In 1804 the Yarm to Thirsk turnpike was opened. With the growing traffic, the demand for some form of resting place grew, which resulted in the building of The Cleveland Tontine.

Built as a Tontine, which is an old business term devised by the Italian Lorenzo Tonti in 1653; a group of investors put money into a venture. As the members passed away, the shares were divided between the remaining investors until there was one sole survivor who then inherited 100% of the shares. Tontines are now illegal, as they "allegedly" had a tendency to lead to many 'unnatural' deaths!

The original investors raised the princely sum of £2500, a substantial sum in 1804, for the erection of the Tontine.

The first brick was laid on 13th July 1804, by the 5th September 1806 the daily mail coach between Sunderland and London began to run with the 'Cleveland Tontine' being one of the main resting and storage stops.

After the arrival of the steam engine and the railways the Cleveland Tontine became a private residence known as 'Ingleby House'. As the post-war traffic began to increase, a local brewery bought 'Ingleby House' as a high quality "road house" with a restaurant, ballroom and cellar bar. In September 1976 the McCoy brothers, Eugene, Tom and Peter took the reins.

The Refurbishment

In 2009 the Tontine deserved a refurbishment.

Work began in late summer with the major upgrading of the entire electrical supply and the antiquated drainage system causing premature grey hair for our management and contractors alike.

Then came the bedrooms!

Three of the seven rooms have undergone major redevelopment second floor gallery style bathroom suites for bedroom 7 and 8 mean a greater luxurious space and feel. Bedroom 6 is now barely recognisable!! Thank goodness