A view of a very quiet Stockton High Street. Shops known to many can be seen such as Stead and Simpsons, Blackett, H Samuels and Hepworths. Photographs taken c1950/1960s.

40-42 Stockton High Street. According to our records Thomas Mills, tea dealer and grocer occupied no.40 from 1834-1851. In 1834 this was the house of Charles Walker, an Ironmonger. In the early 1900s it became Barrowcliffes Café, the first in Stockton. In 1821 no.42 was Robinson’s Bookseller, printers and circulating Library. The actual printing office was down the yard behind the building. In 1876 it became Hodgson & Downs Ltd, a wine and Spirit store. It was noted by Heavisides that it had a barometer on either side of the store wall. The photograph is dated c1980s.

Numbers 125, 126, 127 and 128. No. 126 was built c1827 but by 1908, Althams Ltd demolished ‘Luton House’ and erected a new terracotta building which still stands today. Since 1996, No.125 and 126 have been combined. No. 128 has housed businesses from habadashers to plumbing and hairdressing to jewellers.  From 1855-1877, No 129 was Clough Grocers, on the front of the building was a large ornamented green canister with black and gold lettering, similar to those found inside a grocers of that period.

A view of Stockton High Street c1950s. On the right is the Royal Hotel, built c1740. It was very much altered from the original at the time of demolition. An RAC sign can be seen on the hotel wall. The Town Hall and beyond that, Robinson’s Tower is visible in the distance.

Nectarines! Get your Large Nectarines! 5 for 50p…This photograph was taken during the 1980s of the market in Stockton. The Town Hall can be seen in the background.

This 3 storey building has stood on the corner of the High Street since c1834, it wasn’t until 1890 that the building was reported to have had glass windows fitted. Throughout the years there has been many different types of businesses from Board and Lodgings to Hosiers and Grocers to Printers. Jackson the tailors shown in this photograph occupied the building from 1914 to 1971.

Stockton High Street – No.153 is a Grade II listed. The building was originally owned by Ann Whitfield c1834, she was also likely to have been the the proprietor of no.152 and 154; Debenhams and the Globe Theatre. We think the passage to the right of the photograph is Edmund Square. Date unknown.

We think this photograph was taken in the pre-tram era, probably c1870s. We can see Wilson’s drapers (no.75), owned by Thomas Wilson who had recently dissolved his partnership in shipping with Appleton & Co to join his brother in the drapery business. Popperwell and Hudson dining rooms (no.71) and Gowlands Unicorn Hotel (no.72). The Unicorn Hotel was managed by Jane Gowland in 1871 and Philip Gowland from 1876. This Victorian building was still incomplete when it was demolished in 1970. What is the circular building in the middle of the photograph, is it the equivalent to the taxi office/rank of today?

Titled, ‘Market Place, Stockton-on-Tees’, destination Darlington. This postcard was sent 26th April during the reign of King George V.

The buildings we can make out are the photographers; A&G Taylors, Hedley Swan & co. drapers and Birbeck ironmongers.

The Royal Hotel I believe was built  c1740 and demolished in 1962. To the right, where the semi-detached dwellings are, I remember the coffee & ice cream parlour, Rossi’s. The houses further down were demolished to make way for the Empire Theatre.

Photograph and details courtesy of Derek Buttle.

This semi-detached town house was built on Stockton High Street in 1841. They are numbers 82 and 83. The ivy clad residence of number 82 was owned by Attorney at Law, Thomas Henry Faber and stayed in the family until 1904. The last person to occupy number 83 was a organist called Felix Cruse. The outbuildings were built using old castle stone and the gardens reached down to the river. Both houses were demolished in 1904 to make way for the Castle Theatre which opened on this site in 1908.

To the right of the image is West End Art Tailoring Co. Ltd, no. 47 High Street. According to our records this shop traded from 1899 – 1901, it then became R Bruce Tailors in 1902.

This postcard is dated 20th April 1903…