Stockton-on-Tees

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Stockton-on-Tees is a town in North East England. It is the major settlement in the unitary authority and borough of Stockton-on-Tees. For ceremonial purposes, the town of Stockton-on-Tees is in County Durham.

1 History
2 Industry
3 Famous citizens
4 Stockton today
5 Stockton the future
6 External links

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History

Stockton began as an Anglo-Saxon settlement on high ground close to the northern bank of the River Tees. The manor of Stockton was created around 1138 and subsequently purchased by Bishop Pudsey of Durham in 1189 and since then has undergone many changes. Stockton's market can trace its history back to 1310, when Bishop Bek of Durham granted a market charter - 'to our town of Stockton a market upon every Wednesday for ever'. Stockton Castle is first referred to in 1376. It was captured by the Scottish in 1644 and was occupied by them until 1646, but was destroyed on the orders of Oliver Cromwell at the end of the Civil War. There is now a shopping centre, aptly named the Castle Gate Centre, where the original castle stood.

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Industry

Major industries in Stockton have included ship-repairing, steel and chemicals.

The town is most famous for its associations with the Stockton and Darlington Railway on which ran the world's first steam hauled passenger train in 1825. The town also has the world's oldest railway station building, and also contains much Georgian architecture, one notable example being the worlds oldest Georgian theatre, constructed in 1766.

During the twentieth century the town's heavy industry declined dramatically, along with the that of the surrounding Teesside area. Since the 1980s the town has seen an increase in service industries.

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Famous citizens

It was the birthplace and early home of furniture designer Thomas Sheraton. It was also the home of John Walker, who invented the friction match in 1826.

Other famous people born in Stockton include Will Hay and Jimmy James the comedians; Ivy Close Miss Great Britain; Brass Crosby Lord Mayor of London; Joseph Ritson waspish critic and editor; 'Flying' Freddy Dixon the record-breaking racer; the actors Richard Griffiths and Stephen Tompkinson; Francis Bainbridge the great physiologist and Margaret Nicholson would-be assassin of George III. She appears in the film The Madness of King George.

The Member of Parliament for many years was Harold Macmillan, later Prime Minister. He was created Earl of Stockton on his retirement. Coincidentally, another Prime Minister, Tony Blair, represents Sedgefield, which is the portion of County Durham surrounding Stockton-on-Tees.

Author George Orwell also resided for a year in Greystone, near Carlton, a village in the borough, from 1944-1945.

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Stockton today

The town's High Street is reputed to be the widest in Europe.

Stockton-on-Tees has many suburbs with individual identities: Hartburn, Fairfield, Hardwick, Norton, Eaglescliffe and Thornaby being a select few.

Stockton town centre has undergone many developments in recent years including the spectacular, albeit wobbly, Millennium Bridge, the Queens Campus of Durham University, several acres of office buildings erected along the South bank of the River Tees within the Teesdale development and Wellington Square a modern shopping arcade erected upon the old Wellington Street area of the town centre.

Whilst Stockton has its own railway station near to the town centre, Stockton railway station, more and longer distance services operate from Thornaby railway station across the River Tees.

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Stockton the future

Work is under way to develop The North bank of the River Tees as part of the North Shore development, which will include new offices and housing.

The Stockton-Middlesbrough Initiative is a 20 year vision for regenerating the urban core of the Tees Valley, the main focus being the 30 km² area along the banks of the River Tees between the two centres of Stockton and Middlesbrough. The master plan has been drawn up by environmental design specialists Gillespies, the eventual aim being to create a distinctive high-quality city of over 320,000 citizens at the heart of the Tees Valley, by connecting both Middlesbrough and Stockton along the Tees corridor. The project will include not only the existing developments at North Shore, Stockton and Middlehaven, Middlesbrough, but many others over a 15-20 year period.

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