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Yes they did play polo at Nunthorpe Then in 1854 the new branch railway between Middlesbrough and Guisborough had made villages like Nunthorpe and Ormesby very desirable residential areas for the senior business men involved in the expanding iron making industry along the River Tees. These executives integrated with the existing county gentry to establish many social events including agricultural shows, horse and pony jumping and trotting competitions as well as fox hunting. The Polo Field at Nunthorpe adjacent to Guisborough Road, and
opposite the present Avenue entrance, made a splendid venue for Polo.The
role played by Nunthorpe Station was important in this respect. The
station was exceptional in that it had the facilities to handle horses,
and special trains were arranged for the transport of the polo ponies to
take part in matches on the Nunthorpe Polo Field. It is recorded that in
1911 alone, the staff at Nunthorpe Station handled 349 horses The Polo field was also used for cavalry practice by the local troop
which included in its ranks Lieutenant George Dorman (he of the well
known Dorman family ) According to farmer Peter Jopling, whose family rented Grange Farm which stands near St Mary’s Church and whose fields run down to the present sports field, Polo was played on the field around 1920 when it was part of the Greytowers estate owned by the Dorman family He points out that an adjacent field is also known as Polo and wonders if this was borrowed from the original. An adjoining field is known as Powder House named after the building used to store explosives for Dorman Long’s East Cleveland ironstone mines. The original entrance gateposts to this building still stand on the drive of a house on the Western side of Stokesley Road. |