A photograph of the Stockton and Darlington ticket office on Bridge Road, Stockton c1977.
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
A photograph of the Stockton and Darlington ticket office on Bridge Road, Stockton c1977.
A few thoughts on Stockton’s on Tees historical importance in world affairs can be gleaned by reading about three famous American men: Andrew Carnegie: 1835-1919, Henry Clay Frick 1849-1919, and Cornelius Vanderbilt 1794 – 1877, three American billionaires, Andrew Carnegie was the first person to realise what had been discovered and created in Stockton-on-Tees, (the railway transportation of goods and people) would create a huge demand for steel railway lines, so he set about producing them, Henry Frick made a fortune producing coke (from coal)l to fire up Canegies Bessemer steel producing furnaces, and Vanderbilt created his own tremendous fortune building and creating new railway line companies that eventually crossed America from coast to coast How the West was won owes it origins and succeed to the Stockton and Darlington railway, an idea which every nation soon copied.
For some years I have had the idea that someone should set about creating Stockton University, an Engineering University that will capitalise on Stockton’s links with George Stephenson, and the Stockton and Darlington Railway Company* Ideally this new University will specialise in engineering work including developing cheaper ways to heat our homes in order to address the current problem of millions of UK homeowners ditching gas central heating appliances and choosing to wrap up warm inside their homes to keep warm.
*The world famous Stockton and Darlington Railway operated in north-east England from 1825 to 1863, it was the world’s first public railway to use steam locomotives, its line connected coal collieries near Shildon with Darlington and the port of Stockton-on-Tees, Opened on 27 September 1825. The movement of coal to ships rapidly became a lucrative business, the line was soon extended to Middlesbrough. Coal wagons were hauled by steam locomotives, at a later date passenger carriages were introduced thereby allowing all major UK cities to be linked by road and rail transport. The Stockton and Darlington passenger railway was copied throughout the world including America.
In filling in a questionnaire about the forthcoming bicentenary celebrations of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, David Gibson will be pleased to know that I also highlighted the critical importance of the Clarence Railway to Stockton.
Furthermore, in helping to organise the visit of the Newcomen Society to Teesside, last July (2018), I made sure that the Society Brochure, covering the visit, gave a more objective view of railway development in the area than one normally reads.
In the section entitled “Industry North of the Tees-Moulded by Railway Competition”, I included ” A Sardonic Look at the Stockton and Darlington Railway”.
Stockton Library has a copy, but I can supply one if requested.
It has been mentioned on the site before that this may not have been a ticket office as we know them today. Passenger services were run by private contractors when the line first opened and they did not build stations. More likely the building was used for collecting tariffs for use of the quayside branch.
I would hope that any celebrations also include the development of the railways around Stockton, and particularly the Clarence Railway which served far more industrial sites than the S&D, as well as building the first station at Norton Road on the North Shore Branch. The later Leeds Northern was responsible for the route through the present Stockton Station. The S&D were more interested in Middlesbrough than the Stockton traffic.
There is a lot to celebrate about Stockton’s importance in developing public railways but also the importance of the railways in the development of Stockton.
Stockton & Darlington Railway Heritage, Come Have Your Say. We need your help to shape the future of our unique railway heritage in the run-up to the 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in September 2025.
An exciting programme has been established which aims to celebrate the vision and innovation that led to the creation of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825, which transformed the way in which the world transports goods and people.
Real momentum is gathering to scope out what activities, projects and events could be planned to celebrate the vision and innovation that led to its creation.
A big part of this programme is to create a world class visitor offer, effectively telling the stories along the length of the whole line and at certain key places along it. We hope to tell the stories of the pioneers and inventors of the Stockton and Darlington Railway and the impact it has had on local communities and across the globe.
Now we are asking for people to have their say on what the key stories should be and what events and activities they would like to see as part of the project at drop-in events during February half term to capture people’s thoughts and ideas.
The events taking place are being held at the three key sites along the line:
Preston Park Museum in Stockton (Tuesday 19 February, 10am – 2pm)
Locomotion in Shildon (Wednesday 20 February, 10am – 2pm)
Head of Steam Museum in Darlington (Saturday 23 February, 11am – 3pm)
If you are interested in having your say but cannot get to one of the events, then please get in touch by emailing the Stockton and Darlington Railway Heritage Project Manager at Kirsty.mcgready@teesvalley-ca.gov.uk
There is a thread on Picture Stockton which mentions the plaque that can be seen on the left hand wall in the photograph and someone asks the question if it is there anymore? Someone I’m sure replies, no!
Well I haven’t checked but while watching BBC Look North last night, Monday 10 July, it featured the William Lane Brass Foundry in Middlesbrough and in the all too short clip was ‘the plaque’! You could clearly read the lettering referring to the D&S Railway but the plaque was broken, almost in two and obviously there to be repaired or perhaps copied and the copy re-hung?
It would be nice if someone within SBC could respond to this and shed some light on why such an historic plaque should be in need of repair and away from public view for so long? Was it forcibly removed, attempted theft, or removed due to accidental damage? I think we should be told.
Reference: The original plaque on the D & S railway office, St Johns Crossing, Stockton, this was stolen years ago, whether it was recovered or not, I don’t know, I do know Stockton Police were very interested in locating it, and of course all the local scrap yards were asked to look out for it. Needless to say this building had laid derelict for years, and only after a public outcry was anything done to preserve it, and that was in a penny-pinching fashion. For what it’s worth the alleged ‘worlds first ever railway ticket office’ was attached at the rear to a large working coal yard, and to the right was the old railway parcel office and yard – this being another derelict building with a railway history of some sort or other, when combined the whole site was ideal for the very first large scale railway museum in the UK, instead the City of York jumped in and got awarded the contract.
Another area of Stockton that could be utilised to attract overseas visitors being the first ever ticket office for the Railways. Come on Stockton show yourself to the World with all your historical connections.