Stockton railway station during the removal of the roof.
Photographs courtesy of Eric Collins
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton railway station during the removal of the roof.
Photographs courtesy of Eric Collins
This station was built in 1893 by the North Eastern Railway and was Stockton”s 6th. It replaced an earlier station built on a nearby site (slightly to the west) by the Leeds Northern Railway when it reached Stockton from Northallerton in 1852, and joined up with the Stockton and Hartlepool line at what became North Shore Junction. Stocktons” stations: 1. Stockton and Darlington Rly., Bridge Road 1825. 2. Clarence Railway, Norton Road 1835. 3. Stockton & Hartlepool Rly., Norton Rd. 1841/42. 4. Stockton & Darlington Rly., Mandale Rd 1846 (became South Stockton from 1852) 5. Leeds Northern (North Stockton) 1852. 6. North Eastern Rly. (present site) 1893. When this station opened, South Stockton became Thornaby.
This is perhaps one of the most important pictures in the “Picture Stockton” archieve, since despite the historic significance of the Stockton to Darlington Railway,and the Clarence Railroad to Port Clarence, there are very few pictures of the local railways in the public domain. The few of Stockton Station are all from the south end. This demolition of the station actually was done within a couple of years of its repainting to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Stockton to Darlington! Does anyone know when the station roofs were constructed?
I remember the footbridge well when I lived in Jasmine Rd Primrose hill in about 1948 we used to cross the bridge to go into Stockton, but you had to run if you saw a train coming otherwise your white ankle socks ended up black with the soot from the engine , then you were in real trouble when you got home, also the Gas works smelt awful we used to hold our noses when we went passed. Happy memories.
Stockton gas works were at the Stockton end of the footbridge which led over to Primrose Hill. The works were made redundant with the coming of North Sea gas in the early 1970s. Also the main line was diverted and straightened around 1992? in connection with the later opening of the Stockton link road in the 1990s and the railway speed limit was raised. Previously, the main line had hugged the edges of the goods yards, in a big curve by what was North Shore signal box.The old line taken by the main line track can still be seen from the link road bridge over the railway line.The footbridge may have gone when this work was being carried out or when the station was being refurbished. The footbridge itself was actually two bridges. The one nearest the gas works a bow girder and the extension over the goods yards supported on trestles, which may suggest different building dates,perhaps as the goods yards were extended.
Thank God someone recorded this for posterity. I was wondering about the old wrought Iron Footbridge which used to span the lines just to the North of the Railway Station, we used to have a similar one in Hartlepool but not nearly as long. I never seen this Bridge after about 1983, can anyone let me know when this landmark was demolished?.