Can you help?
Blakeston Lane, Signal box and level crossing (This information was kindly provided by Andrew Pearson)
This is Blakeston Lane, Norton West Junction signal box, alongside Blakeston Comprehensive School Norton. (This information was kindly provided by Robert Harbron )
Blakeston Lane level crossing and signalbox – still in use but the gates now replaced by lifting barriers. (This information was kindly provided by Andrew Pearson) 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Anyone got any information on Blakeston House? It’s the house on Junction Road, corner of Blakeston Lane. What did it use to be? My mother-in-law lives in this house now and I would love some info in it. Thanks
Jodie, That house doesn’t appear on maps untill 1897, and then it’s not labelled with any specific name.
You can see the area including this house as it was in 1949 here:
http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/eaw024090
Hi, just reading your request for information, the reason I looked up about Blakeston Lane is because my surname is Blakeston! Why was it called Blakeston Lane etc.
When we were at Blakestone School in the 70s we would run to the signal box to watch the trains going past. Who would of thought in 2014 the school would be gone and talk of a housing estate and cemetary would be built on a school field with a stream running underground. I’ve never seen such saturated fields with continues rain and no snow yet.
The old Carlton box that Dave Summerfield mentions was situated on the north embankment at Redmarshall station. I have a colour slide of it obviously in a disused state.
Pictures of the Stockton area in “Steam Days” are not that numerous, so this article is a welcome addition. There are, however, a couple of errors in the map on page 742 of the magazine. The North Shore branch is not shown, although the “Junction” signal box is there, but not labelled as such; secondly, the shed (51E) did not connect as shown, but was accessed from the North Shore branch, requiring a reversal opposite Railway Street. An ommission on the map is the south to east curve from the Eaglescliffe line to Bowesfield Junction.
I actually worked in Redmarshall east in the early sixties, and I remember them altering the frame from the front of the box to the back. Typically it wasn”t long after this they shut the box, but before they shut it, if any traffic required to go to Redmarshall North, the signalman from Redmarshall South came and opened up the east. I worked in all the Redmarshall jobs, also the two at Stillington and Bishop Middleham. All were good places to work, I have good memories of them all.
The December 2008 magazine “Steam Days” has an article on steam around Stockton in the 1960″s – 23 wonderful photos including Redmarshall East box.
Thanks for that Dave, I have always wondered about the identity of the ruins. I have a disc with about 3,000 different slides of signal boxes, locations, trains etc so I will have to have a scout through it to see if I can see anything about it.
I remember that old signal box like it was yesterday. Most days after school we would pass it on our way into ossie woods to our little den, where we would play japs and english or go frogging, back then we made our own entertainment. Happy days.
The ruins of the old signal box were the remains of Carlton West signalbox which opened in 1877 – it controlled the original two track junction between the line from Bowesfield & the line from Norton West – the box closed in 1895 when the junction was moved to the west side of Carlton station & came under the control of Carlton station box. Carlton station & signalboxes were renamed Redmarshall in 1923 – the boxes all closed in 1967 with the exception of the South box which finally closed in 1968. The remains of Carlton West box were still visible in 1979 when I visited the area, sad to say I never photographed the remains & on a visit in May 2008 there was nothing left of the box -maybe someone has a photograph of the box.
You”re right Nick, I can confirm it is Norton West box and in the sixties it used to work to Redmarshall East, there the junction went round to Redmarshall North and over the viaduct to Thorpe Thewles. It seems funny now as I walk the dog along the castle eden walkway that once I used to signal trains along there. There was also Redmarshall north and Redmarshall station, and years ago there was a row of old houses at the junction where the line from the south met the line from the east and there was the ruins of what was an old signal box, so I don,t know if in the past there was a Redmarshall west.
As Chris Davies has confirmed – and I”m sure Gordon Armes who has I believe worked the box many times as well as his son can confirm, this is Norton West SB/LC. Now got 2 lifting barriers and is on the line towards Stillington and Ferryhill
Hop Skip Jump. – Jump, hop or skip first it didn’t matter, either way we did it on a lot of occasions, usually three of us and in the last year of school. Daily abscond from school, three of us, brother Howard, and another fellow absconder , who joined Roseworth Sec mid time served, the family moving from down town up to Roseworth, his former school being Beads, some sort of logistics prevented him staying there. Get to school on time, go through registry and then head for the corner of the school field near the signal box, there was a felled tree just before the fence, over the log and fence, down a grassy slope, cross the rail lines to the right of the signal box and in to Ozzie wood. Played around till lunch time bell, down the shops for either a plate of chips and a fag in the café or a bag of chips from the chippy. Depending on how we felt or what lessons were on, the same was usually repeated after lunch. Nobody asked any questions or seemed to be bothered, we weren’t, but hit a big brick wall on leaving school. Roy.
