An aerial view of Victoria Bridge, Stockton, including the River Tees, the Cleveland Flour Mills and the Bridge Hotel, Thornaby. Victoria Bridge was opened in 1887 to replace the 1769 stone bridge. Possibly c1930 Two large chimneys included in an aerial view of Victoria Bridge, Stockton, including the River Tees, the Cleveland Flour Mills and the Bridge Hotel, Thornaby. Possibly c1930 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
I am always amazed no one ever mention when the Cleveland Flour Mill set on fire, this would be around 1947-48? The first we heard about it was when the BBC Radio News, informed listeners that it was on fire and, it was said, 84 firemen attended to fight the flames. The next day I ran down to Victoria Bridge twice to see what was happening, every day thereafter there was a crowd on the Bridge with a first class view of the ‘best fire’ Teesside had ever seen. The fire was in amongst the hundreds of tons of corn stored there to make flour with, and it hissed and smoked and burnt for 3 weeks. Someone said it was caused by spontaneous combustion, which was hard to figure out when it could take you a good 10 minutes to get the coal fire in our house blazing away.
There was a sad fatality in Stockton in August 1934, as a result of work that was being carried out at the yard of the South Stockton Shipbreaking Company.
Twelve year old Eileen Thomas was walking with friends along Maritime Street when she was struck in the head by a piece of metal that had been hurled from the opposite side of the River Tees. Such was the force of the object that it was found embedded in a wall thirty yards from the accident. She died shortly afterwards in hospital.
The piece of metal was a result of blasting operations at the Thornaby yard. Workers in the process of dismantling a ship were using explosives to remove a propeller. The propeller broke into a number of pieces, one of which struck Eileen Thomas. At a later enquiry the manager of the South Stockton Shipbreaking Company said in future they would cut up propellers. Shockingly a verdict of accidental death was the ruling.
Eileen lived at Elliott street, Stockton, with her grandparents.
A previous commentator asked whether the 8 inch shell casings used as protective corner bollards on the Green Dragon Yard alleyway walls (entrance from Finkle Street) came from the above defunct warship. I measured the shells at 7.2 inch, and admit the cut-down(?) shells could be a bit bigger due to the difficulty of measuring them in-situ, but maybe not as much as 8 inch. Determining whether they are fully half sectioned was also difficult through many coatings of black paint. According to the internet British Army howitzers from WW1 used 8 inch shells, and some were later modified to use 7.2 inch shells in WW2. I do not know when the Green Dragon Yard shell casings were put in place. They were certainly present in the 1960’s, but were probably resident decades before, any offers? They were possibly made in a local munitions or engineering works during WW1, less likely WW2. My calculations show that the above WW1 warship is probably a light cruiser of maximum displacement c.5, 700 tons as completed, but significantly less in the above partly dismantled state, its length 450-475 ft probably c.470 ft; beam 41-51 ft probably 45-50 ft; and draught loaded less than 18 ft. Assuming this derelict, laid-up, warship at Stockton (in the mid-1920’s) is British, then it should be noted that 7.5 inch and 8 inch Royal Navy guns were rare, the 8 inch only coming into service on new cruisers from c.1926. The calculated dimensions of the above cruiser do not match any British warship with 7.5 inch guns (Hawkins class =5 ships, Swiftsure class =2 ships). So in conclusion the Green Dragon shells look unlikely to come from the above cruiser. With regard to the last commentators reference to the above warship being a G3 battlecruiser I note the Gazettelive article on the Teesside G3 was published on April Fools Day 2011. Dimensions from Wiki for the proposed G3 battlecruiser (never built, all cancelled Feb 1922) were displacement c.49, 000 tons, length 856 ft, beam 106 ft and draught at deep load 35 ft 8 inches, all greatly in excess of the above cruiser. Remember the local March 1924 newspaper did describe the above warship as an ‘old cruiser’. The river at Stockton was tidal in 1924. Sowler p.385 reported the dredged depth of the river at Victoria Bridge in 1886 (presumably high tide) to be 20-23 ft. Lloyds Registers from the 1920’s claim that Stockton Corporation Quay was suitable for vessels drawing 22 ft. Ships of 20-30 ft draught were turned out by Stockton shipbuilders around this time, with Richardson Duck’s Beechleaf/Olmos reaching 32 ft draught in 1917. At the start of WW1 Blairs Marine Engines of Norton Rd and Blairs Wharf on the river were asked if they could fit out two ships of 460 ft length with engines, one having a 63 ft beam the other having a 65 ft beam. Blairs declined (ref. Stockton Council Records) telling the shipbuilders concerned that owing to the intricate course and width of the river they did not think it safe to send even the smallest of the two vessels down the river for her machinery. The company said it could manufacture the size of machinery required, indeed they were already building a duplicate set in their works for a smaller vessel. Typical Ropner built/Blairs engined ships of the 1920’s were of length c.420 ft, beam 55 ft (highest was 57.5 ft) and draught c. 26-27 ft. The width of the river at Victoria Bridge is only 300 ft. Based on the noted information it would seem unlikely that anything more than a ‘light cruiser’ would safely get down the river and moor at Stockton’s Victoria Bridge.
