54°34N 1°19W, pop (2000e) 90 000. Town in NE England, UK, on the R Tees estuary; unitary authority, 1996 (pop (2000e) 180 000); developed with the opening of the StocktonDarlington railway in 1825; ship repairing, engineering, chemicals; Saltholme Nature Reserve with planned wetland complex nearby.
Stockton-on-Tees is a town in North East England.
History
Stockton began as an Anglo-Saxon settlement on high ground close to the northern bank of the River Tees. Stockton's market can trace its history back to 1310, when Bishop Bek of Durham granted a market charter - to our town of Stockton a market upon every Wednesday for ever.
Industry
Major industries in Stockton have included ship-repairing, steel and chemicals.
The town is most famous for its associations with the Stockton and Darlington Railway on which ran the world's first steam hauled passenger train in 1825.
During the twentieth century the town's heavy industry declined dramatically, along with the that of the surrounding Teesside area.
Famous citizens
It was the birthplace and early home of furniture designer Thomas Sheraton.
Other famous people born in Stockton include Will Hay and Jimmy James the comedians;
Author George Orwell also resided for a year in Greystone, near Carlton, a village in the borough, from 1944-1945.
Denis Smithson (1923-2003) was also born in Stockton.
Stockton today
The town's High Street is reputed to be the widest in Europe.
Stockton town centre has undergone many developments in recent years including the spectacular, albeit wobbly , Teesquay Millennium Bridge, the Queens Campus of Durham University, several acres of office buildings erected along the South bank of the River Tees within the Teesdale development and Wellington Square a modern shopping arcade erected upon the old Wellington Street area of the town centre.
While Stockton has its own railway station near to the town centre, Stockton railway station, more and longer distance services operate from Thornaby railway station across the River Tees.
Stockton is also home to the multi-million pound Arc, whose resident drama company is currently the hugely successful Arden Theatre Company.
Stockton: the future
Work is under way to develop The North bank of the River Tees as part of the North Shore development, which will include new offices and housing.
The Stockton-Middlesbrough Initiative is a 20 year vision for regenerating the urban core of the Tees Valley, the main focus being the 30 km² area along the banks of the River Tees between the two centres of Stockton and Middlesbrough. The master plan has been drawn up by environmental design specialists Gillespies, the eventual aim being to create a distinctive high-quality city of over 320,000 citizens at the heart of the Tees Valley, by connecting both Middlesbrough and Stockton along the Tees corridor. The project will include not only the existing developments at North Shore, Stockton and Middlehaven, Middlesbrough, but many others over a 15-20 year period.
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