A Load of Old Bull – A long time ago when I was not so old or as young as it goes, just up Blakeston Lane, the first farm house on the right well opposite there on the left was an old red bricked building without any windows, with a little paddock around it separating it from the rest of the field. Must have been in long pants as what we saw was from the perimeter fence of Roseworth Sec, a subject we had then was Rural Science, kept chickens and sheep at the school and looked after them, must have been the good boys and girls who looked after them as we were kept well away, just a little bit away from a stones distance away. The master of that class I think was a Mr Reynolds may be wrong, brown heavy brogues, mole skin pants, checked shirt, woollen tie, an earthen coloured woolly pulley, checked heavy duty jacket with leather elbow patches, red hair and ruddy cheeks. He looked like a farmer, must have used the Janet and John books to get dressed in a morning. What’s going on up there sir, where, oh! Up there and went in to the ins and outs of the bovine birds and bees, but lads if you are thinking of going up there leave it till next Monday after school. So Monday came and up we did go, didn’t have to watch out for the farmer as he was there tidying up, what do you want lads, come to see the bull and cows mister, well he said come back this time next year and we will start again. Ever been had, Sir. Roy.
Like many words they change an example is “Fuzzy Railway , the line from Norton Junction to Stockton Station The original was put in 1834 by Mr Fossick , who went on to build locos locally Fossick became “Fuzzy Railway” it was even called Cuckoo-Railway , because of the birds in the nearby trees in the spring On the subject of Norton Junction :- Harpers Garden Centre has now gone and this historic triangle being built over for housing , only the Inspectors House remains in the N W corner, so were very pleased at the pictures and comments on this important site for Teesside. Re “Ozzy” Wood , the Stockton and Thornaby Scouting Association called it Hawes Wood after the farmer on whose land it was , but locals gave it “Ozzy” Its hard to beleive many hundreds of local scouts enjoyed the simple pleasure of camping out for a week on this site ,as well as drinking and cooking from its ice-cold spring water
“Did you know, son, that it was less than a hundred years ago that a twelve year old boy was hung in Stockton for steeling a cabbage?” Lump in the throat and swallow, bright eyes and all attentive, was there? It was only a couple of weeks beforehand that a group of us were up here besides Ozzy Wood cutting up young turnips and eating them for fun. Dad said why does that surprise you so much son, little did he realise that a hundred years ago his little son and his short pants would be going to the gallows with half his class. Was it true, I don’t know, but I never trod on a blade of grass in a farmers field after that. Roy.
We used to go up Blakeston Lane when we were children. We would go in Ozzie Woods and at the top of Blakeston Lane was Blakey Wood. I remember the frog pond in Ozzie woods very well – I have never seen so many!! Just after Blakey Wood was Smith”s farm. Mr Smith had the pet shop in Stockton and we would play there (one of his sons Tony was in my class at school)At one time they had a huge coral with tortoises in which they sold in the shop – I don”t think this is allowed these days. Wonderful memories!!
Christine Walters. The name Ossie Woods presumably comes from the owner of the Woods. He was John Hawes who had the farm adjacent to the Woods. When I was a boy during and after the War we would go to Hawses Woods. I think the name has changed over the years from Hawses to Ossie without realising. When said fast the 2 names do resemble each other slightly.
I worked for John Hawes in the sixties and its news to me that Ozzey Woods belonged to Brook Dale Farm. The wood that came next on Blakey Lane was know as Seggy Wood. I used to go through Ozzey Woods daily to go to work on the farm I also worked at Redlands Tiles and Peacock Haulage which took the site over. The times I played in Ozzey Woods when I was a kid and also absconding from Roseworth Sec. during lessons. Best times of my life.
Hello Christine Walters. The only thing I know about the origin of the name Ozzy is off the Picture Stockton site. I know that there are many different spellings as well as names, Seggie or Foggy are two names that come to mind. The name Owlet House, well I have been through the maps back to 1856 and can’t find it. The person you need for this is Robert Harbron he is the Local Historian and Norton is just up his street, so if you are out there Robert, heres over to you. Roy.