On 5 April 1934, what was described as the ‘biggest ship which has entered the port of Stockton for breaking up’ arrived at the yard of the South Stockton Shipbreaking Company Ltd.
The vessel was the Lompoc, a steel screw oil tanker, bought from the Bear Creek Oil and shipping Co. Her overall length was 436 ft, breadth 55ft and depth 34ft. Her dead weight was 11,000 tons, gross tonnage 7,270 tons.
Mr F. H. Verrill, managing director of the South Stockton shipbreaking Co. said that the demolition of the vessel would employ 80 men for some four months.
Regarding the cut down shell casings used as bollards at Green Dragon yard, I suspect only one of these now remains at the inner left side of the yard entrance.
More interestingly there is another post on this site of Black Bull yard which shows what looks to be a very similar bollard at the front left of the yard entrance, as this picture is from 1909 it would pre-date WW1. Is this a coincidence or maybe this type of bollard was used at various yard entrances along the High street with only the solitary Green Dragon one remaining, does anybody else have any memories or information…?
David, They were everywhere when I was a lad, milk coal and even some Railway parcels were delivered by horse drawn carts so you saw them on each corner of a yard or entrance so axles could rub past without damage to the walls. I think they were actually cast in that half shell shape especially for the job.
In Stockton about the same time Old Barrels from Cannon were set in the ground as bollards, I often wondered if they had ever seen action although they were so common place I doubt it, they too were probably cast for the job.
I do remember a first world war tank in Middlesbrough near the Park and a couple of old guns in Stockton and one outside the Drill Hall Middlesbrough, most disappeared during the war gathered as scrap metal for the war effort as did all the iron railings and gates.
Frank.
I think its the G3 battlecruiser, or it was going to be!!!
From photos and published dimensions of spans (110 plus 2 x 85 ft = 280 ft) and piers (just above the waterline c.16 ft) I estimated with width of the River Tees at Stockton’s Victoria Bridge on 10 April 2012 to be 296-302 ft (pacing the walkway above the river gave 302 ft). The abutments were only partly inside the river width on 10 April 2012. Many years ago when the river was tidal the abutments were often totally exposed on mud banks as seen in some old PS photos. The distance between the abutments is 300 ft according to Tom Sowler (A History of the Town and Borough of Stockton-on-Tees, page 386) and this figure provides a guide for measuring the dimensions of the above unknown warship. Detailed O.S. maps from 1899 to 1951 and recent satellite images of the riverside have been used to estimate the warships length and beam using the distance between the abutments of Victoria Bridge (300 ft) as the main scaling aid. The calculated lengths of Wharf and Brougham Streets were additional scaling aids. These are the closest streets to the warship on the Stockton side (left off photo). Brougham Street lies fairly parallel to the warship. Calculating the rivers width at the warship allows its beam to be estimated. The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Various maps indicate the width of the river in the vicinity of the warship varies in the range 250-270 ft, likely 250-260 ft. Based on such widths, and measuring the above but expanded photo, the beam of the warship is in the range 41-51 ft, likely 45-50 ft. The length of the warship is slightly less than the distance between its mooring point at the centre of the grey jetty and the nearest old slipway at the top right of the above photo. This is part of a group of old slipways that lie opposite and between Wharf and Tower Streets, left off photo. The south edge of the slipway nearest the warship is parallel with the north side of Wharf Street on most maps, whereas the top end of the warship is almost parallel with the south side of Wharf Street. Measuring such distances along the Thornaby riverbank, especially using high definition O.S. maps of 1951, such as NZ 4418 NE (1:1250), and scaling against the bridge and other local features noted suggests the overall length of the warship is well over 400 ft, likely 450- 475 ft. This should be compared with the dimensions of merchant vessels produced by Stockton shipbuilders around the mid-1920’s at 380-415 ft length and 52-55 ft beam. Note the above photo is sharper as plate 102 in Robert Woodhouse (A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees). Assuming the above is a British warship (I have no evidence it is) the calculated dimensions are typical of a WW1 light cruiser laid down after 1907, most had 40-55 beams and lengths above 400 ft. The beam of the above warship is too short for anything other than a light cruiser. WW1 British armoured cruisers were often old heavy cruisers laid down before 1907 with lengths 360-520 ft most above 400 ft, and beams 60-74.5 ft. The beams of British heavy cruisers constructed from 1890 to 1918 were 60-105.5 ft (most above 66 ft, with HMS Hood exceptional at 105.5 ft), and battleships beams were 75-102.5 ft (sources Fred T. Jane 1919, A. Guy Vercoe, Britain’s Fighting Fleets, c.1936). Warships got wider and longer as the years progressed and tonnage increased. The shape of the above hulk is more like a ship built for speed rather than a commercial vessel or barge servicing the Clevo Flour Mill. The Stockton Herald (26 January 1924) reported that an epileptic teenage girl fell (probably due to a fit) or jumped from Victoria Bridge on the evening of 21 January 1924 and simply disappeared despite a search. Indeed the tide was so low it was possible to wade across the river in the bright evening moonlight. The Herald (1 March 1924) reported the mystery solved when her body was found on 22 February 1924 floating under Victoria Bridge and recovered. There was speculation that the body had been ‘pinned underneath the old cruiser, which was lying close to Victoria Bridge’. These tragic events were also reported in the North Eastern Daily Gazette (22 Jan and 23 Feb 1924), but only the Stockton Herald mentioned the ‘old cruiser’ failing to name the vessel. I could not find an arrival date for the cruiser in local newspaper records (so far the Herald). Demand for scrap took a downturn in 1924, and some redundant ships were simply laid up until prices recovered. This took some years as the great global economic depression emerged. The cruiser is not seen at Victoria Bridge in aerial photo id =4553, which can be dated as 1928 and is a close comparison with the above photo.
