A view of Bowesfield Lane, Stockton, with several houses included behind a brick wall. c1890 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
A view of Bowesfield Lane, Stockton, with several houses included behind a brick wall. c1890
Picture Stockton Archive 
I’ve got a theory that this isn’t a photo of Bowesfield Lane. It looks more like a view of Yarm Lane, perhaps taken from near the corner of Bowesfield Lane looking towards the High Street.
The wall on the left being the boundary of a property that was on the corner of Skinner St., it was a boys school at one point, and while the garden was developed, the building survived until at least 1948. Next to that house is another large double fronted property, after which would be York St, then a terrace that would have included two smaller properties and the Brunswick Arms Tavern.
On the right is the boundary of Holy Trinity Church grounds, with posts at the one of the entrances to the grounds, then you can just make out the shape of the gable ends of Holy Trinity School.
The view in the distance being toward the High Street.
A later but similar view can be seen here:
https://picturestocktonarchive.com/2002/11/21/yarm-lane-stockton-c1900-2/
I’ve not seen any other photos that show this area at this time, so rare to see the large properties on the left before the area was developed with street front properties.
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More evidence… this image of a drawing shows the church grounds boundary fence, with posts at a gated entrance, and Holy Trinity School.
https://picturestocktonarchive.com/2002/11/10/holy-trinity-church-2/
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Hi everyone, I was wondering if anybody had anymore information relating to the HAMERS? It’s quite possible that this family is related to me through my grandma and I would love to know more. Please feel free to email me, Picture Stockton has my email address. Joe
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Wow, to read all this is amazing. I am learning so much about the place I live now, now known as Bramley Parade aka Stockton’s old hospital. I’ve been dying to know all about it and who was treated in this very house, the different stories you hear, but now hear it straight from the horses mouths. Thank you so much for this information.
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Hi, Dave Stokes. I lived in MOSES ST from 1941 to 1949. We moved from Cecil Street where I was born. 2 Families lived together (related) The Mooney’s and the Rouths. We lived next door but one from HAMERS horse yard. Next door to Hamers was McConnels, other side of us were Gearys, can’t remember next house but the next one was Mrs Jordon, I always knew her as GRANNY JORDON. She had a daughter named Elsie. I remember all of the families you mentioned. We left Moses St 1949 moved to Danby Rd, Tilery. Do you remember the Perrett Family?
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David Stokes .Thanks David. Do you have any Uncles left, suppose not by now. I was just wondering if any of your family remembers my father’s family–Smiths- they lived at 25 Stafford street for many years.
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For Julie Povey nee Smith, Fred and Padge are buried in Durham Road Cemetery.
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David Stokes,thank you for your information about you Aunt who was known as Padge.She was my Godmother. In 1940 Fred and Padge along with my parents-Joe and Lily Smith- had to go to Falmouth in Cornwall, working in the docks,and I happened to be born while they were there.
I was Christened in the church in Penryn and Padge was my Godmother. I have the certificate with her name on. You say her name is on her gravestone,could you possibly tell me where that is ? Thanks.
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Did you ever live in Camden Street?
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Colin Riley – Looking through the comments I notice that you were born in Adderley Street, My cousin was born there, they are the Snowdens, and also my brother Peter now lives in Arlington Court.
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Julie Povey nee Smith, I have a cousin and his Father was Fredrick and his Mother Doris
Margaret but also on the Headstone is the name Padge.
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David Stokes,Reading through your comments you talk about Sammy and Freddy Stokes.Did either of them work in Cornwall in 1940 and did either of them have a wife called ‘Padge’.
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To Dave Shearer, unable to be of any help I am
not aware of a Pauline on my side of the family.
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David Stokes – did you have a sister or older relative called Pauline who married a Denis Tatterton who lived in Selwyn Street?
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Can anyone suggest from whereabout on Bowesfield Lane this picture was taken, and what the large building on the far right might be?
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I remember a drink delivered to the door by Fentmens. It was ginger beer, it was in a stone jar and it seemed to last for ever – that is until you reached the sediment in the bottom, it tasted terrible.
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Thanks for the update, I had his fathers name wrong. I have heard of Ronnie and also I spoke with The Iceton clan in Perth last March, my parents came to Australia to visit. Please keep updating.
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I am a Cousin of the late Leslie George Iceton who died July 2004 age 85. His Father George was a Tram driver in the old Stockton Tramways in the 1930s. His brother James was a blastfurnace man at that time, later working in the hotel business. Another brother Harry, my father, was a bookbinder at remploy until retirement. Leslie George later became the owner of a garage repairing cars until he retired. George’ Son your grand father Leslie lived in Redcar until he died. Another son, Ronnie, also my cousin, had the Enrico cafe in Ramsgate. George also had 3 daughters one called Margaret – can’t remember the other girls names. I have lived in Perth Australia since 1986 and your grandad and I used to send christmas cards to each other. Hope this is of some help to you Mark.
