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Stockton-on-Tees
| |
|---|---|
| Town | |
.jpg) Fountains Square _(cropped).jpg) Town Hall  Tees Barrage | |
  Stockton-on-Tees Location withinCounty Durham | |
| Population | 84,815 |
| OS grid reference | NZ440200 |
| • London | 217 mi (349 km) |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Areas of the town | |
| Post town | STOCKTON-ON-TEES |
| Postcode district | TS16–TS21 |
| Dialling code | 01642 |
| Police | Cleveland |
| Fire | Cleveland |
| Ambulance | North East |
| UK Parliament | |
| |
Stockton-on-Tees is amarket town inCounty Durham, England, with a population of 84,815 at the2021 UK census.[1] It gives its name to and is the largest settlement in the widerBorough of Stockton-on-Tees. It is part ofTeesside and theTees Valley, on the northern bank of theRiver Tees.
The River Tees was straightened in the early 19th century, so that larger ships could access the town. The ports have since relocated closer to theNorth Sea, and ships are no longer able to sail from the sea to the town. This is due to the building of theTees Barrage, which was installed to managetidal flooding. TheStockton and Darlington Railway served the port during the early part of theIndustrial Revolution. The railway was also the world's first permanent steam-powered passenger railway.
Stockton is anAnglo-Saxon place name with the common endington, meaningfarm, orhomestead.Stock is possibly derived from the Anglo-SaxonStocc, meaninglog,tree trunk, orwooden post.Stockton could therefore meana farm built of logs. This is disputed because whenStocc forms the first part of a place name, it usually indicates a derivation from the similar wordStoc, meaningcell,monastery, orplace.Stoc in place name such asStoke orStow usually indicates farms which belonged to a manor or religious house. It is possible the name is an indication that Stockton was an outpost ofDurham orNorton which were both important Anglo-Saxon centres.
Stockton is reportedly the home of the fossilised remains of the most northerlyhippopotamus ever discovered. In 1958, an archeological dig four miles (6 km) north-west of the town uncovered a 125,000-year-old hippo's molar tooth. However, no one knows exactly where the tooth was discovered, who discovered it, or why the dig took place. The tooth was sent to the borough's librarian and curator, G. F. Leighton, who then sent it to theNatural History Museum inLondon. Since then, the tooth has been missing despite efforts to locate it.[2][3]
Stockton began as an Anglo-Saxon settlement on high ground close to the northern bank of theRiver Tees.
Stockton was described as amanor by 1138, and was purchased byBishop Pudsey ofDurham in 1189. During the 13th century, the bishop changed the village of Stockton into aborough; the exact date the borough was founded is unknown, but it was being described as a borough by 1283.[4] When the bishop freed Stockton'sserfs,craftsmen moved to the new town. The bishop had a residence in StocktonCastle, which was a fortified manor house, the first recorded reference to which was in 1376.
Stockton's market traces its history to 1310,[5] whenBishop Bek of Durham granted a marketcharter "to our town of Stockton a market upon every Wednesday for ever". The town grew into a small but busy port, exportingwool and importingwine, which was in demand by the upper class.[citation needed] However, even by the standards of the time,medieval Stockton-on-Tees was a small town, with a population of only approximately 1,000; the town did not grow for centuries.
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The Scots capturedStockton Castle in 1644, and occupied it until 1646. The castle was destroyed at the order ofOliver Cromwell at the end of theCivil War. A shopping centre, the Castlegate Centre, now occupies the castle area, and this was demolished in 2022 to make way for a new waterfront park opening up the high street to the river tees.[needs update] No known accurate depictions of the castle exist.[6][7]
TheTown House (now called the Town Hall) was built in 1735, and Stockton's first theatre opened in 1766. In 1771, a five-arch stone bridge was built, replacing the nearby Bishop's Ferry. Until the opening of theMiddlesbrough Transporter Bridge in 1911, this was the Tees's most downstream bridging point. From the end of the 18th century, theIndustrial Revolution transformed Stockton from a small and quiet market town into a flourishing centre of heavy industry.
