Stockton on Tees: A Potted History

Stockton-on-Tees was a small port and market town in the north-east of England for much of its history. Shipbuilding and other industries gradually established themselves over the years, but it was with the Industrial Revolution that the town received a massive boost. The opening of the pioneering Stockton & Darlington Railway enabled coal to be transported to the port. Industries developed around the discovery of iron ore locally, as well as engineering and potteries, and the population expanded rapidly. The town was transformed by large areas of Victorian dwellings, absorbing neighbouring settlements. By the turn of the twentieth century the town was supported by a thriving market, theatres, pubs, schools, libraries, fairs, parks and churches. The depression of the interwar years and the closure of shipyards saw many lose their jobs, but the period also saw the start of the chemical industry at Billingham, which grew into a vast complex. Although today Stockton has lost much of its traditional industry, sites have been turned into business parks, attracting service industries and a university campus. The story of the town tells of heroes, inventors, business leaders, rioters as well as the lives of ordinary folk. Illustrated throughout, this accessible historical portrait of the transformation that Stockton-on-Tees has undergone through the ages will be of great interest to residents, visitors and all those with links to the town.