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I am the grandson of Lesie George Iceton who lived in this area, he had brothers and sisters and his parents owned a pub in stockton. His father Harry Iceton was Tram driver, so was my grandad, Les Iceton. I will try and find out more from my parents as I live in australia now and I used to own 6 Park Road, Stockton befor I moved here 4 years ago.
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My dad Jimmy Riley and family lived in Moses St. I was born in Adderley St. My dad is now back at Arlington Court his old school site and mine .. St Cuthberts
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I also lived at No 17 Moses Street.My Father was Samuel Stokes and came from Thornaby, my
Mother Elizabeth also a Stokes came from Stockton.We lived in the Street from 1947 the
year I was born until the late 50’s and were
then rehoused to Hardwick.I remember my mother’s Uncle Fred living next door to us in
the Street. I can also remember a few of the
Families that lived in the Street there was The Covells,Pearces,Rileys,Derbyshires,Kellys
and Scofields.
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Hi David – not sure if this thread is still viable – I’ve just come across it. You mention the Covell’s living in Moses street . My dad was Fred Covell and his mum and dad were Armond and Amy . I wonder if you remember them ? Many thanks Deb Covell
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I would be grateful if anyone has any information about the WARD family (my Great grandparents) William Ward who lived at 3 Bowesfield Lane. I think it was a grocers shop. According to 1901 census he was a Cow-keeper(milkman). His father, also William, was a railway horse driver.
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I work with someone who currently lives in Gladstone street who thinks that the old houses will all be knocked down soon as he has been offered money for his house. I am pleased you still have your teddy Jan and even more pleased that I didnt imagine it. You often think that when you remember things that far back your mind is making it up. I”ll rest knowing I”m not senile (for now)
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I still have that teddy bear its as old as I am my Nana Iceton bought it for me when I was only a couple of month old hes a bit thread bare now.
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Im sorry to say that I lost contact with Billy Payne when I went to Richy Hind and Billy went to Bowesfield Lane School.
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Amazed again.To think Ken knew my uncle Billy Payne (I loved dandelion and burdock too.) Also I think the house where Janet lived had a large double back gate which opened onto the back of the Gladstone street houses (on the side of Mrs Dawson”s shop)I also remember the Cow & Gate milk tins and Mrs Dawson also had on display in the window tins of Hacks cough sweets with a picture of a man sneezing into a hankerchief! I would love to hear more of Ken”s memories about Uncle Billy. He passed away a long time ago but he was a bit of a one. Always after a laugh. My gran Gladys used to buy soda water in ridged siphon bottles and I had to take the empties back to a shop at the back of Stockton & Thornaby hospital who paid 1 shilling which I had to take straight back as that was quite a lot. I think Janet had a giant teddy bear in her bedroom of which I was extremely envious. I dont remember the other two girls mentioned though but we moved when I was around six years old. Regards Jan
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Once again my memory is playing tricks.Scrub Gladstone Street and replace with Northcote Street which is off Bowesfield Lane which is the street where Bruce”s pickle and vinegar factory was situated.
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I knew the Draper family who took over Bruce’s Pickles business in the late 1960’s and expanded it to include a lemonade/soft drinks factory and Coca Cola distribution.
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I discovered whilst in Sunnyvale where my daughter lives that “Root Beer” is a bit of a black art. As with Yorkshire puddings the recipe and how to do it vary from one house wife to another. The modern recipe for root beer is a mix of 26 roots herbs berries and carbonated water. My taste buds rejected it after a long swig on a hot day without tasting it first. I think every one around got some as it was forcefully ejected under pressure. I steered well clear and watched in amazement as my grand children swallowed it by the gallon thinking, I knew better ways to poison myself. Kevin no insult meant or I hope taken but what do you line your stomach with? Frank.
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The herb beer I remember from Gladstone Street was served from a stone flagon into a glass.A very nice and cool drink which I think was suppled by the well known local Pickle maker and supplier called Bruce who had a factory in Gladstone street. My old friend Billy Payne from Gladstone Street introduced me to this great drink which led onto Lowcocks Dandelion and Burdock.Great days.
