Dovecot Street – Stockton Literary and Philisophical Institutes building, containing the Northern Echo Newspaper offices, No.6, The White Hart Inn, The Spread Eagle Hotel, No.12, Stockton Co-operative Societys store, No.14, c1961 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Does anyone’s remember the five lamps at 32 Dovecot Street.. it’s the Citizens Advice Centre now. I visited it last week, still full of character, even tho it’s offices, all the original cronisess, and staircase is still there, with some original flooring and and some original windows. When I asked about the building, the guy said it use to be the five lamps, and before that someone’s home. I’ve tried to find some information but can’t see anything on here.
The Five Lamps are an organisation that had 32 Dovecot St as a previous address (see https://www.fivelamps.org.uk/ ). Its a Grade II listed building (https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1329448) that has been offices for a while so may have had many occupants since it was last a home.
My first ever job was age 15 working for a lovely Mr Benbow who was Manager of the Coop Electrical Dept in Dovecot Street in the early 60s. I still have the reference he gave me which is now tattered and torn but too special to part with. Very happy memories!
I remember going to town every Saturday with my dad and brother as mam worked in Mark’s and Spencer’s then. We went to Bradley the butcher’s for our piece of “beef” which was actually cheaper than a chicken then with a lovely piece of suet to go with it. We then went on the market for all the veg,usually for a week’s supply,and then the O bus back to Norton.
We got off at the “priory” where dad gave us money to get patties and chips while he went for a pint to his local,the George and Dragon. Mam bought lots of different sweet’s from Maynard’s,our weekly treat while we watched Billy Cotton and Dixon of Dock green,and in the winter in front of a beautiful roaring coal fire,what a fabulous childhood,but we also had some very hard times as well,not all plain sailing.
Mike Renwick mentioned the tobbaconist in Dovecote st. This was called Foreshaws I believe, or the house of solace. This picture brings back lovely memories as I spent the first six years of my working life in Timpsons on the corner of Dovecote St. and the High St.
And behind the pub on Regent st. was a church called the Apostolic Church of Wales where I was converted to Christ. I remember listening to the people singing in the pub!!! But we had great singing next door!!!!!!!
I think the public house people are trying to remember is The Royal it stood on the corner of William Street opposite WH Smiths wholesale place where they distributed the papers from further along the Street towards the old Dovecote used to be The Royal Navy Club. The Royal was a Wednesday afternoon haunt of myself and a friend supposedly doing engineering drawing at the Tech in nearby Nelson Terrace
I”ve mentioned about the White Hart in Dovecot Street. I came across a old photograph in a local history book and it seems to me, that the Nag”s Head was on the same site of the White Hart. Did it change names for some unknown reason or were they very close together, as some pubs can be.
THE BIG REGENT WAS ON THE CORNER OF REGENT ST AND NELSON TERRACE THE LITTLE REGENT WAS IN REGENT ST NEXT TO ARNOLDS A PLUMBERS SHOP. OVER THE ROAD WAS A BAKERY SHOP BARROCLIFFS. ONLY THE BIG REGENT SOLD BYB BEERS
The “Royal” pub was the last one before you got to the Empire. Can you remember the big settees in the lounge? You sank right into them when sitting down. Oh for a night in the Town when we would go down one side and up the other visiting every pub. Legless at the end of the night. On catching the last “bus it should have been the O to Norton Green but it was always the United that went to Hartlepool. 10.30pm was the closing time in those days. On a Sunday night which was a 10 closing time we finished off in “Gum Yums” Chinese Restaurant in Yarm Road. Not forgetting the Maison on a Saturday night.
Thanks for the help in jogging my memory. The Regent it was and the Royal referred to by Bob Irwin was situated at the far end of the High Street a few buildings before the Empire Cinema. Bob`s recollection of it always being empty was perhaps a reflection of the landlord`s lack of attention to the quality of the Bentley`s Yorkshire Beer he served.