In 1833, the then Bishop of Durham,William Van Mildert (1765–1836) gifted five acres and the land of an existing burial site called "The Monument" (originally a mass grave from a priorcholera outbreak) to the town of Stockton.[8][9] Upon this land, the process of building of and designing thegothic styleHoly Trinity Church began, using funds originally allocated for church building in theChurch Building Act 1818.[10] It was designed byJohn and Benjamin Green, and construction began in 1834.[10][11][12][9] It was consecrated as anAnglican church on 22 December 1835.
Shipbuilding, which had started in the 15th century, prospered in the town through the 17th and 18th centuries, with small industries also developing. These included brick, sail, and rope making, the latter now reflected in road names such as Ropery Street in the town centre. Stockton became the major port forCounty Durham, theNorth Riding of Yorkshire, andWestmorland during this period, exporting mainly rope, agricultural produce andlead from theYorkshire Dales.[13] Iron making and engineering entered the local economy in the 18th century. The population at the time of the 1841 census was 9,825 inhabitants.[14]
The town grew rapidly as the Industrial Revolution started, with the population growing from 10,000, in 1851, to over 50,000, in 1901, as workers moved in. The discovery ofiron ore in theEston Hills resulted inblast furnaces lining theRiver Tees from Stockton to the river's mouth.[citation needed] In 1820, an Act set up the Commissioners, a body with responsibility for lighting and cleaning the streets, and from 1822, Stockton-on-Tees was lit by gas.[15]
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In 1822, Stockton witnessed an event which changed the face of the world forever, and which heralded the dawn of a new era in trade, industry and travel. The first rail ofGeorge Stephenson'sStockton and Darlington Railway was laid near St. John's crossing on Bridge Road. Hauled byLocomotion No 1, Stephenson himself manned the engine on its first journey on 27 September 1825.[16] Fellow engineer and friendTimothy Hackworth acted as guard. This was theworld's first passenger railway,[17] connecting Stockton withDarlington. The opening of the railway greatly boosted Stockton's economy, making it easier to bring coal to the factories.
Stockton witnessed another development in 1827. Local chemist,John Walker, invented thefriction match[18], in his shop, at 59, High Street. The first sale of these matches was recorded in his sales-book on 7 April 1827, to a Mr. Hixon, a solicitor in the town. Since he did not obtain a patent, Walker received neither fame nor wealth for his invention, but he was able to retire some years before his death. He died in 1859 at the age of 78, and is buried in the parish churchyard inNorton village.
To cater to the increased population, a hospital opened in Stockton in 1862, and a public library opened in 1877.[19] Public transport also became important. Steamtrams began running in the streets in 1881, and these were replaced by electric trams in 1897.
Stockton was still dominated by the engineering industry in the 1930s, and there was also a chemicals industry in the town. Buses replaced the trams in 1931. Public housing also became necessary, and in the 1930s, slums were cleared, and the first council houses were built.
On 10 September 1933, theBattle of Stockton took place, in which between 200 and 300 supporters of theBritish Union of Fascists were taken to Stockton to hold a rally, but they were driven out of town by up to 2,000anti-fascist demonstrators.
In the late 20th century, manufacturing severely declined, andservice industries became the town's primary employers.
The Ragworth district near the town centre was the scene of rioting, in July 1992, when local youths threw stones at buildings, set cars alight, and threw missiles at police and fire crews. The area later saw a £12 million regeneration which involved mass demolition and refurbishment of existing properties, and construction of new housing and community facilities.[20]
Stockton lies on the north bank of theRiver Tees. The town's northern and western extremities are on slightly higher ground than the town centre, which is directly on the Tees. Stockton experiences occasional earth tremors. For example, it was the epicentre of a tremor measuring 2.8 on theRichter scale on 23 January 2020.[21] The town has many areas outside of the town centre;Fairfield,Portrack,Hardwick,Hartburn,Elm Tree Farm,Norton,Roseworth,Newtown,Bishopsgarth andOxbridge. Norton is the second largest centre in the town.
| Place | Distance | Direction | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | 217 miles (349 km)[22] | South | Capital city of the UK |
| Durham | 18 miles (29 km)[23] | North | Historiccounty town and closest city |
| Darlington | 10 miles (16 km)[24] | West | Combined Authority area |
| Hartlepool | 9 miles (14 km)[25] | North east | Combined Authority area |
| Middlesbrough | 3 miles (4.8 km)[26] | East | Combined Authority area |
Stockton-on-Tees has anoceanic climate typical for the United Kingdom. Being sheltered from prevailing south-westerly winds by theLake District andPennines to the west, and theCleveland Hills to the south, it is in one of the relatively dry parts of the country, receiving on average 596 millimetres (23.5 inches) of rain per year. Temperatures range from mild summer highs in July and August typically around 21 °C (70 °F), to winter lows in December and January falling to around 1 °C (34 °F).