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No offence intended. The origins of Root Beer is unknown to me. It was not available in normal shops and I suspect that the drink was home-made. I drank very little Herb Beer as a kid because it was not readily available. If the drink was alcoholic I would think that the alcohol content was minimal. The drink was very different from Dandelion & Burdoch which I drank in copious amounts as a kid. The Root beer on the other hand was measured into quite small glasses though I don`t know if this was standard practice. Perhaps others can give details of their experiences with Root Beer.
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Re the comment about herb beer,brought back memories of the little house shop at the top of Moses Street run by Mrs Jordon in the 1920s . I remember my mother sending me to the shop with bags of potatoe peelings to help to feed the pigs wich Mrs Jordon kept at the back of the house ; in return she would give me a bottle of home made herb beer [pop or ginger beer a greyish drink ] the cork had to be held in place in the neck of the bottle with string to stop the cork flying out if the bottle was shaken . It was a favourite drink for us kids at that time especially has it cost us nothing just a few potatoe peelings .
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I dont know as a Californian whether to be offended at the ” no accounting for peoples taste” comment or not. However I must say that one of the favorite thirst quenchers on a “hot” sunny day on the Beach in California is a root beer float which is a mix of root beer and ice-cream; absolutely delicious!! As a boy in Stockton I don”t remember “Herb Beer” ; was it alcoholic? I remember the nearest thing to American root beer as “Dandelion & Burdock” ,is that Herb beer? We used to buy it at Milburn”s Beer Shop at the top of Suffolk St.; the same shop that my Sister Margaret used to get our Grandpa”s Beer from, when she received the reward of drinking the froth!
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I also spent a lot of time in California and like Frank Mee I couldn`t believe my luck when I saw Root Beer in all the supermarkets. My joy was short lived as the American version is almost undrinkable and is quite the worst tasting drink I have ever had the misfortune to try. Despite my opinion the drink is a best-seller in the USA. There`s no accounting for tastes.
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The shop was called “Allcocks” it was in Lucan Street and Mrs Allcock ran it for years and years. I got my 1st packet of 5 – Woodbines from her. Told her they were for me Mam. Me and my mate went straight over the Gasworks Bridge to the allotments overlooking Appleton Road and made ourselves sick smoking them. I bet Len Nicholson knew the same shop.
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I remember getting Herb beer from the little corner shop just over the footbridge near the gasworks & I can recall the lady who used to sell it & her moustache. I believe her name was Lily Allcock, a lovely lady
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With memories of Herb beer which I loved and you are right it was the old stone jug, ay my daughters in California I took a glass of Root Beer thinking it was the same. It is not and I hated it. We used to get ours from the lemonade delivery man who left us Ice Cream Soda among the weekly order. I have tried that since and it is not the same. Are our memories at fault or is nothing the same these days.
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The mention of Herb Beer reminds me that this was also sold in a tiny corner shop just the other side of “The Gas Work`s Bridge”. I remember the drink being poured out of an old stone jar. It is the only purchase I ever made as a kid at the shop – price one penny I think. I also remember that we kids found it fascinating that the old gal that served us sported a dark moustache. Does anybody else remember her?
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My name is Arthur Blakemore, I lived in Compton St. in Tilery and I have vague memories from early childhood in the mid fifties, of that shop and that old lady with the moustache when I was taken there by my mother who would pass by the shop on her way to wok at a bakery on Portrack Rd.
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As I have stated in an earlier letter I lived in Camden Street two streets away from Gladstone Street and knew all the Iceton family and I knew Billy Payne very well. I also remember the little house shop who sold Herb beer to lots of children during the war period and I also played in the Cuthies scool yard.
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I did live in St Cuthberts Rd no.55 I can remember Mrs Payne and Mrs Dawsons little shop with the Cow and Gate baby milk tins I am frantically trying to remember you Janice do you remember Lorraine Whitfield and Allison McClennon? I have been looking at the pics of St Cuthberts school because this was right opposite our house (and I used to play in the play ground after school) Cheers Jan
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I was intrigued to see Janet Dumble”s name here as I think we were childhood friends for a short while in the 60″s. Did she live in the house directly around the corner from Gladstone street? My maiden name was Durkin and we lived in number 12. My grandma Gladys Payne lived in number 14 and Mrs Dawson ran the shop in Gladstone street. Does any of this sound familiar?
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Ken my mam belonged Gladstone st she was Violet Iceton with 1 sister Nancy and 3 brothers George (Jud) Jack and Alan My mam married Barry Dumble Sadly both my parents have passed away along with uncle Jack cheers Jan
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Harry: I went to St Cuthbert”s school in Parkfield from 1950 to about 1957. There was a girl in my class called Christine Iceton. Was she any relation?
