This is a photograph of Norton Hardwick, otherwise known as Hardwick Hall. It is taken from a book, Durham at the Opening of the 20th Century. Contemporary biographies, published in 1906. The caption to the photograph reads Norton Hardwick, Stockton-on-Tees, Residence of J.I. Hopper, J.P. This large property was situated on Harrogate Lane, in seven acres of woodland, opposite the junction with Letch Lane. An Ordinance Survey map of 1889 shows the property was much smaller then and known simply as Hardwick House but by the time the 1898 Ordinance Survey map was published it was known as Hardwick Hall. John Ingledew Hopper (1842-1908) was a wire rope manufacturer in Thornaby, he moved into the property sometime between 1901 and 1906. The Stockton & Teesside Herald has a report of a Garden fete at Norton Hardwick Hall by kind permission of Mrs Hopper, September 1920. After the death of Mrs Hopper, the property was bought by ICI and they used it for many years as a training centre. The Hall was also the one time home of ICI Chairman, Lord Fleck. Hardwick Hall gave its name to the large council estate built behind it in the 1950s. In the mid 1980s, when ICI had no further use for the property, the house and the seven-acre site, came on the market and several builders were interested in the land. Stockton council tried to save the property, even contacting the Department of the Environment, but failed. Stockton development control officer Mike Leason said, ”Although the building was attractive it was not listed as being of architectural or historic interest”. Leech Homes (N.E.) bought the land, demolished the house and built a small housing estate on the site but they saved many of the mature trees which are still standing today. The Stockton Lodge elderly care home was also built on the site. There is another photograph on Picture Stockton which is wrongly titled Hardwick Hall. This photograph shows the large house on Darlington Back Lane, close to the junction with Harrogate Lane and next to the Mitre public house. Photograph and information courtesy of Brian Swales.