Seasonal variations are small and both the mild summers and cool winters are far removed from the average climates of the latitude (54.5°N). This is mainly due to theBritish Isles being a relatively small land mass surrounded by water, the mild south-westerlyGulf Stream air that dominates the British Isles, and the propensity for cloud cover to limit temperature extremes. In nearbyScandinavia, more than ten degrees further north, there are coastalBothnian climates with warmer summers than Stockton-on-Tees; winters in Stockton-on-Tees can be less cold than those at lower latitudes in mainland Europe.
| Climate data for Stockton-on-Tees, Hartburn Grange (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 13.9 (57.0) | 14.6 (58.3) | 19.7 (67.5) | 21.2 (70.2) | 25.2 (77.4) | 30.0 (86.0) | 29.4 (84.9) | 33.9 (93.0) | 24.3 (75.7) | 24.7 (76.5) | 17.0 (62.6) | 14.7 (58.5) | 33.9 (93.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.0 (44.6) | 7.9 (46.2) | 10.0 (50.0) | 12.8 (55.0) | 15.5 (59.9) | 18.2 (64.8) | 20.6 (69.1) | 20.4 (68.7) | 17.7 (63.9) | 13.9 (57.0) | 9.9 (49.8) | 7.3 (45.1) | 13.5 (56.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.1 (39.4) | 4.6 (40.3) | 6.1 (43.0) | 8.4 (47.1) | 10.8 (51.4) | 13.6 (56.5) | 15.8 (60.4) | 15.7 (60.3) | 13.3 (55.9) | 10.2 (50.4) | 6.7 (44.1) | 4.2 (39.6) | 9.4 (48.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.1 (34.0) | 1.2 (34.2) | 2.1 (35.8) | 3.9 (39.0) | 6.1 (43.0) | 8.9 (48.0) | 10.9 (51.6) | 10.9 (51.6) | 8.8 (47.8) | 6.5 (43.7) | 3.5 (38.3) | 1.0 (33.8) | 5.4 (41.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −16.2 (2.8) | −16.4 (2.5) | −8.7 (16.3) | −6.1 (21.0) | −3.2 (26.2) | −0.4 (31.3) | 2.6 (36.7) | 2.1 (35.8) | −1.7 (28.9) | −5.2 (22.6) | −10.4 (13.3) | −17.1 (1.2) | −17.1 (1.2) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 40.2 (1.58) | 36.1 (1.42) | 34.0 (1.34) | 39.2 (1.54) | 42.0 (1.65) | 55.7 (2.19) | 59.1 (2.33) | 63.3 (2.49) | 52.3 (2.06) | 59.3 (2.33) | 62.8 (2.47) | 52.2 (2.06) | 596.2 (23.47) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 9.9 | 8.1 | 8.4 | 8.2 | 9.0 | 8.7 | 9.1 | 9.8 | 8.0 | 9.8 | 11.8 | 10.6 | 111.5 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 56.1 | 76.2 | 109.6 | 138.9 | 180.7 | 171.2 | 174.3 | 161.4 | 125.9 | 91.1 | 59.5 | 50.4 | 1,395.3 |
| Source 1:Met Office (precipitation days 1981-2010)[27] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Starlings Roost Weather[28] | |||||||||||||
Stockton town centre is the heart of the borough. TheHigh Street—the widest in the UK[29]—heads north through the town centre from the junction of Bridge Road and Yarm Lane, to Maxwell's Corner, where Norton Road and Bishopton Lane begin. Dovecot Street runs west from the High Street's midway point, and further north, Church Road extends east toward Northshore and the River Tees. At the centre of the High Street standsStockton-on-Tees Town Hall, dating from 1735, and the Georgian-style Shambles Market Hall. Around the town hall, the largest outdoor market in North East England, which has been in existence since the 1300s, continues to be held every Wednesday and Saturday.[30]
Much of the town centre has a Georgian and late medieval influence, with a number oflisted buildings and a variety of architectural types, which help to define the town's identity. The shops predominantly have narrow frontages stretching back to gain floorspace. Thisburgage plot style is particularly evident around the marketplace and on side streets such as Silver Street, Finkle Street and Ramsgate. There is also the surviving ruins of thegothic style church inTrinity Green, which dates back to 1834.