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HI kEN & Derick I think you are right about the moore family I know Hamers then jordons ,my uncle Sam Stokes then the Moores all lived at the top end , as for the hassells the family lived at the side of the council tip, Pop was the caretaker and the oldest son Dick married a cousin of mine called Maise she lived in the same house as my family in my Grandma stokes house till she got married, they had a Off licence in Edward street for some time then moved to the house on the tip when the old man died , the tip was the old brick yard and over the years the big holes filled in then factories were built there, as for the Icetons in fenny street sorry I dont recall ever meeting them there were quite a few living in the town who I never met all though it is an uncommon name
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Hi Harry.I dont remember the number in Moses Street where the Moore family lived but it was near the top of the street near Hamers. Another well known family was the Hassels who moved up the Lane to Teesbridge to a smallholding.
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Hi Ken & Harry. I knew a Iceton family who lived in Fenny Street opposite my grand parents a few yards from the gas holders in Frederick Street.
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HI Ken I am a distant cousin of the Icetons who lived in gladstone street but at that period up to me being 9 years old, dont think they lived there and unfortunatly I never met them. Years later I had to take my son Steve to the hospital in Redcar he hurt is hand on a deck chair and the nurse who attended to him was called Iceton and I think she might of lived in Gladstone street and maybe could be a sister of Jud . as for your mother living in Moses Sreet I remember the name but can”t remember what number they lived in. I lived in my grans parlour with my Mam Dad and two sisters in number seventeen till we moved to Primrose Hill Newtown about 1930 another two family”s on my mothers side called Stokes lived in Moses Street at the same time. At the top end of the street was a family called Hamer who had a slaughter yard at the side of the house. Old horses were taken there to be slaughtered and the flesh was sold as dog meat. Sorry I can”t enlighten you regarding the Icetons in Gladstone Street as I said we moved from there when I was about nine or ten and never had any contact with them in the later years
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HI Ken I am a distant cousin of the Icetons who lived in gladstone street but at that period up to me being 9 years old , I dont think they lived there and unfortunatly I never met them years later I had to take my son Steve to the hospital in Redcar he hurt is hand on a deck chair and the nurse who attended to him was called Iceton and I think she might of lived in Gladstone street and maybe could be a sister of Jud . as for your mother living in Moses Sreet I remember the name but can”t remember what number they lived in. I lived in my grans parlour with my Mam Dad and two sisters in number seventeen till we moved to Primrose Hill Newtown about1930 another two family”s on my mothers side called Stokes lived in moses street at the same time . Atthe top end of the street was a family called Hamer who had a slaughter yard at the side of the house,old horses were taken there to be slaughtered and the flesh was sold as dog meat. sorry I can”t enlighten you regarding the Icetons in gladstone street as I said we moved from there when I was about nine or ten and never had any contact with them in the later years
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Harry are you a member of the Iceton family who lived in Gladstone Street next door to Moses Street of Bowesfield Lane? I played football with a Jud Iceton at West End he was a very good left winger. My mother lived in Moses Street along with her brother Billy and three sisters before she got married.I also went tatty picking up the steps to Oxley,s.He provided smashing dinners with new potatoes and bacon.By the way my mothers maiden name was Moor.
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I lived in Moses street the last street off Bowesfield Lane up to the age of 9 years in 1929 and often walked up to the farm at the end of Bowesfield lane just past Adam street. The owner at that time was Mr OXLEY .who had cattle and also grew potatoes and turnips he used to employ local people to gather in the potatoes every October. I went a couple of times to help my mother to pick them I think she got 10 shilings for the few days she was there, but it was hard work and very cold on the fingers at that time of the year. There was no other other way into the farm except from the lane but there was a right of way between the edge of the farm and the council tip to yarm road wich was a favourate walk for people from the Bowesfield Lane and the Teesbridge area. At one period during the second world war I was a member of the Home Gaurd and the farmer at that time allowed us to have manoeuvres on parts of his land but I dont know if the same farmer owned it then. The farm was quite big at that time stretching from Yarm Road to the edge of the River Tees and to Preston the other way.
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I”d appreciate any information or pictures of Bowesfield Lane School around 1890. I”m researching John Cradock Bage who was the “master” there. Please contact me at Keith@bage.org.uk
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please has any one got any photos of the old bowesfield lane school in the early sixties. i lived in cecil street just over the road, and i went to that school, i would love to see some pictures of the school and cecil street. i think i left there in 1966ish. my email address is debperks@hotmail.com it would be great to hear from any one who lived there.i lived at number 56 or 59.
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Has anybody got any information or photographs about Bowesfield Farm as it has not been mentioned. My nana was born on the farm in 1924, and it was demolished about 10 years ago. Email address is kend223@hotmail.com
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