With regard to some aerial photos on Picture Stockton dated in the title as circa a year between 1920 and 1931, such as id=198, 1006, 1592, 5676, they all appear on comparison to have been taken during the same aerial sortie (or the same time frame). This sortie was possibly commissioned by Stockton Council (which they occasionally did) and thus the date, cost and contractor should be recorded in the yearly council records at Stockton Library. The most interesting comparison is for the large unknown warship (or is it a huge barge?) above in id=1006 dated as circa 1930. This warship (for sake of reference) can be seen in id=198 dated as early 1920’s, whereas id=5676 is the same view from a different angle dated as 1924. That Whitwell’s Thornaby Iron Works can be seen generating clouds of smoke in the same direction/structure, and the sun shade pattern is similar in id=5676 and 198, implies that these photos were taken before the works wound down and closed in 1925. The big merchant vessel (note the funnel smoke plume is the same in id=1592 and 198) berthed at Ropner’s shipyard looks like their last design for Ropner/Pool Shipping Co., the yard closing after such construction in May 1925. These ships constructed c.1923-1925 were about 390 ft long, whereas the ship fitting out at Craig Taylor’s looks like one of their smaller offerings (ship lengths compared with ruler) from the mid or early 1920’s. This latter vessel has a single thick light band around its dark funnel, and may have a thin light cheat line on its hull. All the shipyards seem operable, but far from busy, they were busy for most of 1924. Although id=198 lacks clarity, there appears to be a ship on the stocks at Richardson Duck, their last launch/completion being Aug/Oct 1924, and then the yard closed. The Thistle Green/Housewife Lane slum area remains intact (demolished 1927-1929) in the listed photos, again dating the above photo id =1006 or warship arrival to well before 1930. The warship is absent in aerial photo id=4553, which can be dated 1929 as the Housewife Lane slum area has nearly all been demolished, just Burton House, the Ship Launch Inn and Baltic Tavern remain standing. These were the final buildings in this area to be demolished. The warship appears to be devoid of much superstructure. She appears to be laid up. There does not appear to be the usual equipment or debris associated with scrapping or shipbreaking next to the warship, not even a decent crane or jetty. She is moored at the site of the long defunct Bridge shipyard, just north of Clevo Wharf. This vessel certainly looks bigger than merchant ships seen at Stockton at this time. The South Stockton Shipbreaking Company commenced scrapping operations at the defunct Richardson Duck yard after 1929, this yard being some distance from the warship. I would say the above photo, and the group of aerial photos listed, can be dated before c.1930, likely early 1920’s or 1924 at the latest.
A lot of British WW1 capital ships were scrapped or put out-of-use between May 1921 and Dec 1923 less so up to Dec 1926. Limitations on tonnage and capacity came into force with the Washington Naval Treaty finally signed on 6 Feb 1922. A lot of older British cruisers were sold for scrap 1920 to 1922 inclusive as well. To answer a previous commentator, the smaller scuttled German warships were successfully recovered from the depths of Scapa Flow from 1924 onwards, with the bigger beasts emerging from 1927 but a majority were recovered in the 1930’s. If the above is a warship its likely to be from the 1920-1924 sold for scrap era.
I don”t recall the ship, but I do remember when they tried to “blow up” the flour building. It didn”t go the first time, so they did it again and success was had that time.
I hadn”t noticed the 8″ shell cases in Finkle St. I will do some research.
Can anybody name that warship, being scrapped near ‘Clevo Flour-Mill’ ? Is it an ex-German Navy ship, raised from Scapa-Flow after World -War 1 ‘Great Scuttle’ June 15th 1919? Any connection with the two 8″ empty shell- cases , which act as wall bollards at the Green-Dragon Arch, in Finkle Street?