If my memory serves me right it was called the “Regent Hotel”, known as the “little Regent” I have recollections of dashing in for a pint of BYB after night school in 1954 when studying for the J1 & J2 parts Mech Eng certs before the night school moved to the new building in Bishopton road next to Grangefield Grammar School. Maybe someone will correct me if wrong
I have it written down on this site as “The Royal” or as we all knew as the “Big Royal”. but I maybe wrong. It was at the corner of Regent Street which ran between Nelson Terrace and the High Street. It possibly could be “The Regent” or the “Big Regent” again as it was called. There was also I believe a smaller pub down this Street as well. That”s the reason for “Big” and “Little”. We used to go in this pub but not very often. Mainly because it was always empty and you could get a seat.
Ged Hutchinson – Ged as You will see there appear to be two very similar views (1) The Royal- from Bob Irwin & (2) The Regent from Mike Haines so whatever it was it almost certainly had a “royal” connection. Incidentally I agree with you regarding the pint, not sure it was BYB or the way it was kept there. After all the Camerons in the Clarendon was “Not As good” as the OX on Tilery Bank.
The pub Mike is referring to was actually further down Nelson Terrace, the other side of the old Stockton Secondary School. As far as I know it was unique in Stockton in serving Bentley`s Yorkshire Bitter. I only ever had one pint in there, just to be able to say that I had sampled Bentley`s beer. I was not overly impressed. Like Mike I am now driving myself crazy trying to remember the name of the pub. I can clearly recollect the large gable-end of the pub sporting the sign for Bentley`s Yorkshire Beer in large lettering but the name of the pub escapes me. Please, can any of the old Stockton drinkers put Mike and myself out of our misery?
I see there is a Beverleys Ales pub next to the Lit & Phil – can anyone remember the name of the Bently”s Yorkshire Bitter pub on Nelson Terrace, just about opposite the Hippodrome? Also diagonally opposite on the left was a proper tobacconists, which sold just about every type of cigarette imaginable, again a name please.
This view of Dovecot Street is exactly as I remember it as I cycled into work everyday from Billingham during my six year apprenticeship as a compositor at Appleby”s in Prince Regent Street. The bike I rode, a Raleigh Lenton, was also bought at that Halfords in 1954 the year before I left school from money I earned delivering newspapers and as a shop/delivery boy for Dewhirsts the butchers in Billingham town centre. As it was for many in those days the bike was my main means of transport and soon became my pastime and sport, spending my first precious two weeks holidays Youth Hostelling with another 15 year old, my friend Graham Smith visiting our relations in Aylesbury and London.
I believe the rather fine Lit and Phil building on the right of the picture was sold and demolished to make way for a tacky 60″s building (not the greatest era in British architecture) The Lit and Phil members were given the use of a room at the YMCA but that was really the end of the Institute. There was also a Stockton Club with premises near the Cinema. That is presumably also gone. These small incremental changes all contributed to the decline of downtown Stockton. Stockton High Street 40-50 years ago used to be the place to meet friends especially on Saturday mornings. Now I gather from Bob Hadron it is, at most,quick in,shop and get home. Very sad but times do change.
Very interesting photo, I”ll have been 5 years old when this was taken. I remember going to Halfords when I was 17 years old and getting my first brand new Raleigh Rapide Racing Bike which I saved £34 for, (no credit card then) and spend many hours cycling around Stockton Countryside. The White Hart was my first pub and remember the bar on the front, full of old men (I am now at 50) The White Hart had real character.One of my memory”s of the pub was the Blue Star hanging on the frontage, because it was Scottish and Newcastle Brewery pub. I used to drink the Ex & Tartan beer. It”s a shame it closed down to become Georgie Browns. I never went into that place. I think from the bar up was the Smoke Room then the Snug and at the end was the Lodge and upstairs was the Club Room. Was the White Hart an old coaching Inn because the Alley-way was quite long and seem to go to the rear of the High School (c1974) in Nelson”s Terrace. Great Site, enjoying the old picures.
Hi Martin, this is a long shot as it’s 15 years since your post! I’m doing some family tree research, can you remember if the landlords were called Tucker at the time you visited? Any info would be welcome. Thank you.