History of Stockton on Tees

The History of Stockton on Tees

Origins of the place name Stockton

Stockton is an Anglo-Saxon name with the typical Anglo-Saxon place name ending 'ton' meaning farm, or homestead.

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Early History of Stockton on Tees

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 was purchased by Bishop Pudsey of Durham in 1189. When the bishop freed the serfs of Stockton, craftsmen came to live in the new town... Read More [...]

Industrial History of Stockton on Tees

A Brief overview of modern Stockton on Tees

Stockton-on-Tees is located in the North East of England on the borders of North Yorkshire and County Durham. The town sits on the banks of the river Tees and is approximately five miles west of Middlesbrough.

The Tees Valley has, on average, the fastest-flowing urban traffic speeds in the UK. Take advantage of the excellent road network and travel between the North and South on both the A19 and A1(M). The West is easily accessible on the A66 or via the A1(M) to the M62. Stockton is a 40-minute drive from Newcastle, 1 hour drive from Leeds and York and just over 2 hours from Manchester, providing ease of access to other UK markets and supply chains.
The town also benefits from two railway stations; Stockton station to the north-west for local connections and Thornaby to the south which provides connections to Manchester and Liverpool via the Trans Pennine Express line and London (Kings Cross) via Darlington on the East Coast Mainline. Both of these stations are within walking distance of the town centre
Stockton-on-Tees is also easily accessed by air from Durham Tees Valley, Newcastle and Manchester International airports.
Teesport also offers the UK’s fourth largest port, handling the largest amount of outbound traffic of any port in the UK.
Stockton-on-Tees has approximately 191,400 people within the district, with populations of approximately 1,000,000 and 2,753,000 within thirty and sixty minute drive times of the town respectively.

Shipbuilding in Stockton, which had began in the 15th century, prospered in the 17th and 18th centuries. Smaller-scale industries began developing around this time, such as brick, sail and rope making, the latter reflected in road names such as Ropery Street in the centre..
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Tees Transporter Bridge

It connects Middlesbrough, on the south bank, to Port Clarence, on the north bank. It is a transporter bridge, carrying a travelling 'car', or 'gondola', suspended from the bridge, across the river....Read More [...]

History of the Town Hall

Stockton's historic Town Hall, or to give it it's traditional name, the Town House - dates from 1735 in its present form. Dominating the town from its position in the centre of the town's High Street...Read More [...]

Stockton and Darlington Railway

The Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) was a railway company that operated in north-east England from 1825 to 1863. The world's first public railway to...Read More [...]

Stockton Castle

At what date the hall was fortified we do not know although it is first referred to as a castle in 1376. During the Civil War Stockton castle was a Royalist stronghold and in 1640 ... Read More [...]

Locomotion No 1 of the Stockton & Darlington Railway at the 1925 100th anniversary

World War 2 and Stockton-on-Tees

The first recorded raid on the townships of Stockton on Tees occurred on the night of 6 June 1940 when a German raider dropped his bombs onto Thornaby Aerodrome. Two aircraft were destroyed on the ground, along with two fuel bowsers, and the runway itself suffered some damage. A number of service personnel were injured one of whom later died from his injuries...Read More [...]

John Walker and the Safety Match

John WALKER'S matches (1826-1829): myths and reality. CLICK image

John Walker - Inventor of the Safety Match

John Walker was born in Stockton-on-Tees in 1781. He went to the local grammar school and was afterwards apprenticed to Watson Alcock, the principal surgeon of the town serving him as an assistant. He had, however, an aversion to surgical operations, and had to leave the profession, turning instead to chemistry. After studying at Durham and York, he set up a small business as a chemist and druggist at 59 High Street, Stockton, around 1818. Read More [...]