Construction work began on the Riverside in the 1950s, these photographs show the foundations and building of Corporation Warehouse.
Building on the Riverside c1950s
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Yarm Fair c1900
In the early 1900s the fair at Yarm was famous for cheese trading and livestock sales, but these days it is mostly a funfair. This photograph c1900 shows the hustle and bustle of the fair which is held annually every October and is still a focus in the calendar for travellers today. We believe the fair was established in 1214.
Castle Brewery, Bridge Road
A photograph of the Castle Brewery, seen from the brewery yard looking west towards Bridge Road. The brewery was opened in 1858 by WK. & J. Kirk and closed c1930 although it was not demolished until 1969. The site was later part of the Swallow Hotel.
Market Place, Stockton
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.
Stockton High Street
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.
Townhouses on Stockton High Street c1894
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.
A view of Balaclava Street
To the left of this photograph of Balaclava Street is the Stockton Register Office, with Balaclava Cottage just beyond. The grassed and car park area to the right was the ground on which the Queens Hotel once stood, a place that will hold many memories for some people including myself. The back of the image shows Corporation Street and properties on that side of Bishopton Lane. Church steeples are also visible in the Yarm Lane and Yarm Road areas of Stockton, along with the tower of the newly built Mosque in Bowesfield Lane.
Photograph and details courtesy of John Robson.
Oxbridge Lane Boys playing Stool Ball
Oxbridge Lane boys, Class V16 playing stool ball! Thought to be an ancestor of cricket, this game involved a stool being used as a wicket. Photograph taken July 1932.
Cleveland Row c1928
We don’t know who these men are but we do know that they are stood outside no.1 and no.1a Cleveland Row, Stockton c1928. These houses were built in the 18th century and stood here until the area was cleared c1929.
Housewifes Lane from Bolton House Yard c1925
Looking down the sett-covered alley of Housewifes Lane from the position of Bolton House Yard c1925. This 18 century terraced housing was demolished c1927.
Demolishing of the Stone Bridge
A rare photograph of the new Victoria Bridge while the old stone bridge is being demolished. An Act of Parliament was passed in 1762 for the construction of a bridge and it was finally completed in 1769. The bridge was subject to rent to the Bishop of Durham and the costs of building it had to be repaid, so a system of tolls was charged. These were supposed to be abolished as soon as the debt was cleared, but they remained in place. By 1819 the local people took the law into their own hands and threw two of the bridge gates into the river, and burnt the third gate in the High Street. By 1820 the bridge was free of tolls! Although the bridge was fantastic for Stockton’s business, the bridge had a devastating impact on Yarm. The building of the bridge prevented many ships reaching Yarm, as the ships grew in size they became unable to navigate far up river. This only heightened shipping in Stockton and affirmed its place as the main port on the Tees before the 1800s. The bridge also halted Yarm’s shipbuilding. Stockton was not affected by this, as the yards were springing up east of the bridge towards the sea. By 1876 the old bridge was inadequate and in 1881 work was begun on a new bridge. The new bridge, made of stone and iron, was opened in 1887 and named the ‘Victoria Bridge’ in recognition of Queen Victoria.
Postcard of the Town Hall – Dated 1903
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…
Swinburne Road, Eaglescliffe c1900
A view of late 19th century terraced houses and a corner shop, Swinburne Road in Eaglescliffe c1900.
Portrack Estate – 1972
This photograph was taken in the late summer of 1972 from the grassy area next to Kingsport Close, Portrack. It is looking towards the Rocks field, which in the old days used to be the local football ground for the Portrack Shamrocks. It was effctively supposed to be the local park. However the area had fallen into disuse and become overgrown. In the winter it was flooded by Lustrem Beck. At the time the whole field was being covered by loads of earth and spoil, which completely eliminated the flooding .
Photograph and details courtesy of Fred Starr.
Stockton Fire Brigades Annual Cricket Match – 1884
A great photograph taken by L.T Clarke of South Stockton. Here we have men from the North Riding Constabulary versus the South Stockton Fire Brigade at the Fire Brigades Annual Cricket Match in August 1884.