The Mile House on the crossroads of Durham Road and Darlington Lane is now partially demolished. Is is going to be transformed into a mini shopping parade?
The Mile House, Stockton
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Picture Stockton Archive 
I have great memories of going to the miley in the 70s through to the 80s in the music room and going up to play pool on a Sunday night, a pint of Samson or a Double Maxim served by Betty I think
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Hi everyone
I know this is a little bit of a tangent, but opposite The Mile House, are 2 houses: 243 and 245 Durham Road. To the left of 243, is the old opening to 241 Durham Road. I believe it used to be a bungalow but was demolished by a man (John Mongan) who had inherited (I believe) the property from Doris Gertrude Moore, who passed on in Jan 1996. It was demolished and the plan to build on it never materialised.
Does anyone know of this old property? And/or, does anyone have any pictures of how the old 241 Durham Road looked?
Thanks
Henry
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I’m fairly sure that there was a ‘Brown’s” estate agents sign on this site for a long time before the bungalow was demolished, maybe they could help with any pics.
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Hi Gary, thank you for responding to my post and thank you for the information. I will give them a call.
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Does anyone remember a sweet shop on the diagonal corner across the cross roads from the Mile House and is there any photographs?
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Yes… I recall it was a first or last stop on trips to Newham Grange Park… lovely memories of that….. it was a ramshackle wooden building with an overgrown entrance. I recollect it was run by an elderly couple
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Thanks Steve. Do you have any photographs of the building?
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I remember the old shop very well, old wooden building run by two old ladies as I recall….we used to buy pot jugs of hop beer there, non alcoholic of course…and jubilee ice lollies that where triangular in shape and lasted for ever!
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I remember it being called Olive’s after the old lady who served in it. I rescued a Players Please sign from the rubble of the demolished old hut. I’ve still got it to this day.
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We need to have that pint sometime Graham!
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I remember the wonderful Iced Ginger Beer from stone pots. I do not think they bought the Beer they brewed it themselves, as to the triangular Iced lollies they had a card board covering which you peeled off to get at the iced lolly I remember the stop me and buy one ice cream man sold these triangular iced lollies from his three wheeled trike they were great but never reappeared after the War for some reason.
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Does anyone know of the nickname for the old Mile House pub. I have been told it was the “Deck of Cards” – 4 chimneys, 13 rooms and 52 windows. Lived here in Stockton all of my 65 years and never heard this before. Does anybody else know of this nickname?
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Another mini-shopping centre on the edge of town? Yet another nail in the High Street coffin.
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About time council got there finger out and made contractors restore this fast becoming eyesore
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Surely a building like this should be listed, and saved from demolishment like our High St should have been.
Remember walking from Ragworth School to stand nearby on Ragpath Lane when the Queen visited in 1956.
Also I walked past it from Ragworth every time I visited my Gran who lived in Ripon Close Roseworth.
Alan Rowbotham
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Bloody shame !
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Back in the day my cousin used to drink in the Mile House and remembers being taken down to the cellar area by the then manager. He told my dad and I there were a few tunnels going off in different directions from the cellar but never dared venture too far down any of them. Does anyone on this site know whether this is in fact true, and more importantly, does anyone know where they go?
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Hey I worked there too about six years ago maybe more and we took a venture into those tunnels it was pitch black, we went pretty far but I chickened out. But we said we’d go again but didn’t so gutted now we didn’t cos to this day I’m even more curious about were they lead to. There was around three tunnels, one was bricked up, we walked a fair bit but the floor was flooded about ankle deep a bit further in. I’d love to walk them again..
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Thanks for that kennyt28, so good to know that my cousin wasn’t just making it all up. But now we are even more intrigued. I think we need some brave soul to venture into the unknown and find out where and why these tunnels exist before this building disappears forever (and no I’m not volunteering).
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Hi I lived there over 30 years ago there were tunnels but I never dared go along and was not really allowed haha. There were loads of like catacombs too but often flooded. Vaux were once going to redevelop that basement area and make it a late night wine bar but permission was refused
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Does anyone know who to contact to arrange a survey of the tunnels? When Covid restrictions are lifted I’d love to go and survey them.
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The Mile House was the first pub I went in. I remember in the main lounge a barmaid would come to your table for your order then she would get it and then bring it to your table. That was in the early 60’s. Happy days.
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Hi Linda, your cousin John here. Hope all is good with you. Be nice to hear from you.
John
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Hi I don’t think you are my cousin who are your parents ?
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Hi I don’t think you are my cousin. Who are parents?
Linda
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Hi, was your father called Norman?
My apologies if I’ve got the wrong Linda.
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No he was called Raymond.
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My parents were Harold and Hilda and we lived in Renvyle Avenue, Roseworth.
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Sad to see the pub go! A lot of good memories of the place.
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They have only knocked the toilets down which was not part of the original building that is why the Council stopped them working
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Sad to see another good pub go, is the Horse and Jockey still open? I no longer live in the area but love this website keeping me up to date
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Yes it is
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The Horse and Jockey is still going strong
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Sign of the times 6 pubs close every week
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End of an era!! As a boy I lived in Daventry Ave and my dad along with all the other dad’s went along to the Mile House almost every night for beer, darts and dominoes. Relax for a few hours after a hard day’s toil at ICI etc. There was an off licence were we could buy pop a later take the bottles back for the small deposit. Good times
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Yes
This was one of my early haunts as a young man too, the landlord of the day was very strict on under age drinkers, so it wasn’t my first introduction to pub life. A group of us used to congregate in the lounge every Thursday to watch ‘Top of the Pops’ before catching a bus into town, Sunday evenings where also popular with the pubs opening late and closing early… I lived on Roseworth too along with most of my friends, shame to see it fall off the radar.
Craig
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Lovely building. One of only four!!!!
Anyone got photo of MODERNE BEFORE Fiesta (1960?)
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Search Fiesta club on this site – maybe on there
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Oh dear another piece of my childhood going. Passed it regular as a child either on the bus or going to the park. Went back to Stockton 18 months ago to see where I grew up we moved when I was 14, it really felt like going home I did use to live on Rochdale Avenue. To be honest I could move back it felt comfortable this was in the mid 60s. Roseworth Secondary modern was gone and a Lidl going up.
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That is life Sheila, things change, I remember Roseworth estate as all farmland, My Uncle Arthur and Aunt Mabel Marsay had a Dairy Farm on the land Roseberry Farm. They delivered milk from churns around Norton, a gill Half pint or Pint ladle into your own jugs.
People write on Picture Stockton about the good times growing up on Roseworth but what about us who came before it was built. Our memories are also valuable although we were brought up in the knowledge nothing lasts forever.
The Mile House was also one of my early stamping grounds, it had plenty of custom in those days as TV was something rich people had, everything was outside the home
Public houses much like Town High Streets were bound to change, Beer prices going through the roof meant custom fell away, Town Centres being set in their ways lost out to Trading Centres which are now decrying the Online selling of today.
I only speak for myself when I say there is no way I would change my centrally heated Bungalow with all mod cons for the old House where I was brought up in Mill Lane Norton, plus I shop online, this Apple Laptop I am writing on to start with.
Life moves on we move with it, things change as our children have their own values and sitting in Pubs drinking does not seem to be what they do.
The building is getting a new use so will not disappear, what will the future bring I wonder.
Frank.
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