Before 2022, the town centre retail was largely concentrated within two shopping centres, Castlegate and Wellington Square. Wellington Square has open shops on pedestrian-only paths whereas the Castlegate, opened in 1972 and currently undergoing demolition,[31] was a building which incorporated amulti-storey car park and an indoor market. Itsfaçade was a dominant feature along the south east of the High Street, its site bounded by Finkle Street, Bridge Road and Tower Street. The Riverside dual carriageway and the River Tees run almost parallel to the rear of the centre. TheTeesquay Millennium Footbridge links the Castlegate Quay on the north side of the river toTeesdale Business Park andDurham University'sQueen's Campus on the south side in the ceremonial county of the North Riding of Yorkshire. Situated at the north west end of the town centre is Wellington Square shopping centre, built on the old Wellington Street. Opened in 2001 at a cost of £43 million, it houses 46 shop units.
The town centre has retained a number of originalyards such as Wasp Nest Yard, Hambletonian Yard, and Ship Inn Yard. Most notable is Green Dragon Yard, a courtyard of restored historic warehouses within a series ofalleyways. Considered the cultural quarter of the town, this houses the Green Dragon public house, the Green Dragon Studios (recording studios) and Britain's oldest survivingGeorgian Theatre.
Alongside retail outlets, Stockton town centre also has a variety of services including national banks and building societies, travel agents, a post office, hairdressers, beauticians, cafés, and restaurants. The refurbishment of some period buildings has provided space for small firms including solicitors, recruitment agencies, and accountants.
In 2019, with the council trying to tackle the centre's empty shops, the council bought both Wellington Square and Castlegate Centre, with Castlegate Centre to be demolished along with the StocktonSwallow Hotel in order to create a new urban park on the old site of the two demolished buildings.
The new urban park proposed called "Waterfront" is to be an urban park with open, flexible spaces for community, and large scale events.[32] The development will also include the narrowing and tunnelling of Riverside Road allowing people to walk straight from the High Street to theRiver Tees. To be built alongside the Waterfront is a new NHS health hub offering rapid scans, tests and checks, creating 130 roles for the area.[33] This new development will concentrate Stockton's retail area to be within Wellington Square.
The Waterfront started development with the demolition of Castlegate Centre and the Swallow Hotel in September 2022, with all demolition work completed by the end of 2023. Since then the NHS health hub's exterior has been built and can be seen from the Town centre with the rest of the development undergoing construction.
Since the construction of theTees Barrage in 1995, the level of the River Tees through the town has permanently been held at high tide, creating a backdrop for riverside events and facilitating watersports activities such as rowing, canoeing, jet skiing, and dragon boat racing. Stockton town centre is elevated above the river, and is separated from the riverside by the A1305 Riverside Road, a dual carriageway which runs parallel to the river from Northshore to Chandlers Wharf.
From the town centre, Bishop Street, Silver Street, Calvert's Lane, and Thistle Green offer views of the river where it meanders around Teesdale Business Park. Durham University Queen's Campus can be seen on the opposite side, alongside the skyline ofMiddlesbrough in the middle distance andRoseberry Topping in theCleveland Hills, approximately fifteen miles (24 km) south east.
Chandlers Wharf is situated on the north side of the river where Bridge Road approachesVictoria Bridge. The area is characterised by a mixture of office and residential accommodation, including the colourful twelve-storey Mezzino student apartments at Rialto Court, aMecca Bingo hall,Burger King and the two-storeyGrosvenor Casino, which opened in September 2011. Adjacent to the wharf is Castlegate Quay, which was once the town's main dock. The quayside is still occupied by Georgian warehouses which have been converted into a number of business units, restaurants, and agym. A full-size replica ofCaptain James Cook's shipHM Bark Endeavour was once moored at the quayside, but was sold and moved after refurbishment to a mooring in Whitby. The Teesside Princess, a two-deck river boat, is docked alongside, and offers river cruises all year to Yarm via Preston Park.