Hello Roy Parkin. Would you be able to tell me why the Wood was called Ozzie Wood and was there a house called Owlet house near or in the Wood to your knowledge. Regards Christine Walters
House Full – When in my youth a long time ago I like many others played around the entrance to Redland Tiles and Ozzie Wood. At this time late 50’s early 60’s there was a large influx of Asian workers to Redland Tiles and we used to try and talk to them some spoke English and many didn’t. Childish and immature minds, we all thought they all lived in the same house and ate Kit E Kat for their dinners, when we asked them where they lived they all said the same, some house in Middlesbrough (which had a name, cant remember though) and they all kept showing us small cans of cat food, so what were we to think? Many years later I met one of these guys in the Sheraton on Hardwick, he happened to be one who spoke very good English back then and talking like you do it all came out crystal clear. The majority who had poor English were told if anyone asked where they lived they were to say this house name to save any confusion, the house being a central communal agency where they got work and help. The area of Redland Tiles had a great number of feral cats, hence the cat food to feed them, crystal clear. Roy.
A long long time ago when I was a little boy of 10 or 11 I remember looking at a map at home and reading a place just above Thorpe, Grindon Abbey. Out came the bike and peddling we did go, found a lot of ruins then peddled home. Today all the maps say Grindon Church (ruins of), why, where did the Abbey go to, can anybody help Roy.
The signal box is named Norton West and as far as my records can trace, always has been.
As far back as maps existed this was the western exit from the village of Norton, Blakeston lane, to Durham till the building of Durham road in the mid 1800. A 1680 map traces this road crossing at the Blakeston Bridge still in use today. This was also the way to Wynyard before the Wolviston/Thorpe road was built. Servants and trade to the Georgian Howden-Hall, (still inhabited) off Durham road, a Londonderry establishment were routed down this lane which on a 1642 land-survey map is called The Royal- Way, with the present Junction Road as Woodland-Way
Just beyond the signal box, turning right up Blakeston Lane was Ozzies Wood. It had a huge pond which was a repository for newts and frogs. To get to it you had to pass Redland Tiles.
I also used to go nesting, and I can remember at least 3 quarries and yes they were sand martins, it was a great time for kids to grow up, oh by the way “Oggie” raiding is pinching apples from any orchards a pastime done by almost every kid of my generation.
Blakiston Lane . Grindon Church now a protected site was built as St Thomas-a-Beckets by the Bishop of Durham, with a possible “relic” of Becket martydom (1170) – a chip of stone from the blessed altar, to keep the revenue of pilgrims out of the treasury of Canterbury, when Pilgrim “Package-Tours” could take money and gifts and service out of the Bishopric for up to a month
Benny. The area you talk about is riddled with Sand Quarries with it been a sand belt area. When going over the crossing on Blakeston Lane there was a quarry just to the right owned by Redland Tyles. Going further towards Thorpe on Thorpe Bank there were 2 quarries . One at Blakeston Hall and one opposite that became a Land Fill later. There was a Quarrie on the back road to Wolviston and others in Thorpe itself. One just North of Thorpe going to Sedgefield and the other as you leave Thorpe towards Carlton. I think that this one or either the Blakeston Lodge would be you Quarries for the Sandmartins. There are other Quarries in Stillington.
Hi Benny, I remember the quarry you refer to,I lived in Norton High Street in the early 50/60s and remember going down Mill Lane across Billingham Bottom fields over the railway to the quarry and come back via Blakeston Lane, I seem to remember some one drowning in the quarry and it was then fenced in (oggie) raiding I believe the word was for collecting birds eggs, frowned on these days and quite rightly.The ruins of the abbey at Grindon still remain though fenced in last time I was past. Don”t remember St. John”s in Norton High Street.
I remember this crossing as a child, this is the way we would walk to Thorpe Thewles. On the way we would stop off at the Quarrie, and climb the walls of the Quarrie to get birds eggs out of the birds nesting on the side of the Quarrie, when I look back a very dangerous escapade. Does anyone else remember the Quarries ?. We would walk to Thorpe Thewles, then follow the railway line to Grindon where we would fossick around in the old Grindon Abbey, does any one remember the Grindon Abbey ?, and is there still some remnants still standing of the old Abbey.
This line still in use as a diversion for repairs between Darlington and Durham Sunday 3 diesel hauled E,W.S rake of wagons from Lackenby and although so close to housing the area still has a pleasant rural feel about it. Within minutes you are deep into Norton country-side, with high road-side hedges quietness, corn-fields, sheep and wood-land plantation
As a child, I used to ride on the gates as they were being opened/closed by the signalman. Sundays were best when there were “diversions” and rare steam engines were spotted. mjam1228@bigpond.net.au