Stockton-on-Tees Tourist Information

Stockton-on-Tees is an ancient settlement, founded by the Anglo-Saxons, developed on high ground close to the northern bank of the River Tees.

Stockton was located in a rich agricultural area and in medieval times it developed as a prosperous market town.

The town's impressive High Street is said to be the widest in the country. At its centre is stands the picturesque Town Hall dating from 1735.

Stockton once had a Norman castle, owned by the Prince Bishops of Durham, but this was destroyed on the orders of Oliver Cromwell after the Civil War. Today its site is marked by a shopping centre called the Castlegate Centre.

By the 17th century Stockton had become the main port on the River Tees and in the early-19th century cuts where made in the course of the winding river to create a more efficient route out to sea.

In the 19th century chemical and steel industries were established in Stockton, along with ship-repairing. The town also became famous for its association with the Stockton and Darlington Railway. In 1825 the world's first steam hauled passenger train ran on this railway line.Stockton boasts the oldest railway station building in the world.

There are also some fine Georgian buildings in the town, including the world's oldest Georgian theatre, dating from 1766.

In recent years the creation of the Tees Barrage has produced a deep, clean waterway and helped upstream Tees become an impressive international water sports destination.