An aerial view of Stockton. Photograph courtesy of Mark Swainston. 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
An aerial view of Stockton. Photograph courtesy of Mark Swainston.
Picture Stockton Archive 
The circular area, on the right hand side of the photo, just below Portrack Council Estate was originally the site of Blacketts Brickworks. Since the site has only been levelled it would make a good Time Team programme
The actual claypit was off to the right, and was filled in with bricks from the demolition of the 19th Century streets of Stockton
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Mark do you know Freddie and Martha Swainston who lived on Swainby Road?
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I know this is long time since this message but I am trying to contact family of Martha and Frederick Swainston could you help?
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I remember George Chetwynd being the Labour MP for Stockton during the late 50s early 60s.
If my memory is correct, he was asked to be the chairman of the newly formed North East Development Corporation, (NEDC or Neddy as it became known). Hence his resignation as MP for Stockton. As we know, Mr william Rogers later left the Labour party to become one of the part of four who set up the Social Democrats, along with Shirley Williams, Roy Jenkins and I think the fourth member was David Steel.
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This area on the east side of Stockton, between the river, Portrack, Billingham and Haverton Hill, was once prime agricultural land, growing barley, wheat and potatoes. There was little livestock, except towards Norton. During the 1960s, the land was referred to as the ‘Lungs of Stockton’ by the Mayor, in a newspaper interview, in which he flew over this area. It did provide a useful gap, before Stockton and Middlesbrough began to merge into one another. The interview may have happened during the early sixties when there was a key by-election. Mr Chetwynd, a Labour man had resigned. Mr Rogers took over, getting an easy victory for Labour. Not much of the lungs are now left!
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