WE recently published this picture of a road haulage accident near Scotch Corner in 1932. It was such an exciting accident that a couple of boys had cycled out to survey the damage.

Steve Calvert points out that in the background is Underkneeton Farm, where he lives on the outskirts of Middleton Tyas. His stepfather and mother, John and Evelyn Cooper, used to run Cooper’s Transport from the farm.

This means that our lorry was travelling on the Great North Road from Scotch Corner through Barton and Stapleton to Darlington. This stretch of the road was built in 1833 by a turnpike trust – a group of entrepreneurs who were allowed to charge people to use the road as long as they used most of the proceeds to maintain it. The turnpike built the now disused Willow Bridge, between Barton and Stapleton, and Blackwell Bridge.

Tolls between Scotch Corner and Darlington were abolished in 1879.

The Kneeton area is a fascinating place. Steve’s farm has a beam with “1748” carved on it, and on the west of the motorway is Kneeton Hall, where there is a doorway with “1597” on it. Closer to Scotch Corner is Violet Grange, a nursing home, which has a tumulus in front of it.

This area is riddled with the remains of quarrying and copper-mining – we believe, for instance, that there are several lime kilns that survive in the Kneeton area. If you can tell us anything about them, please email chris.lloyd@nne.co.uk