Both the north and south banks of the Tees are retained by steelsheet pile walls, and have footpaths along the river edge. The Tees Walkway on the north bank of the river can be accessed from the town centre by theTeesquay Millennium Footbridge or the Riverside Footbridge, and incorporates acycle path which forms part of theNational Cycle Network.
The 11-metreAeolian Motion wind sculpture stands on a grassy slope overlooking the riverside, which becomes anamphitheatre during large events. From Castlegate Quay, the tree-lined path along the waterfront toward thePrincess of Wales Bridge opens into green space and a car park for events. Beyond the Princess of Wales Bridge, theslipway at the River Tees Watersports Centre is situated at the western area of Northshore, which is currently under development, and which leads to the Tees Barrage.
The town is served by two main arterial roads: the transpennineA66 (east/west) and theA19 (north/south). The A19 connects Stockton withYork in the south, and extends toPeterlee andSunderland, to the north. East of the town centre is the A1046, a mostly dual carriageway which runs throughPortrack, as Portrack Lane, a retail zone, particularly for home furnishings andDIY. From Portrack, the A1046 continues to its northern terminus atPort Clarence. The A139 connects the town centre with the northern suburb ofNorton. This was the original route for the A19 before a bypass was built to the east of the town.
TheA177 runs from Stockton town centre toDurham. Known as Durham Road, it passesSedgefield en route, and is a major route in to and out of Stockton.
The A66 connects Stockton directly toMiddlesbrough (8 miles (13 km) to the east) andDarlington (10 miles (16 km) to the west). Beyond Darlington lies theA1(M). The A66 is connected to Stockton centre by theA135. The old A135 was renumbered A1027, and this continues through the town toBillingham. The A135 is named '1825 Way' to commemorate the formerStockton and Darlington Railway's opening; the 1825 Way's northern end is St John's Crossing, adjacent to the old Stockton Railway Station buildings.
Stockton station, located above the High Street, serves the town; however, more regular and long-distance trains run from nearbyThornaby.
Northern routinely serves both stations with local and regional services, whereas at ThornabyTransPennine Express runs an hourly service betweenRedcar andManchester Airport via York andLNER stops once both ways every weekday between Middlesbrough andLondon King's Cross.
Theoriginal Stockton railway station on theStockton & Darlington Railway opened on 27 September 1825 as the terminus of the world’s first public railway, which ran fromShildon viaDarlington to Stockton-on-Tees. This station was located at St John’s Crossing close to theriver docks in Stockton, and the station served both early passenger and freight traffic until it closed in 1848. The former station buildings and weigh house from 1825 still survive and have Grade II heritage status, standing at 48 Bridge Road and visible as part of the town’s railway history rather than part of the modern rail network.
The nearest airport isTeesside International Airport several miles west of the town. It offers domestic and international flights.
Stockton is famous as the home of thefriction match and theStockton and Darlington Railway, which operated the world's first steam-hauled passenger train in 1825. The town also has the world's oldest passenger railway station building. Industry and engineering remained central to Stockton's economy over many years, and major industries have included shipbuilding and repair, heavy engineering, steel, and chemicals manufacturing. However, during the twentieth century, Teesside's heavy industry declined dramatically.
Since the 1980s, Stockton has seen an increase in service industries. The development ofTeesdale Business Park on the south bank of the River Tees has created commercial space with many large service providers openingcall centres and offices in the area.[13]Durham University's Queen's Campus is also situated within the Teesdale development, which is linked to the town centre by theTeesquay Millennium Footbridge,Princess of Wales Bridge, andInfinity Bridge.
In 1995, after four years' construction, theTees Barrage was commissioned, permanently holding the upstream river waters at the level of an average high tide.
