This photograph taken in the 1890’s shows the High Street looking north from the junction with Yarm Lane on market day. On left is the Coffee Palace, next door is Borough Hall built in 1852 cost £3,300. Borough Hall on the left was built as a town house c1785 for Mr. R. Dickson, in 1852 it became the Borough Offices and a hall was built at the rear. The Hall was demolished 1934, the offices were demolished c1957. The Post Office opened on the site in 1960. No. 71 Eades, S.S. Piano and Organ Warehouse (1894-1935) No. 92 Olde Post Office Hotel(1862-1907) No. 97 Victoria Inn (1834-1961) No. 98 J.A. Birkbeck ironmongers (c1893-1915) No. 106 Taylor, A. & G. photographer (1880-1911). The ‘birdcage’ like structure in the top left of the photograph is for the telephone lines leading to the post office. The Town Hall was built 1735 extended 1744. The Shambles was built 1825 (to replace earlier shambles)
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
As the caption states, most of the properties to either side of the High Street were originally private houses, built on narrow strips of land called ‘burghers’ plots, with the facade to the street. Domestic staff were often housed in the attics and topmost floors. Similarly, when the premises became converted to shops in the mid-late 19th century, these areas were sometimes used for apprentices and unmarried shop-assistants to live in.
This, very possibly, because shops in town often closed much later than 5:30pm and certainly opened earlier each day. Live-in staff were therefore therefore only a few steps from work each day! No excuse for being late!
On the right of the picture, a property has obviously been demolished and is awaiting re-construction to commence, is this ‘Wilson’s’, I wonder?
The (cropped) photograph appears to have been taken from the upper floors of the building on the corner of Bridge Road/Yarm Lane, which for many years after WWII was known as ‘Barry’s’ corner i.e. after the TV and Electrical shop that occupied the site. Later, it became a ‘male boutique’ in the early 1970’s and was subsequently converted into the offices of a legal-firm, which it still remains.
Thankfully, the obvious hub-bub of horse-drawn traffic and trading going on in the High Street was not subject to ‘Vic-wardian’ town-planners, or highway consultants. For as the ‘private car’ was totally banned from Stockton High Street in the late 1980’s and the traditional market ‘strip’ around the Town-hall and The Shambles broken up into sections, it sadly heralded a very noticeable decline in the towncentres continuance as a vibrant shopping destination. Maybe, the 18th century private houses and elegant residences, should be making a ‘come back’?
On the extreme right hand side of the image, you can see scaffolding where a new building is being erected. I think this might be the site of the William the Fourth (?) pub.