The road passes by the Blue Bell Inn on the right and goes up towards St Peter’s Church. The High Street, Bishopton.
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
The road passes by the Blue Bell Inn on the right and goes up towards St Peter’s Church. The High Street, Bishopton.
The photograph is taken looking north from the Redmarshall entry to the village with St John’s House on the left and the Blue Bell Inn on the right. Some cottages depicted between the Blue Bell and the Weslyan Chapel were demolished to allow access to the cul-de-sac development behind the Blue Bell in the late 50s or early 60s. The wooden fence on the left foreground is the south boundary of the rose garden to St John’s House which was then owned by four extremely well educated and connected Robson spinster sisters, and also the north boundary of Tommy Tingle’s garage which remains, though Mr Tingle passed away many years ago.
There were three pubs in the village when I lived there. The Blue Bell was tenanted in the early 60s and 70s for many years by Peter and Jean Staples and the pub remains with numerous tenant changes over the years. The Stillington Ox, opposite Bertie Berryman’s grocery shop, was converted to residential by the last pub tenant Bob Freer in the early 60s, and the Talbot Inn was then tenanted by Jean and Albert Wood. The Talbot is now an excellent eatery with a fine reputation for quality and service.
Just looking at this picture again… think this picture was taken going into Bishopton from the Stainton side, and those buildings on the right are farm houses not the Blue Bell? and the Church on the left as the road heads to the top of the picture?
Having just posted on the last entry regarding the Brown Jug I find myself commenting on another of my haunts from my younger days. Saturdays it was so packed that one had to adopt the Blue Bell stance, meaning that your pint was held back hand just in front of your lips. Great times!
Does anyone know the date of this picture? My husband’s great grandfather owned the Post Office/shop I think just as the row of cottages disappears from view towards St. Peters. In fact, the whole row of cottages plus the shop used to be called “Duff Row” by the locals – we learned this when my husband and I moved into number 13 which was located next door to the shop and went for our first drink at the Talbot Pub, the locals were sitting playing dominoes, looked up and said “Oh, you must be the Duffs!” We loved living in that village, who wouldn’t with a pub either side of you?! My husband’s great grandfather is buried in the churchyard at St. Peters (it’s the big white marble headstone and footing which can be seen from the road). I have a picture somewhere of him sitting with his horse and carriage outside number 13, should put it on here! If anyone has more stories of Bishopton I’d love to hear them! I remember sitting waiting for the kettle to boil one Saturday morning beside the old black fire/stove in the living room and all of a sudden saw a row of tails pass right under the window – the hounds had decided to take a detour from the hunt! From our living room window we could see farm fields/horses, now a huge house is built there owned by a news reporter from the TV, can’t remember his name.
Missed out the fact that the cottages were in a bad state of repair when we lived there and still are… shame because our cottage was my pride and joy and was like a new pin inside… they are owned by another member of the family who doesn’t live in the area. The last time I visited new windows had been installed..
Hi Carol, The cottages you mention have all now been purchased by different people and are in the process of being renovated. My friends have actually purchased No 13 and would love to see any pictures you may have of how it looked in its former life. You may be pleased to know that the old black/stove fireplace in the front room it still there and they have no plans to remove it!