A print showing a view of the pond, smithy and public house on Norton Green, with large houses on the Green shown behind. Possibly c1890Print showing several young trees included in a view of the pond, smithy and public house on Norton Green. possibly c1890 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
I recently made a suprising discovery that William Wordsworth was a regular visitor to Stockton. His wife Mary, although originally from Penrith where she was a neighbour of Wordsworth, grew up and attended school in Stockton. She was from a local farming family by the name of Hutchinson. I was also intrigued that the great poet was a guest at Norton House as described in Mr. Harbron’s earlier entry. What evidence exists to record this event?
The influx of senior management and families to the I.C.I in the early 1930s saw the setting up of a private school in Ragworth Hall, Darlington Lane (this hall was also shared by Norton Catholics before the building of St Josephs in 1934-35). Red-House was built in the late 1870s and was the home of Mr Page. Page, a wealthy tanner, used red-marl “Linthorpe” instead of local sand-clay brick for his house which became known as that “Red House” across the Green, in spite of his attempts to have it known as “Page-House”. Resident in the 1920s were the Londonderry family of Wynyard. It was sold to the private school still retaining its village title. Several buildings near the Church including the Vicarage are now part of the Red-House campus.
Was Red-house the original Red House School – which has been for many years on the side of the Green opposite this picture. And now, I believe has expanded to the Vicarage.
To “Remove the bleak aspect of the Green” , a committee under the Vicar, the Rev Errington-Scott, started a tree-planting programme. The trees are in their animal protect fencing as cattle or sheep would have rubbed or eaten the tender saplings. Left to Right is Red-House, The Blacksmith Forge of Tommy Hall, “The Hambeltonian Inn” landlord Ralph Storey. Far right and background the magnificent 3 floor Georgian Norton-House 1780 During the early 1800s having Byron, Wordsworth , Coleridge and many of Londons elite as guests of Thomas Jefferson Hogg , university friend and autobiographer of the poet Bysshe Shelley.