In 2007, funding from theEuropean Regional Development Fund andEnglish Heritage secured the ruins of the Holy Trinity Church, and renovated the site intoTrinity Green, removing the site fromHistoric England's 'Heritage At Risk register'.[34][35]
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(October 2018) |
Work is under way to develop the north bank of theRiver Tees in Stockton with the £300 million Northshore scheme, which will include new offices, leisure facilities, housing, a 150-bedroom hotel, and a new campus for Durham University.[36][37][38]
In 2012, a long-term scheme aimed at transforming the town centre area was announced, with investment of approximately £38 million, just over £20 million being contributed by Stockton Borough Council, and the remainder coming from the private sector and grants. The investment programme aimed to attract more retailers, businesses, and shoppers to the town by opening up new spaces and links to the River Tees, providing easier access and parking, and capitalising on the town's heritage and cultural assets.[citation needed]
Plans include the introduction of an expansive plaza area 'Infinity View' that will open up the pedestrian area to dramatic views of the award-winning Infinity Bridge. Under the scheme, the banks of the River Tees will be transformed with a series of impressive light installations which will stretch along the waterfront, from the Princess of Wales Bridge to the Millennium Bridge. This permanent colourful illumination is intended to add value to the riverside businesses and restaurants and play an important part in the council's events programme throughout the year.[39][needs update]
Stockton is one of 12 towns in England to share in £1.2 million of funding, support from retail guruMary Portas and her own team, as part of thePortas Pilot scheme. Selected from over 370 applications, Stockton's Town TeamConsortium, comprising Stockton Council, Tees Music Alliance, Durham University Queen's Campus, town centre retailers, A Way Out and Stockton Heritage in Partnership, will have the opportunity to share in expert advice and guidance from a range of retail experts.[40][41]
The Stockton-Middlesbrough Initiative is a 20-year vision for regenerating the urban core of theTees Valley, the main focus being the 30 km2 (12 sq mi) area along the banks of theRiver Tees between the two centres of Stockton andMiddlesbrough. The master plan has been drawn up by environmental design specialists Gillespies, the eventual aim being to bring distinctive high-quality city-scale assets to the centre of the Tees Valley, including the town centres of Stockton and Middlesbrough. The project will include the existing developments at North Shore, Stockton and Middlesbrough, with many others over a 15- to 20-year period.[42]
In February 2020 it was announced that the Castlegate Shopping Centre was set to be demolished in 2022.[43]
The mean weekly income for Stockton residents was £522.70 in 2017. This is below the U.K. mean of £538.70. In some parts of Stockton, most households' income is below the poverty threshold.[clarification needed] The mean privately rented house in Stockton cost £525 per month in 2017, compared with a mean of £480 across North East England.[44][needs update]
The town recorded 125 crimes for every 1,000 people in 2020, higher than similarly sized Darlington and Hartlepool and 29% higher than ceremonial County Durham's 89 out of 1,000 average. The most common crimes in 2020 were "violence and sexual offences"; 4,445 of this type were recorded in 2020. Eight out of 14 crime trends improved compared to 2019. The Eastbourne and Newham Grange Ward recorded the worst crime statistics in the town.[45] The borough came out lower than the four other Tees Valley boroughs in 2017.[46]
Stockton comes underCleveland Police's jurisdiction. There are two police stations in town, town centre main and Newton neighbourhood. Teesside combined courts are located in Middlesbrough.
HMP Holme House, inPortrack, is a 1211-capacity Category B prison for male adult prisoners who are either remanded in custody, or convicted. It also accommodates a small number of young offenders, aged 18–21 years. The prison opened in May 1992[47] and mainly serves south of county Durham as well as north of North Yorkshire.[citation needed]
In the 2021 census, the borough was recorded as having a population of 196,595, with 50.9% being female.
For religion, 51.1% identified themselves asChristian, 39.1% having no religion, 3.4%Muslim, 0.4%Hindu, 0.4%Sikh, 0.3%Buddhist, and 0.3% answering 'Other' as well as 5% not answering.[48]
For ethnicity, those who identified asWhite were 92.0%,Asian,Asian British orAsian Welsh were 4.6%,Black,Black British,Black Welsh,Caribbean orAfrican were 1.1%,mixed or 'multiple ethnic groups' were 1.4%, and the 'other' ethnic group category recorded 0.8%.[48]
For sexuality, those who identified as straight orheterosexual were 91.6%,gay orlesbian were 1.4%,bisexual was 0.9%,pansexual was 0.2%,asexual was 0.0%,queer was 0.0%, 'all other sexual orientations' were 0.0% and those who did not answer were 5.9%.[48]
(Note, for percentages with 0.0%, this may due to a number too low to represent using the number of digits supplied rather than a lack of those who identified as that specific identity.)
