' . This was filled in some years ago and an adventure playground has been built where it was. The statue of Peter Pan was often stolen and replaced. In the background is Claremont, a Victorian villa which,after being a private home, was first a special school for children with learning needs and before being demolished was Hartlepool Teachers' Centre. Sheltered housing was then built on the site but this is now demolished and recently a retirement development is in its place.

The aspect is not quite clear although it is looking east and the houses on the left are in Colwyn Road. It is possibly close to Bangor and Powell Streets where there is a short entrance much like the path off on the left. It could be streets east of Baden Street.

The detail on the houses looks to have possibly been sketched in  making the exact location difficult.

A fascinating photo which shows the Burn Valley beck(looking more rustic and cleaner than it does now) and houses behind. It has probably been taken from the Baden Street/ allotments area. The terrace of houses are those between Burn Valley Road and Bangor Street in Colwyn Road and at right angles to them is Burn Valley Road. The houses are still there and another must have been added to the terrace possibly as Bangor Street was built.The scaffolding for the building work for this street appears on the photo.

In the background, Elwick Road School can be clearly seen and this was opened in 1906.To the right of the terrace of houses on the other side of Bangor Street is now a further terrace of houses with a stone dating them as 1911. The photo was taken therefore between 1906 and 1911.

Because of large mature trees, it is quite difficult to see the view from this point today.

The playground in the lower part of the Burn Valley was very popular in the 1950s and 60s in particular when there was never an adult in sight ! Here the children are on the rocking horse.

This idyllic, peaceful scene of the early 1950s would be impossible to find today. The 'fairy steps' would be just to the right, and the whole area where the man is pushing the pram is now the grassland where the beck has been diverted.

Sadly, the flower beds to the right are a thing of the past too.