| Sex | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2021 Census[48] | Count | % |
| All usual residents | 196,595 | 100.0 |
| Female | 100,072 | 50.9 |
| Male | 96,523 | 49.1 |
| Ethnicity | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2021 Census[48] | count | % |
| All usual residents | 196,593 | 100.0 |
| Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh | 9,052 | 4.6 |
| Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African | 2,203 | 1.1 |
| Mixed or multiple ethnic groups | 2,737 | 1.4 |
| White | 180,937 | 92.0 |
| Other ethnic group | 1,664 | 0.8 |
| Religion | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2021 Census[48] | count | % |
| All usual residents | 196,595 | 100.0 |
| No religion | 76,840 | 39.1 |
| Christian | 100,420 | 51.1 |
| Buddhist | 532 | 0.3 |
| Hindu | 811 | 0.4 |
| Jewish | 61 | 0.0 |
| Muslim | 6,675 | 3.4 |
| Sikh | 782 | 0.4 |
| Other religion | 550 | 0.3 |
| Not answered | 9,924 | 5.0 |
Stockton Calling is an Easter Sunday music festival which has taken place across several of Stockton's music venues annually since 2010.[49] In 2019, it celebrated its 11th year, and was headlined bySophie and the Giants.[49]
TheStockton International Riverside Festival (SIRF), one of Europe's largest open air festivals, has taken over the town once a year since 1988.[50] Spread over a long weekend, for either four or five days, it attracts over 250,000 visitors, and features a variety of acts such as circus, comedy, music, dance and street theatre.[51]
The annual riverside firework display happens on the first Sunday closest to5 November, and is typically attended by up to 100,000 spectators from the wider region. The year's events always conclude with the Stockton Sparkles Christmas festival and associated markets.[52][53]
TheARC Theatre & Arts Centre on Dovecot Street was built in 1999, and comprises a multi-purpose arts centre for cinema, theatre, dance, and music. It has three floors including four venues: a 260-seat theatre, a 100-seat studio theatre, a point/music area accommodating 550 standing, and a 130-seat cinema. It also has exhibition spaces, meeting rooms, a café, and two bars.
TheGeorgian Theatre at Green Dragon Yard is Grade II listed, and is the oldest Georgian theatre in the country. Originally opened in 1766,[54] it fell into disrepair during the 19th century, but later functioned as a sweet factory and then a community building. Between 2007 and 2008, the building was given a full makeover along with the neighbouring Green Dragon Studios, and now serves as an intimate venue for live entertainment with a capacity of 200.
The Grade-II listedGlobe Theatre built in 1936 is at the north western end of the High Street, the theatre reopened in 2021 following extensive restoration. It was built on the same site as two previous theatres, and has hosted many famous acts such asBuddy Holly,the Platters,Guy Mitchell,the Rolling Stones,the Animals,Cilla Black,Carl Perkins,Cliff Richard,the Shadows andChuck Berry.The Beatles famously played the Globe on Friday, 22 November 1963, the day U.S. PresidentJohn F. Kennedy wasassassinated.
On 12 June 2016, Stockton Council launched TheStockton Flyer, a stylised model of a flying steam locomotive in a plinth on Stockton High Street. The Flyer was unveiled to markQueen Elizabeth II's official 90th birthday on 12 June 2016. TheStockton Flyer appears from the plinth every day at 1 p.m.,[55][56] and often draws a crowd of people watching the rising and lowering of the structure.
Designed by Phil Johnson of Ratho Forge, the wind sculptureAeolian Motion was constructed at the end of Silver Street in March and April 2001. The design is said to impart a unique identity to the seating area, reflecting the character of Stockton, and creating a sense of place.[57]
Local news and television programmes are provided byBBC North East and Cumbria andITV Tyne Tees. The community television stationTalkTeesside also broadcasts to the town. Television signals are received from theBilsdale TV transmitter.[58] Local radio stations areBBC Radio Tees,Heart North East,Hits Radio Teesside,Capital North East,Smooth North East,Greatest Hits Radio Teesside and CVFM Radio, a community based station that broadcast from nearbyMiddlesbrough.[59] The town is served by the local newspaper,Evening Gazette.
Public services provided in Stockton include a general hospital, health advice centres, dental and medical surgeries, a library, churches, employment advice centres, youth projects, energy advice centres and an international family centre. A cluster of municipal buildings is concentrated primarily along Church Road. The police headquarters is the only emergency service station located within the centre, next to Stockton Central Library.
Stockton'sUniversity Hospital of North Tees serves south east County Durham. It is part of the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust.
Stockton has a number of public parks and nature reserves. Most notable isRopner Park, a Victorian park on the outskirts of the town, nearHartburn village. Opened in 1893 and renovated in 2007, the park has tree-lined avenues approaching an ornate water fountain, surrounded by rockeries and floral displays. Overlooking a lake, abandstand features live band music on Sunday afternoons in the summer. Seasonal fairs and occasional organised events are staged at the park throughout the year. Close by, there is also the smaller park housing the ruins of the Holy Trinity Church, now calledTrinity Green.
Further upstream isPreston Park, a 100 acres (40 ha) public park by theRiver Tees. The park hosts many events each year that attract people from across Teesside and further afield.Preston Hall, once the home ofSir Robert Ropner, is situated within the grounds, and is now a museum. The park also houses 'Butterfly World', an artificial tropical environment housing various species of exoticbutterflies andreptiles.
Downstream isPortrack Marsh Nature Reserve, a 50 acres (20 ha)[60][61] nature reserve by the northern bank of the river between theTees Barrage and theTees Viaduct nearPortrack housing estate. It is the last remainingwetland on the lower Tees.[62] Ownership of the reserve is divided between theTees Valley Wildlife Trust andNorthumbrian Water, but the reserve is managed by the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust. The western and northern parts of the reserve are mature marsh, while there are a series of man–made ponds in the south east.
The town's main leisure facility is 'Splash', a large wet and dry facility, on Church Road. It has a 25m pool with a wave machine and flumes, a learner pool, a spa pool, as well as fitness and dance facilities. The Castlegate Quay Watersports Centre also offers opportunities for sailing and paddling on the River Tees.[63]
Stockton Central Library on Church Road is the largest public library serving the borough of Stockton-on-Tees.[64] Built in 1967, it was fully refurbished in 2011 at a cost of £1.9m. It occupies two floors: the ground floor incorporates Stockton Borough Council's Customer Services Centre, an adult lending library, and a children's library, while the first floor houses the reference library (the central reference department for the borough), afamily history suite, a computer suite with free internet access, and the 'Starbooks' café. The library also has conference facilities and an exhibition area.
Stockton is aChurch of Englanddeanery of theArchdeaconry of Auckland, in theDiocese of Durham. The churches ofSt Peter,Stockton Parish Church (St Thomas'),[65] and St Paul are in the town.Holy Trinity Church was built as an Anglican church, but later became Greek Orthodox. It was destroyed by fire in 1991. The ruins remain on site.[66]
Stockton is in theRoman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, and is home to the parishes of St Bede, St Cuthbert, English Martyrs and SS Peter and Paul, St Joseph,St Mary, and St Patrick.[67]
Stockton also has a Muslim community (6,675),[48] with mosques such asFarooq E Azam Mosque and Islamic Centre serving this community. TheFarooq E Azam mosque is especially of note, due to the recent council decision to allow the call to prayer, orAdhan, to be played once at week at an agreed volume, the first mosque in the north-east of England to do so.[68][69][70][71]
Stockton Cricket Club was established in 1816, and has been located at theGrangefield Cricket Ground since 1891. The club currently fields three senior teams at weekends in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Divisions of the Dukes North East Premier League.
Stockton Football Club existed from 1882 until it folded in 1975. They played at theVictoria Ground which also heldgreyhound racing (one of two venues in the town to do so along withBelle Vue Park).[72][73][74][75] The club's assets were transferred to Norton Cricket Club, who subsequently founded theNorton & Stockton Ancients Football Club. There are two other football clubs in the town.Stockton Town F.C. play in theNorthern Premier League Premier Division. After consecutive promotions winning the Wearside League in 2016 and Northern League Division 2 in 2017, then gaining promotion to Step 4 of the pyramid system as a result of 2 curtailed seasons due to Covid. In May 2024 gained promotion to Step 3 via a Play Off victory over Dunston UTS. Meanwhile, Stockton West End currently play in theNorth Riding Football League Premier Division.
Stockton Rugby Club, established in 1873, is the localRugby Union team. Home games are now played at the Grangefield Ground following a community partnership agreement with Stockton Cricket club and Grangefield Academy in 2015.
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People born in Stockton include:
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